Thomas Jefferson's Freethought Legacy: A Saying Per Day by the Sage of Monticello [Hardcover]

Thomas Jefferson (Author), Roger E. Greeley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1995

This delightful collection of quotes from Jefferson establishes, beyond dispute, his enormous contributions to rationalism, free-thought and science. Often, what historians (and especially politicians) have done is to select those quotes that reflect conventional religiosity and beliefs. Here great care has been taken to exclude those quotes and to present, instead, Jefferson's free-thought legacy. Readers are invited to meander through these pages enjoying the diverse and wide-ranging views of one of America's early intellectuals. Or, savour one quote each day and delight in Jefferson's well-reasoned thoughts for 365 days, and for years to come.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Thomas Jefferson's Freethought Legacy: A Saying Per Day By The Sage Of Monticello is a delightful collection of quotes from Jefferson which establishes beyond dispute his enormous contributions to rationalism, freethought and science. Jefferson was unwavering in his dedication to the separation of church and state. Yet more often than not, historians (and especially politicians) have done is to select those quotes that reflect conventional religiosity and beliefs. Here Roger Greeley mines the rich ideas of Jefferson and extracts some of his most compelling gems. Readers are invited to meander through these pages enjoying the diverse and wide-ranging views of one of America's early intellectuals. Or, savor one quote each day and delight in Jefferson's well-reasoned thoughts for 365 days, and for years to come. In these turbulent days when our society is pushed and pulled by the excesses of the Religious Right, allow Jefferson's sober thoughts to "restore your confidence in freethought, rationalism, humanism, and the importance of reason, science, and education". Roger E. Greeley (Kalamazoo, MI) is a consultant to the North American Committee for Humanism, and a retired Unitarian Minister. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 138 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573920088
• ISBN-13: 978-1573920087
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,516,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States (1801-1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States. He envisioned America as the force behind a great "Empire of Liberty" that would promote republicanism and counter the imperialism of the British Empire.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Collection of Freethought Quotes, April 24, 2004

By 

G. F Gori "Jeffersonian libertarian" (Manteca, ca United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Thomas Jefferson's Freethought Legacy: A Saying Per Day by the Sage of Monticello (Hardcover)

This little volume is a fantastic complilation of Thomas Jefferson's greatest quotes. Here is Jefferson at his best. His thoughts of freedom, religion, fanaticism, liberty and republican government are all there. The overall theme is Jefferson's resistance to the tyranny of organized religious tyranny which he fought his entire life. A great read, and an excellent book to keep by the bed to read a little bit of wisdom from the Sage of Monticello on a daily basis.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 365 Eloquent Quotes, March 5, 2000

By 

Stephen B. Cobb "Shameless Reductionist" (Nashua, New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Thomas Jefferson's Freethought Legacy: A Saying Per Day by the Sage of Monticello (Hardcover)

Besides authoring the Declaration of Independence, serving as our third president, and founding a university, Thomas Jefferson said a lot of intelligent things, and 365 of the most eloquent and quotable are collected here. My only beef with this book is the organization of the quotes, which is for some reason "a saying per day" (e.g. May 6), when there is no hint that he made the statement on that day, or that there is any connection at all between the day and the quote. If it were a calendar pad with tear-off sheets, that would make more sense. In any event, the index enables you to find quotes by subject, and you may find yourself reading through the entire list, marking your favorites for later.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Neat little book, January 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Thomas Jefferson's Freethought Legacy: A Saying Per Day by the Sage of Monticello (Hardcover)

Nice little book displaying Jefferson's not-so kind views on contemporary Christianity and other religious mythologies. You aren't going to learn a bunch of stuff about Jefferson from this book, but its a nice source for sayings and quotations.