Character guide

Thomas Paine

major

Also known as Paine, Tom Paine, Mr. Paine

Paine arrives at theology as a Quaker-raised deist who spent decades insisting that one God, unmixed and unadulterated, is enough — and that the Bible is a human book wearing divine clothes. His weapon is not mockery but method: he compares genealogies, counts generations, and asks why an inspired text contradicts itself in its opening lines. Writing without revision while awaiting execution, he fuses the astronomy he loves with the politics he helped ignite, convinced that a revolution in government must be followed by one in religion. The book is his case for a Creator legible in creation rather than in crumbling manuscripts.

Jesus Christ

major

Also known as Jesus, Christ

Paine separates the man from the myth: he grants that a Mary, a Joseph, a Jesus likely existed, and calls philanthropy the great trait of Jesus's character, then turns his scalpel on the four gospels that claim to record him. Matthew and Luke cannot agree on a single name between David and Joseph across twenty-eight versus forty-three generations, and Paine treats that disagreement as proof of fabrication rather than mystery. The tension is sharp — he admires the teacher while rejecting the doctrine of atonement as blasphemously obscene — and this split between ethical reverence and theological demolition drives the book's central argument.

Moses

supporting

Paine treats Moses not as a prophet but as a suspect author, catching him in a trap of his own text: Numbers 12:3 calls Moses the meekest man on the face of the earth, and no meek man boasts of it. The Pentateuch's dramatical style — a narrator introducing Moses speaking, then resuming his own voice — reads to Paine like a later hand staging a scene, and the account of Moses's own death and burial seals the case that someone else held the pen. Moses matters because he is the foundation stone: if the Old Testament collapses, the New Testament's claim to fulfill prophecy collapses with it.

Matthew

supporting

Also known as St. Matthew

Matthew is Paine's Exhibit A: a gospel that begins by staking everything on a lineage from David through Joseph, then supplies a list that shares almost no names with Luke's. Paine's logic is merciless — agreement would not prove truth, but disagreement proves falsehood absolutely — and Matthew's account of Judas returning the thirty pieces of silver is later contradicted by Luke's Acts, where Judas keeps the money and buys the field himself. Matthew matters because he is where Paine's method first bites: if the gospels cannot be trusted in the very first thing they set out to prove, they are not entitled to be believed in anything afterward.

Luke

supporting

Also known as St. Luke

Luke is the other half of Paine's contradiction: where Matthew runs twenty-eight generations from David to Christ, Luke runs forty-three, and only David and Joseph appear in both lists. Paine notes that Luke's gospel speaks as if Christ never left Judea, directly conflicting with Matthew's flight into Egypt, and that Luke's version of Judas — keeping the money and buying a field for himself — cannot coexist with Matthew's version of a remorseful Judas returning the silver. Luke matters because he turns Paine's abstract claim about inspiration into a concrete, checkable failure: two books credited to the same Spirit cannot disagree on the facts.

Isaiah

minor

Old Testament prophet whose writings are discussed in Paine's critique.

Joshua

minor

Biblical figure whose book is analyzed for historical and moral content.

Jeremiah

minor

Also known as Jeremy

Old Testament prophet whose writings are cited in Paine's analysis.

Jonah

minor

Biblical prophet whose story is used to illustrate absurdities in scripture.

Saul

minor

First king of Israel, discussed in the context of Old Testament history.

David

minor

Also known as David Levi

King of Israel and central figure in Old Testament narratives examined by Paine.

Mark

minor

Also known as St. Mark

Evangelist whose gospel is scrutinized for historical reliability.

Joseph le Bon

minor

Also known as Joseph

French revolutionary figure mentioned in Paine's political commentary.

Samuel Adams

minor

Also known as Samuel

American revolutionary and political figure referenced by Paine.

Satan

minor

Biblical adversary discussed in the context of Christian theology.

Ahaz

minor

King of Judah mentioned in Old Testament prophecies.

Zedekiah

minor

Also known as King Zedekiah

Last king of Judah before the Babylonian captivity.

Paul

minor

Also known as St. Paul

Apostle whose writings are examined for contradictions with the gospels.

Dr. Conyers Middleton

minor

Also known as Middleton

English scholar whose work on miracles is cited by Paine.

Judas

minor

Apostle who betrayed Jesus, discussed in gospel analysis.

John the Baptist

minor

Also known as John

Biblical prophet who baptized Jesus, referenced in gospels.

Nebuchadnezzar

minor

Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem, mentioned in prophecy.

François Lanthenas

minor

Also known as Lanthenas

French translator and friend of Paine mentioned in the text.

Newton

minor

Also known as Newton or Descartes

Scientist whose work is contrasted with biblical cosmology.

Mary Magdalene

minor

Also known as Mary, Magdalene

Follower of Jesus mentioned in gospel resurrection accounts.

Adam

minor

First man in the biblical creation story, analyzed by Paine.

Virgilius

minor

Roman poet referenced in Paine's literary comparisons.

Dr. Priestley

minor

Also known as Priestley

English scientist and theologian whose views are discussed.

Job

minor

Biblical figure whose story of suffering is analyzed.

John Adams

minor

Also known as Adams, John

American founding father and second president, mentioned by Paine.

Muhammad

minor

Founder of Islam, mentioned in comparative religious discussion.

Robespierre

minor

French revolutionary leader mentioned in political context.

Euclid

minor

Ancient Greek mathematician cited for logical reasoning.

Eve

minor

First woman in the biblical creation story.

Benjamin Franklin

minor

Also known as Franklin

American founding father and inventor, mentioned by Paine.

Solomon

minor

Also known as Sol

Biblical king known for wisdom, whose writings are analyzed.

Malachi

minor

Also known as Zechariah, Haggai Zechariah Malachi

Old Testament prophet whose book is discussed in Paine's critique.

Cyrus

minor

Persian king who allowed Jews to return from exile, mentioned in prophecy.

Daniel Isaacs Eaton

minor

Also known as Eaton, Dan, Daniel

Publisher of Paine's works, mentioned in the text.

Elisha

minor

Old Testament prophet and successor to Elijah.

Ezekiel

minor

Old Testament prophet whose visions are analyzed by Paine.

Erskine

minor

British lawyer who prosecuted Paine for seditious libel.

Peter Pindar

minor

Also known as Peter

Pseudonym of satirist John Wolcot, referenced by Paine.

Abraham

minor

Patriarch of Judaism and Christianity, discussed in Old Testament analysis.

Homer

minor

Ancient Greek poet mentioned in comparison to biblical authors.

Jupiter

minor

Roman god used as example of pagan mythology.

Samson

minor

Biblical judge known for strength, mentioned in Old Testament critique.

Whiston

minor

English theologian and historian cited by Paine.

Esaias

minor

Alternate name for Isaiah used in some biblical references.

Elias Hicks

minor

Also known as Elijah

Quaker preacher whose views are referenced by Paine.

Virgin Mary

minor

Also known as Mary

Mother of Jesus, discussed in gospel narratives.

Thomas Williams

minor

Also known as Williams

Bookseller prosecuted for publishing Paine's works.

Saturn

minor

Roman god mentioned in pagan mythology comparisons.

Cicero

minor

Roman orator and philosopher referenced by Paine.

Ezra

minor

Biblical scribe associated with restoration of Jewish law.

King Lemuel

minor

Also known as Lemuel

Biblical king mentioned in Proverbs, analyzed by Paine.

Col. John Fellows

minor

Also known as Fellows, John

American publisher and friend of Paine.

Boulanger

minor

Also known as N. A. Boulanger

French author referenced in Paine's religious critique.

Couthon

minor

French revolutionary figure mentioned in political context.

H. D. Symonds

minor

Also known as Symonds

London publisher of Paine's works.

Kant

minor

German philosopher mentioned in philosophical discussion.

Jehoshaphat

minor

King of Judah mentioned in Old Testament history.

Swift

minor

Anglo-Irish satirist referenced in literary context.

Agur

minor

Biblical author of Proverbs 30, analyzed by Paine.

Joel Barlow

minor

Also known as Barlow, Joel

American poet and diplomat, friend of Paine.

Mr. Monroe

minor

Also known as Mr. and Mrs. Monroe

American diplomat who assisted Paine in France.

Venus

minor

Roman goddess mentioned in pagan mythology comparisons.

Jeroboam

minor

Also known as king Jeroboam

First king of the northern Kingdom of Israel.

Pharaoh

minor

Egyptian king in the Exodus story, discussed by Paine.

Boniface

minor

Also known as St. Boniface

Christian missionary saint mentioned in religious history.

Herschel

minor

Astronomer whose discoveries are referenced by Paine.

Hezekiah

minor

King of Judah during the Assyrian siege.

Rachel

minor

Biblical matriarch, wife of Jacob.

Junius

minor

Pseudonymous political writer referenced by Paine.

Abner

minor

Biblical military commander under King Saul.

Solon

minor

Athenian lawgiver mentioned in political comparison.