Unitarianism, Jefferson and Deism - from Monticello.org
A six part video series published at the YouTube Account of The Thomas Jefferson Foundation: Monticello.org. the videos run from 1:33 to 6:33 in length, and are about 4 minutes average.. From the Monticello.org Description:
On June 21, 2005, David Holmes, Professor of Religion at The College of William and Mary, listed out key points of Jefferson's religious beliefs and practices and offered an answer to the oft-asked question of whether the Author of the Declaration of American Independence might have been a Unitarian.
Part I: "I'm Arius of Alexandria, the talk of the town:"
the Roots of Unitarianism - 4:03
Part II: Michael Servetus
and the Rebirth of "Anti-trinitarianism" - 3:33
Part III: Servetus, Calvin, Socinus,
and the Spread of Unitarianism - 3:49
Part IV: ""A sect unto myself:"
Three Points of Jefferson's Beliefs - 3:57
Part V: Jefferson, the Deist - 6:33
Part VI: "The most sublime system of morals:"
Jefferson's Jesus - 4:51
Part VII: Was Jefferson a Unitarian? - 3:44
Part VIII: When did Jefferson find common cause with
Presbyrterians and Baptists and did he find conflict? - 1:49
Part IX: Did Jefferson believe in prayer? - 1:30
Thanks for the excellent lecture, PseudoCyAnts. You certainly followed up on what you started in GregorZap's post.
I think the link you provided to Priestley in that thread belongs here as well.
June 27, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Welcome Moat. I figured you'd like it. I've been poking a bit around Orthodox Christianity. It's kind of odd, but growing up in a late-19th Century American-Made Protestant sect, that largely viewed Religious Worship as sort of non-joyous severity, the few Orthodox rituals I was fortunate enough to witness when young struck me as being intense. We had a small Russian-Orthodox Church in town, and a larger Greek-Orthodox congregation, the family friends who were members of Orthodox Sects were entirely Greek, as far as I can remember. Another odd fact about the family's Protestant sect is that it was very anti-Romish (not the burn in hell Babylon Whore extreme, but Roman Catholics weren't going to its ideation of Heaven-much nore along the lines of pity for the poor non-believer). Visiting a Roman Catholic Churchs for any reason, was strictly Verboten. I remember the first time I saw Greek-Orthodox Censers with smoking incense, swung by Priests with long gray beards, the stained glass Icons (awful close to graven images in my religion), and the water sprinklers (valid baptism-only by total immersion-remember?). Probably was a wedding, because I remember the first taste of Baklava, and weird cheese wrapped in grape leaves afterward.
Much later, after I'd practised different Far-Eastern Faiths, I came to realise what powerful rites of faith that Orthodox Christians engage in. Although, I have a strong preference for Japanese koh as incense, over any other variety I've ever experienced. It's clean, and doesn't need coal to kick-in the smoke. I generally keep a few varieties of Nippon Kodo pure rolled incense sticks around. Burns to pure gray ash, no waste.
Because of my affinity towards math, and other sciences, the Newtonian concept of God as a watchmaker, who built the universe, then set it into motion, has its appeal, and often melds nicely with various Buddhist sects, and even older Chinese faiths. God as the Tao at times can almost seem rational to me.
If you run across Gregor in the next couple of days, point him to this post please.
June 27, 2009 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hard to view Jefferson as a Christian of any sort.
An Enlightenment deist -- a salon habitué and bien-pensant intellectual -- but a Christian?
June 27, 2009 9:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
TJ and Pa Adams really rocked in their mutual revulsion of Plato
Thomas Jefferson, Letter To John Adams, July 5, 1814.
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (ME), Vol XIV, Pg 144
John Adams Letter To Thomas Jefferson, July 16, 1814.
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (ME), Vol XIV, Pg 144
Philosophizer King? Oh yeah, set-me up Plato, just don't give me any of your dialogos BS about the piety of a teacher seducing his young charges, OK? That was "Deliverance", not "Redeemer:" Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Will Not Comfort Me. And Lighten Up on that Godawful Music of The Spheres. It sucks even when played in high-fi ideal.
June 27, 2009 11:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
He was sort of a Christian in the way he saw the teaching of Jesus to be a true and unique understanding of morality. He wrote a version of the New Testament from this point of view.
While rejecting the idea of Jesus as a Divine Being certainly makes him unchristian in many people's eyes, Jefferson (and Priestley) claimed that notion to be a corruption of the true message. Jefferson didn't believe that message could be reduced to the teachings of another moral philosophy. Claiming to be a follower of this true teaching certainly makes Jefferson more "Christian" than someone who dismissed the gospel as superfluous.
June 28, 2009 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink