An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity In Plain and Simple English: (Translated)

By Jonathan Swift

Book Overview

What happens when you try to abolish Christianity? According to Jonathan Swift-society falls apart... and more importantly, Sundays get really boring.

An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity is one of Swift's sharpest and most underappreciated political satires. On the surface, it's a defense of the Church-but underneath, it's a masterclass in irony, poking fun at religious hypocrisy, lazy politicians, and the absurdities of English society.

But Swift's 18th-century language and cultural references can make the essay hard to follow without a little help. This edition includes a modern English retelling alongside the original text, so readers can appreciate the cleverness, sarcasm, and subtle jabs without getting lost in old phrasing.

Whether you're a student of literature, a fan of political commentary, or just someone who enjoys sharp wit, this version helps you experience Swift's satire the way it was meant to be read: with a smirk.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1484036956
• ISBN13: 9781484036952
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 74 Pages
• Weight: 0.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

The Greatest Satire Ever Written in English

This collection of Swift's essays gives a terrific overview of his hilarious and too true writings that have withstood the test of time. From the opening lines of the first essay (Swift's Preface to 'The Battle of the Books'): "Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own..." to the end of the book (Swift's gravestone epitaph, translated by Yeats), every selection is thought-provoking, funny, and accessible. Highly recommended!

Biting satire

Perhaps the most famous work included is "An argument against abolishing Christianity", in which he points out the "Inconveniences" of abolishing Christianity. Why even "The Bank of East India Stock my fall at least one per cent". As a clergy, Swift wants to skewer the Enlightenment deism project of a rational religion. Some of the other essays are more humorous, such as "A meditation upon a broomstick", and who can imagine the proposal of admiring gloves for ladies (made of baby's skin), being published today! The tale of the spider and the bee in the battle of the books, reminded me of Francis Bacon's earlier story of the spider, the ant, and the bee in the Novum Organum. Well I'd better stop now, to quote Swift "Some people take more care to hide their wisdom than their folly".