Yearly Archives: 2017
Jefferson Begins Serving as Secretary of State in the First Washington Administration
[Photo by Jerry Newcombe of modern day NYC, a city referenced in this column (in the 1780s/90s). We see the back of the statue of George Washington looking out onto Wall Street.] Here’s a portion of our book, Doubting Thomas, which seeks to document that Thomas Jefferson was not a lifelong skeptic, …
Jefferson Was a Long Time Friend of Evangelical, Rev. Charles Clay
Jefferson Returns to Virginia from France
Jefferson in France Begins to Entertain Unitarian Notions
Did Jefferson Begin to Question His Christian Faith as Early as 1788?
Dr. Mark Beliles (co-founder of the Providence Foundation) and I wrote a book on the faith of Thomas Jefferson, called DOUBTING THOMAS? In the book, we document that Jefferson was not a lifelong skeptic, although he had some serious questions about core Christian doctrines later in life. Nor was Jefferson …
Jefferson in France—Underscoring the Myth of Jefferson the Atheist
Many today view Jefferson as a lifelong skeptic. But that is not in accordance with the facts. See, for example, our book, “DOUBTING THOMAS? The Religious Life and Legacy of Thomas Jefferson” by Mark Beliles and Jerry Newcombe (Morgan James, 2014). Here is a small portion of that book…dealing with …
Jefferson Exposed to a Unitarian Church in England
At the very end of 1784, Jefferson sent a letter to his friend, lawyer James Madison (the later president), who was pushing for religious freedom in the Virginia legislature. Madison informed Jefferson that the Episcopal clergy were now advocating for legal incorporation status for their Church. Although sounding benign in …