How Long to Read American Freethinker

By Kirsten Fischer

How Long Does it Take to Read American Freethinker?

It takes the average reader 5 hours and 22 minutes to read American Freethinker by Kirsten Fischer

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

The first comprehensive biography of Elihu Palmer tells the life story of a freethinker who was at the heart of the early United States' protracted contest over religious freedom and free speech. When the United States was new, a lapsed minister named Elihu Palmer shared with his fellow Americans the radical idea that virtue required no religious foundation. A better source for morality, he said, could be found in the natural world: the interconnected web of life that inspired compassion for all living things. Religions that deny these universal connections should be discarded, he insisted. For this, his Christian critics denounced him as a heretic whose ideas endangered the country. Although his publications and speaking tours made him one of the most infamous American freethinkers in his day, Elihu Palmer has been largely forgotten. No cache of his personal papers exists and his book has been long out of print. Yet his story merits telling, Kirsten Fischer argues, and not only for the dramatic account of a man who lost his eyesight before the age of thirty and still became a book author, newspaper editor, and itinerant public speaker. Even more intriguing is his encounter with a cosmology that envisioned the universe as interconnected, alive with sensation, and everywhere infused with a divine life force. Palmer's "heresy" tested the nation's recently proclaimed commitment to freedom of religion and of speech. In this he was not alone. Fischer reveals that Palmer engaged in person and in print with an array of freethinkers—some famous, others now obscure. The flourishing of diverse religious opinion struck some of his contemporaries as foundational to a healthy democracy while others believed that only a strong Christian faith could support democratic self-governance. This first comprehensive biography of Palmer draws on extensive archival research to tell the life story of a freethinker who was at the heart of the new nation's protracted contest over religious freedom and free speech—a debate that continues to resonate today.

How long is American Freethinker?

American Freethinker by Kirsten Fischer is 321 pages long, and a total of 80,571 words.

This makes it 108% the length of the average book. It also has 98% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read American Freethinker Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 7 hours and 20 minutes to read American Freethinker aloud.

What Reading Level is American Freethinker?

American Freethinker is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy American Freethinker?

American Freethinker by Kirsten Fischer is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy American Freethinker by Kirsten Fischer on Amazon click the button below.

Buy American Freethinker on Amazon