Abolishing Christianity: And Other Short Pieces

Rating:
Summary: Biting satire
Review: 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".