Five Pebbles from the Brook

English, George Bethune, 1787-1828Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 235K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Five Pebbles from the Brook by George Bethune EnglishAuthor: English, George Bethune, 1787-1828,Language: English, Class: BL: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Religion: General, Miscellaneous and Atheism, Release Date: Nov 20, 2006

Editor's review

This book is a work of religious philosophy by George Bethune English, an intellectual text in the public domain, prepared as an e-book by Project Gutenberg. The work discusses the relationship between religion and reason, faith and doubt; its title, "Five Pebbles from the Brook," carries a metaphorical argumentative style and reflects the early nineteenth-century author's examination and speculation on traditional religious ideas. For readers studying religious philosophy, Deism, and early American intellectual history, the book offers an original textual sample for analysis. Its value lies not in easy readability but in presenting a mode of argument and intellectual stance within a specific historical context. Reading it requires some background knowledge; it is best understood in the philosophical context following the Reformation. As a public-domain e-book, the edition is primarily the original text without modern annotation, so readers must supply background material themselves.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students studying the history of religious philosophy and Deist thought
Readers interested in early nineteenth-century American intellectual documents
Researchers who need public-domain English primary texts for textual analysis
Deep readers accustomed to classical argumentative prose who are willing to supply their own background

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking modern annotation or an introduction
Readers expecting light popular reading or narrative content
General leisure readers with little interest in religious philosophical argument

Reading tips

Learn first about the author's era and the Deist background before entering the text, to avoid taking passages out of context.
Read alongside religious-philosophical works of the same period to grasp the argumentative context and intellectual thread.
Note core arguments and argumentative structure as you read, for later organization and comparison.
If the English original proves difficult, first build a framework with an introduction to the relevant intellectual history.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a philosophical treatise?

It is not a novel but a work of argumentative religious philosophy. The "five pebbles" in the title are metaphorical; the content speculates on faith, reason, and religious ideas, making it an intellectual text rather than narrative literature.

Can I read it without a background in religious philosophy?

Yes, but understanding will be difficult. The arguments depend on specific historical and intellectual background; it is advisable to first acquire basic knowledge of Deism and nineteenth-century religious controversy, which will make the original text smoother to read.

Does this e-book edition have annotations or an introduction?

According to the information, this is a public-domain electronic text prepared by Project Gutenberg, consisting mainly of the original text, with no stated modern annotations or introduction. Readers must prepare background material themselves or consult relevant research literature.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

English, George Bethune, 1787-1828 Author

George Bethune English (1787–1828) is an author whose biographical details are limited but whose works are nonetheless distinctive. Four of his works are currently held in the collection, spanning travel narrative and religious controversy, including A Narrative of the Expedition to Dongola and Sennaar, along with The Grounds of Christianity Examined, Five Pebbles from the Brook, and Letter to the Reverend Mr. Cary. These works show that he was concerned both with the geography and travel experiences of the Nile region and with public debate over the foundations and doctrines of Christianity, in a tone marked by polemic. Because public information is limited, his nationality, exact dates, education, and professional career cannot be confirmed, yet the surviving works are enough to reveal a dual authorial profile as a travel observer and a religious commentator.