The life and morals of jesus of nazareth thomas jeffersons. Jefferson has removed all of the supernatural or divine aspects from the teachings of jesus christ in order to contend that he was a brilliant philosopher and pacifist. Jefferson bible, original title the philosophy of jesus, abridgment of the new testament compiled by thomas jefferson 17431826, who rearranged the text of the gospels into an account of the life and ministry of jesus that eschews mention of any supernatural or miraculous elements. The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth as it is formally titled, was thomas jeffersons effort to extract the doctrine of jesus by removing sections of the new testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added. The thomas jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus is a stripped down and combined version of the first four books of the biblical new testament compiled by. Jefferson never referred to his work as a bible, and the full title of this 1804 version was the philosophy of jesus of nazareth, being extracted from the account of his life and doctrines given by matthew, mark, luke and john. Thomas jefferson was known as an inventor and tinkerer. Being an abridgement of the new testament for the use of the indians, uncomplicated with matters of fact or faith beyond the level of their. A practice that many christians both his contemporaries and most today would consider sacrilege. Why thomas jefferson rewrote the bible without jesus miracles. Thomas jeffersons religious beliefs although called the jefferson bible, the actual title of the book is the life and morals of jesus of nazareth. Jeffersons version ends with jesus burial on good friday. Jefferson served as governor of virginia from 17791781. The peoples bible goes to washington thomas jeffersons edited version of the new testament again makes its way into the hands of members of congress.
The jefferson bible what thomas jefferson selected as the life and morals of jesus of nazareth by thomas jefferson and elizabeth campbell 3. However, many do not know that thomas jefferson also created his own version of the bible. Written by one of the founding father of the us, thomas jefferson, this short text is an alternative interpretation of the new testament. The jefferson bible the life and morals of jesus of nazareth. A couple of years ago, i teamed up with a pastor from jeffersons home town of charlottesville, virginia, dr. Ethically, jefferson was a christian, but as he put it a real christian, who believed in the moral.
In compiling what has come to be called the jefferson bible, he sought to separate those ethical teachings from the religious dogma and other supernatural elements that are intermixed in the account provided by the four gospels. Thomas jefferson, the life and morals of jesus of nazareth. The jefferson bible audiobook by thomas jefferson youtube. Jefferson edited and arranged the passages in a chronological. Americans will well know this author as a founding father and former u. William tyndale and the making of the english bible. Once in a while, the myth that thomas jefferson edited. The presidents bibles national museum of american history. It consists solely of quotations jefferson selected from the the the christian new testament books of matthew, mark, luke, and john. The thomas jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus is a stripped down and combined version of the first four books of the biblical new testament compiled by thomas jefferson as a means of distilling the core teachings of jesus christ. The life and morals of jesus of nazareth was created in 1820 by thomas jefferson. In 2009, cari haus, an accountant and christian author, published the reverse jefferson bible, which contains the parts left out of jeffersons version. Following is an image of of a bible now in a museum that he altered by using a razor to cut out the offending passages.
Read peter carlsons examination of jeffersons bible below, and click here to read jeffersons women by cleo fellers kocol the president sat at his desk in the white house on a winter evening. He lived during the age of enlightenment and understood the natural order of the world. History tells us that he cut out text that he considered false or exaggerations. Jesus many faces thomas jefferson and his bible from. He called the writers of the new testament ignorant, unlettered men who. Thomas jefferson and his bible the jefferson bible was thomas jeffersons attempt to extract an authentic jesus from the gospel accounts. News the peoples bible goes to washington thomas jeffersons edited version of the new testament again makes its way into the hands of members of congress. He has just been listening to thomas jefferson deliver a rather dry version of the new testaments parable of the talents.
Jefferson first excised passages from the new testament in 1804. A product of the enlightenment, jefferson believed that everything, including religion, should be examined in the light of reason when jefferson examined the gospels he came away with a strongly divided opinion. The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth as it is formally titled, was a book constructed by thomas jefferson in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the new testament as extractions of the doctrine of jesus. Jefferson bible, abridgment of the new testament compiled by thomas jefferson. Fewer still will know that jeffersons bible purposefully excluded supernatural elements from the scriptures. Life and morals of jesus of nazareth was created in 1820 by thomas jefferson. Being an abridgement of the new testament for the use of the indians, unembarrased uncomplicated with matters of.
Discover thomas jeffersons cutandpaste version of the. An earlier version of the thomas jefferson bible was titled the philosophy of jesus of nazareth, being extracted from the account of his life and doctrines given by matthew, mark, luke and john. Thomas jeffersonlife and morals of jesus of nazareth, thomas jefferson, ca. Just six years earlier, jefferson completed an 84page manuscript he called the life and morals of jesus of nazareth. In 1804, jefferson took a razor to english, french, latin and greek versions of the new testament to construct a clear account of jesus original, uncorrupted teachings.
In 1783 jefferson was again a delegate to congress. Using his clippings, the aging third president created a new testament of his ownone that most christians would hardly recognize. Had he lived during the inquisition, thomas jefferson would have been burned at the stake. The first printed english translation of the new testament will be on view at the library of congress from june 4 to september 6 in an exhibition titled let there be light. Using a razor to cut out and then arrange verses across the canonical gospels, he composed his own version of the new testament, which omitted the supernatural moments noted by the gospel writers to emphasize jesus moral teachings. The religious life and legacy of thomas jefferson morganjames, 2014.
After 50 years, a controversial version of the bible is again making its way through the h. His ideas about jesus and christianity were far from orthodox. Read peter carlsons examination of jefferson s bible below, and click here to read jefferson s women by cleo fellers kocol the president sat at his desk in the white house on a winter evening. By integrating history, theology and literature, this exhibition tells the history of. Why thomas jefferson rewrote the bible without jesus. Thomas jeffersons copy of his last will and testament is located at the university of virginia. But this time he was tinkering with something held sacred by hundreds of millions of people. Jefferson adapted the teachings of jesus by removing sections of the new testament containing supernatural parts along with areas that he felt were added by the four evangelists. Jefferson was a deist, influenced by the enlightenment, with its rejection of the.
Is the jefferson bible still available in the us senate. President thomas jefferson was fascinated with the moral truths in the holy bible. His purpose was to distill jesus ethical teachings from accounts of miracles and other elements that he considered. The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth as it is formally titled, was thomas jeffersons effort to extract what he considered the pertinent doctrine of jesus by removing sections of the new testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added by the four evangelists. The life and morals of jesus of nazareth, commonly referred to as the jefferson bible, is one of two religious works constructed by thomas jefferson. The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth, as it is properly titled was thomas jeffersons version of the new testament. Mark beliles, to write a book on the faith of our third president. The life and morals of jesus of nazareth, also known as the jefferson bible, was created by thomas jefferson around 1820 to express his own rational approach to faith. Thomas jefferson deleted and edited parts of the bible. Why thomas jefferson rewrote the bible without jesus miracles and resurrection the third president had a secret. Thomas jeffersons version of the bible is distributed to.
The jefferson bible thomas jefferson by thomas jefferson. How thomas jefferson reinterpreted the bible mental floss. Thomas jefferson believed that his version of the new testament distilled the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has never been offered to. With these parts removed, jefferson glued the passages he wanted to keep back into a single book. Thomas jefferson began his rewrite of the scriptures in 1804 same year he authorized the lewis. The jefferson bible shows what the president thought of. In this new new testament, the only text allowed to stay were statements and messages that jefferson decided came directly from jesus himself or were accurate depictions of history.
The jefferson bible was created by thomas jefferson in 1820 as a collection of the. Last will and testament thomas jeffersons monticello. Thomas jeffersons revolutionary take on the bible reissued us. Tj basically cut the supernatural miracles out of the new testament. Gleaned from the four gospels of the new testament, and jeffersons private work, it remained unknown until his greatgranddaughter sold the. Using a pen knife and glue, jefferson crafted a condensed version of the new testament in keeping with the spirit of the enlightenment. Jefferson frequently expressed discontent with this earlier version, which was merely a. Thomas jefferson believed that his version of the new testament distilled the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has never been offered to man. Jefferson had done close reads of the new testament, comparing translations in greek, latin, french, and king james english before cutting into them with a. According to thomas jefferson, charles dickens and count leo. Thomas jefferson and his bible the jefferson bible was thomas jefferson s attempt to extract an authentic jesus from the gospel accounts.
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