DOUBTING THOMAS by Mark Beliles and Jerry Newcombe

When Jefferson was a young man he acted as a professing Trinitarian Christian

In 1777. Jefferson helped found an evangelical church

Now in print---for the first time ever---many religious letters and 2 sermons from the church that Jefferson funded and attended

Jefferson encouraged non-coercive religion in public life and the right of state governments to decide religious policy

DOUBTING THOMAS by Mark Beliles and Jerry Newcombe

This new book presents new evidence that calls into question the view that Jefferson was a lifelong skeptic and that he believed in the "naked public square"

When Jefferson was a young man he acted as a professing Trinitarian Christian

Later in life Jefferson changed in his views, privately, to a more unorthodox position. But the point here is that he was not a lifelong skeptic.

In 1777. Jefferson helped found an evangelical church

The same year he wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Thomas Jefferson helped create the Calvinistical Reformed Church of Charlottesville.

Now in print---for the first time ever---many religious letters and 2 sermons from the church that Jefferson funded and attended

DOUBTING THOMAS contains in the Appendix about a dozen religious letters of Jefferson that have never been in print before now, plus two sermons by Rev. Charles Clay, whose ministry Jefferson supported.

Jefferson encouraged non-coercive religion in public life and the right of state governments to decide religious policy

Jefferson approved and attended regularly the Christian worship services held Sundays at the US Capitol building and in his local courthouse. He refrained from issuing national religious proclamations but had no objection to state proclamations.

Fresh Insights About Jefferson's Religious Views Based on NEW Evidence

"DOUBTING THOMAS? The Religious Life and Legacy of Thomas Jefferson" by MARK A. BELILES and JERRY NEWCOMBE deals with the faith---or the lack thereof---of one of our most important founding fathers. But this volume provides NEW information, some of which has not been in print before. To learn more about the book, see www.americapublications.org DOUBTING THOMAS contains previously unpublished documents including a dozen religious letters by Jefferson and two sermons by his pastor Charles Clay. Jefferson voluntarily joined and donated to Clay’s Calvinistical Reformed Church of Charlottesville.

Jefferson Responds to a Calvinist

From what is said about Thomas Jefferson today, one could easily assume that he was atheist, a lifelong skeptic, and he believed in the strict separation of church and state (as in separating God and government). But our book, DOUBTING THOMAS shows that the historical evidence contradicts those assertions. Here …

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First Criticism of Calvinism—by Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was not a lifelong skeptic. A year he wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he helped as a layman to found the Calvinistical Reformed Church of Charlottesville, which called an evangelical minister as its pastor. Jump ahead about 40 years later, and the former president articulates his …

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First Conflict With Presbyterians

Contrary to the mythical Thomas Jefferson, the real Jefferson was a professing Christian (who later in life had some serious, private doubts). He had many good relationships with many Christian leaders. He said that Jesus (“the holy author of our religion”) is the reason we should have religious freedom. That …

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Evangelicals Generally Supported Jefferson’s New School (U Va)

[Photo by Jerry Newcombe of Edgar Allan Poe’s room at the University of Virginia] Thomas Jefferson seemed to start his life (even young adulthood) as a Christian, but later in life he came to have a more Unitarian view, rejecting the Trinity. And yet, when Christ Episcopal Church opened up …

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