Thomas Jefferson’s Thoughts on Religion – From His Letters to John Adams

Throughout their rich correspondence, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams discussed a wide range of topics, including philosophy, governance, and human nature.

Among these, religion—particularly Christianity—was a recurring theme in several of Jefferson’s letters to Adams. Here is a chronological list of letters to John Adams where Jefferson discussed religion, alongside notable quotes and descriptions of his thoughts on the subject.

1. April 11, 1823

• Summary: Jefferson responds to Adams’ reflections on Christian doctrine and clerical influence, criticizing traditional Christian orthodoxy and the role of the church in shaping morality and politics. He differentiates between the moral teachings of Jesus and what he sees as the distortions introduced by organized religion.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter.”
  • “I am a Christian, in the only sense in which [Jesus] wished any one to be: sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others.”
• Description: Jefferson praises the moral teachings of Jesus but sharply criticizes the supernatural aspects of Christianity and the influence of the clergy in manipulating religious beliefs for political gain.

2. October 12, 1813

• Summary: Jefferson delves into a discussion of religious philosophy, critiquing how Christian doctrine has been corrupted by ecclesiastical authorities. He expresses frustration with the way religious institutions have historically sought power and influence over civil affairs.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance, of which their political and civil liberties will always depend.”
• Description: Jefferson clearly opposes the intertwining of religious and governmental authority, suggesting that religious influence is detrimental to a free society, though he does not directly reference the “separation of church and state” in this letter.

3. September 12, 1821

• Summary: Jefferson criticizes the opposition of religious institutions to the advancement of science and reason, reinforcing his belief in the importance of keeping religion from interfering with intellectual and civil progress.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “The clergy, by getting themselves established by law and ingrafted into the machine of government, have been a very formidable engine against the civil and religious rights of man.”
• Description: Jefferson reiterates his belief that religious institutions should not interfere with government, reflecting his broader view on the necessity of keeping church and state separate to protect civil liberties.

4. May 5, 1817

• Summary: Jefferson reflects on the divergence between Jesus’ teachings and the practices of Christianity, lamenting the way religion has been used to oppress rather than liberate people.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “In the teachings of Jesus, we find the purest system of morality ever exhibited to man, free from the fabrications of the priests.”
  • “His system was one of peace and love, and has been converted by clergy into one of persecution and oppression.”
• Description: Jefferson emphasizes his belief in Jesus’ moral philosophy while condemning the institutional church for corrupting these teachings.

5. June 25, 1813

• Summary: Jefferson discusses belief, faith, and the role of organized religion, criticizing the notion that religious beliefs are beyond question or challenge.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “To talk of immaterial existences is to talk of nothings. To say that the human soul, angels, God, are immaterial, is to say they are nothings, or that there is no God, no angels, no soul.”
  • “I have ever judged of the religion of others by their lives… for it is in our lives, and not from our words, that our religion must be read.”
• Description: Jefferson expresses his belief that true religion is found in the way one lives, rather than in dogmatic teachings or metaphysical claims.

6. August 22, 1813

• Summary: Jefferson critiques the doctrine of the Trinity and expresses frustration with religious dogma, arguing that theological debates distract from the central message of morality in Christianity.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend all to the happiness of man.”
  • “But the clergy have engrafted on them a set of metaphysical abstractions, which… make Christianity unintelligible.”
• Description: Jefferson argues that religious doctrine, such as the Trinity, has unnecessarily complicated Christianity, distancing it from the ethical teachings of Jesus.

Jefferson’s Reference to Separation of Church and State

While Thomas Jefferson did not directly use the specific phrase “separation of church and state” in his letters to John Adams, he famously introduced this concept in his January 1, 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. In this letter, Jefferson responded to the Baptists’ concerns about religious freedom, expressing his belief that religion should be a personal matter, free from government interference.

In this letter, Jefferson famously wrote:

• “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.”

This phrase has since become a foundational reference for discussions on religious freedom in the United States. Jefferson’s correspondence with Adams frequently alluded to the dangers of religious influence on governance, reflecting his consistent view that church and state should remain separate.

Key Takeaways:

1. Distinction between Jesus’ teachings and organized religion: Jefferson admired Jesus’ moral teachings but criticized organized religion for distorting them with dogma.
2. Skepticism toward supernatural beliefs: Jefferson rejected doctrines like the Trinity, viewing them as fabrications by the church.
3. Criticism of the clergy: Jefferson frequently expressed disdain for the clergy, whom he saw as manipulating religion for control and power.
4. Emphasis on moral philosophy: Jefferson believed that religion’s true essence lay in its moral teachings, not in theological debate or metaphysical claims.
5. Reference to “separation of church and state”: While Jefferson did not use this specific phrase in his letters to Adams, he introduced the concept in his January 1, 1802, letter to the Danbury Baptists and frequently discussed the dangers of religious influence on governance.

Conclusion:

In his letters to John Adams, Thomas Jefferson frequently discussed religion, offering sharp critiques of organized Christianity and the clergy’s influence on society. Although he did not directly use the term “separation of church and state” in his correspondence with Adams, he expressed similar sentiments about the need to protect civil liberties from religious interference. Jefferson’s beliefs, as articulated in these letters, are consistent with the views he famously expressed in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, where he coined the enduring phrase about the “wall of separation between Church & State.” His discussions on religion in his letters with Adams reflect a lifelong commitment to ensuring that religious liberty was maintained by keeping religion separate from governmental power.