Primary sourceDocument
The Sermon of the Fifty
Voltaire
A clandestine pamphlet attributed to Voltaire that attacks revealed religion in the voice of a deist preacher.
This clandestine pamphlet shows Voltaire's most radical and dangerous attacks on organised Christianity.
About this source
What it is
The Sermon of the Fifty is a pamphlet written by Voltaire, presented as a sermon and prayer supposedly given by a group of fifty reasonable, pious men who meet each week. It is one of Voltaire's most radical attacks on organised Christianity.
Why it matters
Because of its dangerous content, the work was circulated secretly rather than openly published under Voltaire's name. It reveals how far Voltaire was willing to go in criticising revealed religion and superstition, and the risks writers faced for expressing such views in 18th-century France. The text reflects Voltaire's deism: belief in a creator god but rejection of organised religious ritual and dogma.
Look closer
- Why might Voltaire have chosen to disguise his criticism of religion as a sermon given by pious men?
- What does the prayer ask for, and what does it reject?
- Why would a text like this need to be spread secretly rather than printed openly?
This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Voltaire on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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