The Jefferson Bible, a biography, Peter Manseau
Type
Classification
1
Creator
1
Subject
11
- Bible, Gospels -- Criticism, interpretation, etc -- History -- 18th century
- Bible, Gospels -- Criticism, interpretation, etc
- Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 -- Religion
- Christianity -- United States
- Jesus Christ -- Rationalistic interpretations
- Jesus Christ -- History of doctrines -- 18th century
- Jesus Christ -- History of doctrines -- 19th century
- Jesus Christ -- Teachings
- Bible, Gospels -- Criticism, interpretation, etc -- History -- 19th century
- Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826
- Jesus Christ -- Biography -- Sources, Biblical
Content
1
Author
1
Label
The Jefferson Bible, a biography, Peter Manseau
Language
eng
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical resources and index
Illustrations
portraitsillustrations
Index
index present
Literary form
non fiction
Main title
The Jefferson Bible
Responsibility statement
Peter Manseau
Series statement
Lives of great religious books
Sub title
a biography
Summary
"In his retirement, Thomas Jefferson edited the New Testament with a penknife and glue, removing all mention of miracles and other supernatural events. Inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment, Jefferson hoped to reconcile Christian tradition with reason by presenting Jesus of Nazareth as a great moral teacher--not a divine one. Peter Manseau tells the story of the Jefferson Bible, exploring how each new generation has reimagined the book in its own image as readers grapple with both the legacy of the man who made it and the place of religion in American life. Completed in 1820 and rediscovered by chance in the late nineteenth century after being lost for decades, Jefferson's cut-and-paste scripture has meant different things to different people. Some have held it up as evidence that America is a Christian nation founded on the lessons of the Gospels. Others see it as proof of the Founders' intent to root out the stubborn influence of faith. Manseau explains Jefferson's personal religion and philosophy, shedding light on the influences and ideas that inspired him to radically revise the Gospels. He situates the creation of the Jefferson Bible within the broader search for the historical Jesus, and examines the book's role in American religious disputes over the interpretation of scripture. Manseau describes the intrigue surrounding the loss and rediscovery of the Jefferson Bible, and traces its remarkable reception history from its first planned printing in 1904 for members of Congress to its persistent power to provoke and enlighten us today."--Amazon
Table of contents
t Frontmatter -- t Contents -- t List of Illustrations -- t Author's Note and Acknowledgments -- t Introduction: Excavating the Sacred -- t Chapter 1. Sharpening the Blade -- t Chapter 2. Making the Cut -- t Chapter 3. The Quest for the Jeffersonian Jesus -- t Chapter 4. Lost and Found -- t Chapter 5. Born Again -- t Chapter 6. Social Engineering -- t Chapter 7. Congressional Inheritances -- t Chapter 8. Jefferson, Jesus, and the Sixties -- t Chapter 9. Choose Your Own Adventure -- t Epilogue: Bible as Barrow -- t Illustrations -- t Notes -- t Index
Incoming Resources
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