Category Archives: Jerry’s Blog
Was Jefferson a Christian?
Thomas Jefferson was a complicated man. He was an outspoken champion of freedom and opponent of slavery, yet he owned slaves virtually all his life and never freed them, not even upon death. Samuel Johnson Around the time of the American Revolution, Dr. Samuel Johnson in England asked a penetrating …
Summary of Jefferson and the Clergy
Most clergy in Jefferson’s lifetime were not antagonistic to him. Only later did this begin to be popular in some historical works of clergy. And similarly Jefferson was not universally opposed to the clergy. His anti-clericalism was clearly selective and focused, and for biographers to not make that distinction is …
Hide Your Bible from President Jefferson?
Posthumous Misrepresentations of Jefferson’s Faith-Part 2
Regional Differences in the Perception of Jefferson’s Faith or Lack Thereof
Those who knew Jefferson personally thought that he was a Christian. Most of the critics of his faith or the lack thereof arose after his death. But there were contemporary accusations against Jefferson for supposedly not being a Christian. Many of these accusations, as mentioned in previous blogs, arose during …
Posthumous Misrepresentations of Jefferson’s Faith, Part 1
Some in Virginia criticized Thomas Cooper (a vociferous Unitarian) being hired at the University of Virginia without questioning Jefferson’s personal faith, and as noted before, no clergyman in Virginia or anywhere south of New York ever criticized Jefferson’s faith in his entire lifetime. However, after Jefferson’s death some historical revisionism …
Jefferson and the Presbyterians in 1820
Jerry Newcombe discusses “Doubting Thomas” on Roger Marsh’s radio show, The Bottom Line
After the 1800 Election, Part 2
During the 1800 election, accusations were made against Jefferson’s faith—along the lines that he was a skeptic. He did not agree with what he was being accused and responded on occasion. Jefferson replied to New Hampshire politician and minister, Rev. William Plumer, on January 31, 1815, saying, “. . . …