The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth was written/extracted by Thomas Jefferson and completed in 1820. Long known as “the Jefferson Bible,” a book by that title was published earlier this year to mark the bicentennial of Thomas Jefferson’s 84-page book.
The
Purpose of Jefferson’s Bible
In
spite of what many contemporary conservative evangelical Christians emphasize
about the early years of the United States, not all of the “forefathers” were
pious evangelical Christians.
In
particular, many of Thomas Jefferson’s contemporaries thought that he was anti-Christian
and perhaps even an atheist.
It
seems clear that Jefferson disliked evangelicalism. But it is also clear that
he liked Jesus of Nazareth, at least the teachings of Jesus, which he called “a
system of the most sublime morality which has ever fallen from the lips of man”
(in a 10/31/1819
letter to William Short, his lifelong mentee).
It
is somewhat of a misnomer to refer to “the Jefferson Bible,” for it contains
only what Jefferson extracted from the four canonical Gospels.
Jefferson’s
intention was to separate “the diamond from the dung hill,” that is, to free
Jesus’ lustrous words from the “dross of his biographers.” The resultant book is
a short one of seventeen chapters, beginning with Jesus’ birth and ending with
his death and burial.
Jefferson’s
purpose was to present the teachings of Jesus unencumbered with anything “supernatural.”
Thus, for example, there is no inclusion of Jesus’ “virgin birth,” his miracles,
or his resurrection.
In
passing, it is interesting to note that in 1902 Tolstoy, about whom I posted a blog
article on Nov. 20, published The Gospel in Brief, a book similar to
Jefferson’s “Bible”—and similarly deleting the “supernatural” elements
surrounding Jesus.
The
Value of Jefferson’s Bible
As
there are many people—and, no doubt, a far higher percentage today than in
Jefferson’s time—whose “scientific worldview” prevents them from considering
anything that is unproven/unprovable by natural science to be true or real,
Jefferson’s Bible can be commended to such people.
Upon
recently reading The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth for the first
time, I was impressed not by how much was deleted from the canonical Gospels
but rather by how much was included from them.
(In
spite of hearing about “the Jefferson Bible” for many years, I was happy to
purchase a Kindle copy of it, for only 99 cents, and seeing firsthand what it
included. The Introduction is by Cyrus Adler, who in 1895 purchased Jefferson’s
book for the Smithsonian and published it for the first time.)
The Problem of Jefferson’s Bible
The
Jefferson Bible: A Biography, the bicentennial book mentioned above, is
by Peter Manseau, a current curator at the Smithsonian. This smallish book by Manseau
(b. 1974) is both scholarly and quite readable.
I
found “The Quest for the Jeffersonian Jesus,” the third chapter, to be of
greatest interest. There the author says that Jefferson rejected “the
supernatural, the miraculous, anything suggestive that Jesus might believe the
divine things said about him” (p. 66).
Consequently,
in Jefferson’s Bible we have “what Jefferson believed to be the words of Jesus,
but no real sense of why anyone would have listened to him. With miracles
hinted at but never delivered, forgiveness discussed but never offered . . . .”
Manseau
then remarks that Jefferson’s book “often has the feeling of a series of jokes
without their punch lines” (p 72).
As
is true for so many other people and so many other issues, Jefferson was right
in what he affirmed (the great significance of Jesus’ teaching) but wrong in
what he denied (the “supernatural” referent to Jesus’ life and teaching).
Further,
there is little evidence that Jefferson actually sought to live in any marked
manner according to the teachings of Jesus included in his book. He certainly
did not do that to the extent that Tolstoy did—but that is the same for most of
us, even those of us who claim to believe the canonical Gospels.
Many years ago, I was given a copy of The Jefferson Bible, which I read at that time and still have on my bookshelf. It is interesting, and thanks for the blog about it. You are quite right that many founding parents of the USA were not evangelical Christians. As a matter of fact, most Americans weren't even particularly religious, as was pointed out by Franklin Littell's 1971 book, From State Church to Pluralism. Religious participation and affiliation was increasing in the USA until this century. We are seeing the first real stalling of that increase ever. I only have one quibble with today's blog -- probably just to be cantankerous. You say with great confidence that Jefferson was wrong in denying the supernatural referent to Jesus' life. I'm always startled by such Western affirmations of the truth of ancient scripture, as if we actually have CNN accounts of such events. As I tell my students, when lecturing about the difference between scientific and religious approaches to reality, in a religious approach we either take or do not take Muhammad's word for it that the Qur'an was divinely revealed to him unless we were actually there or there is some incontrovertible historical evidence of such divine work. LOL
ReplyDeleteLeroy:
DeleteThanks for the Jefferson Bible blog. I have heard of this document and its unique character for many years but dismissed it because of the arrogance of editing the Bible and particularly of its being done by a non-Christian. What arrogance! There is usually a point in your many fine blogs but I fail to see one in this blog. What am I missing? Just my thought.
Truett Baker
Thanks, Anton, for your comments--and for writing regarding your "quibble" about my blog post. It seems to me that you agree far more with Jefferson's worldview than with mine--and that's all right. To each his own.
DeleteOf course, those of us who hold to a "supernatural" worldview cannot prove that we are right in what we believe, and those who hold to a "scientific" worldview can prove that the supernatural worldview is "irrational" from the presuppositions of their worldview. If all that is "real" must pass through the portal of the scientific worldview, of course belief in all that is non-material and inaccessible to proof by the scientific method must be rejected as being something other than "factual."
But I am a firm believer that we do not live in a one-dimensional world--that there is a world of "spirit" as well as the world of matter. Thus, I do not in the least disparage science for dealing with the material world--but neither do I think that that which cannot be dealt with by the scientific method is bunk.
So, yes, on the basis of my two-dimensional worldview, I believe (but cannot prove) that Jefferson was right in what he affirmed but wrong in what he denied.
Thanks for your comments, Truett, but I am sorry that I did not make the point(s) of my blog post clear. I hoped that readers would see these three points, at least:
Delete1) Jefferson helped/helps those who reject a "supernatural" worldview to nevertheless see that there are many good and important teachings of Jesus even if separated from the supernatural referent. I would rather for non-religious people to read Jefferson's Bible than to not read the Gospels at all.
2) From the standpoint of the Christian faith, I think there are serious problems with the Jefferson Bible, and it is important to see that reality is broader/deeper than Jefferson and like-minded people today recognize(d). This, I think, is an important point.
3) The main point, though, is that which Jerry saw in the last two sentences, as he mentions in the following comment.
Here are brief and much appreciated comments from local Thinking Friend Jerry Cain:
ReplyDelete"This blog was excellent, especially the last two sentences where you put a punch line at the end of the missive. Very good thoughts on Jefferson and his approach to Jesus and life."
Temp Sparkman, another local Thinking Friend, emailed these comments:
ReplyDelete"I’d heard of the Jefferson Bible, but never read it, so your piece on it was revelation. I’ve claimed for years that he was a Deist, so your clarification was helpful."
Thanks for reading and responding, Temp. I am pleased that you found the post to be of value.
DeleteThank you as always, Leroy. I think I want my $.99 kindle copy! Do you know if The Jefferson Bible is translated into Japanese?
ReplyDeleteLydia, as far as I know, the Jefferson Bible has not been translated into Japanese--but it does seem to be available in Spanish.
DeleteThis morning I received the following comments from local Thinking Friend Bill Ryan:
ReplyDelete"From hanging around Christians of many stripes for many years I observe that many people do with the Bible what Tom Jeff did, pick and choose what makes sense to the reader. I'm glad when anyone finds anything in the Bible that brings hope, kindness and peacefulness to the reader and our world."
Thanks, Bill, for your comments. Regarding your first sentence, I remember hearing talk about "the canon within the canon," which, as you say, is a view that most of us have--and for good reason.
DeleteI fully agree with your second sentence. But at the same time, I wonder if there is not more in the Bible that can (and should) be found than Jefferson acknowledged--and that many people today also miss by having too narrow a view.
Bill responded, "To your last statement: Of course!"
Delete