Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899) is one of the great lost figures in United States history, all but forgotten at just the time America needs him most. An outspoken and unapologetic agnostic, fervent champion of the separation of church and state, and advocate of the rights of women and Black Americans, he drew enormous audiences in the late 19th century with his lectures on “freethought.”

In The Gospel of Intelligence, Pulitzer Prize-winner Tim Page puts Robert Ingersoll back where he belongs at the forefront of independent American thought. Distilling copious letters, various newspaper interviews, and writings from the 12-volume set of his works, Page presents Ingersoll’s vast range of inquiry, from his strong critique of religion having a role in government, to the way he challenges the myths of our nation’s founding.

With admirers ranging from Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass, to Eizabeth Cady Stanton and Thomas Edison, Ingersoll remains one of America’s most articulate and entertaining public intellectuals. Featuring a new biographical introduction from Page, this popular collection of Ingersoll’s work is an essential read for anyone looking for some of the best arguments ever articulated favoring the separation of church and state and critiquing religious beliefs.