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 To learn more about the book, see www.americapublications.org DOUBTING THOMAS contains previously unpublished documents including a dozen religious letters by Jefferson and two sermons by his pastor Charles Clay.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 Continued to Support Churches with his Money

Contrary to the myth of Thomas Jefferson the lifelong unbeliever, our third president was committed as a churchman. He donated a lot of money to church and church-related causes. We document this in our book, Doubting Thomas: The Religious Life and Legacy of Thomas Jefferson. When Jefferson ends his term as …

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Jefferson Interacted with and Supported Christian Causes

[The picture here is of Rev. John Witherspoon, president of Princeton, who is referenced in this article.] The actual life of Thomas Jefferson, especially in the first half of his time on earth, was more as a believer in Jesus than an unbeliever. He learned much of the Scriptures. He …

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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, …

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Jefferson Was a Long Time Friend of Evangelical, Rev. Charles Clay

No doubt Jefferson late in life had some serious doubts about key Christian doctrines. But much earlier in his life, for a few decades, he enjoyed good fellowship with an evangelical minister, named Charles Clay. I am so pleased that our book, Doubting Thomas, includes in print for the first …

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