Customer Reviews

Jefferson and Religion (Monticello Monograph Series)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sheridan documents the well-known opposition of Jefferson to traditional forms of Christian faith, notably his rejection of the divinity of Jesus and the concept of the Trinity. Sheridan confirms Jefferson's general focus as a Deist from the earliest years, but details the progress and development of Jefferson's thought over the decades of his productive life.

In this monograph, this Jefferson scholar highlights the main points of Jefferson's safari of reflection through his life, the great influence Unitarianism had on him, and his movement to a demythologized and rationalized idea of Jesus as a moral teacher. He developed a well-reasoned concept of natural religion and morality, which he detailed clearly.

Jefferson developed a great friendship with Unitarian minister Joseph Priestly, who enabled Jefferson to become more positive about Jesus himself, while rejecting the orthodox practices and beliefs that Jefferson and Priestly believed were later accretions and perversions of the original focus and teachings of Jesus.

This rationalist statesman developed a "demythologized" version of Christian faith, feeling that "human reason, not supernatural revelation or ecclesiastical authority," was "the sole arbiter of truth." He felt his reason was up to the task. Jefferson embarked on an ambitious project to extract from the Gospels the teachings he thought we added by the later church and Gospel compilers.

He gradually realized how detailed this would become and abandoned the project. Even in his opposition to the orthodox beliefs of Christianity, he maintained and advocated a tolerance that enabled anyone, no matter how irrational Jefferson thought they might be, to maintain their own opinions and promulgate them publicly.

He grew into this tolerance, having been very anti-Christian in early years, especially opposing the church-state alliances in Virginia and New England. Jefferson was strongly opposed by the Calvinist churchmen of what had been the established churches in the New England states, only gradually coming out on top in the election on 1800 due to his extreme popularity among the popular voters at large.

His compilation of the "Philosophy of Jesus" likewise was abandoned after he had worked for some years. Some pages of Jefferson's handwritten notes are included in the monograph, a very interesting insight into the scholarship, discipline and vigour of this great Enlightenment scholar that formulated so many of the principled and guiding documents of the American Republic.

Sheridan also, as expected, discusses Jefferson's famous and fervent advocacy for the separation of Church and State. Notable in that struggle was Jefferson's vigorous fight against the Episcopal Church's status as the official religion of Virginia.

This book is really good for those wanting to know Thomas Jefferson's view on Christianity. He was not a man who just accepted ideas as fact and over the years weighed the merits of Christianity. He may have not accepted the divinity of the Holy Trinity but Jefferson obviously thought the teachings of Jesus were important for people to learn and follow.

I found myself somewhat amazed at how much Sheridan is able to teach with so few words.