Download or read book Religious Freedom written by John A. Ragosta and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2013-04-22 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For over one hundred years, Thomas Jefferson and his Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom have stood at the center of our understanding of religious liberty and the First Amendment. Jefferson’s expansive vision—including his insistence that political freedom and free thought would be at risk if we did not keep government out of the church and church out of government—enjoyed a near consensus of support at the Supreme Court and among historians, until Justice William Rehnquist called reliance on Jefferson "demonstrably incorrect." Since then, Rehnquist’s call has been taken up by a bevy of jurists and academics anxious to encourage renewed government involvement with religion. In Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Legacy, America’s Creed, the historian and lawyer John Ragosta offers a vigorous defense of Jefferson’s advocacy for a strict separation of church and state. Beginning with a close look at Jefferson’s own religious evolution, Ragosta shows that deep religious beliefs were at the heart of Jefferson’s views on religious freedom. Basing his analysis on that Jeffersonian vision, Ragosta redefines our understanding of how and why the First Amendment was adopted. He shows how the amendment’s focus on maintaining the authority of states to regulate religious freedom demonstrates that a very strict restriction on federal action was intended. Ultimately revealing that the great sage demanded a firm separation of church and state but never sought a wholly secular public square, Ragosta provides a new perspective on Jefferson, the First Amendment, and religious liberty within the United States.
Download or read book Freethinkers written by Susan Jacoby and published by Metropolitan Books. This book was released on 2005-01-07 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An authoritative history of the vital role of secularist thinkers and activists in the United States, from a writer of "fierce intelligence and nimble, unfettered imagination" (The New York Times) At a time when the separation of church and state is under attack as never before, Freethinkers offers a powerful defense of the secularist heritage that gave Americans the first government in the world founded not on the authority of religion but on the bedrock of human reason. In impassioned, elegant prose, celebrated author Susan Jacoby paints a striking portrait of more than two hundred years of secularist activism, beginning with the fierce debate over the omission of God from the Constitution. Moving from nineteenth-century abolitionism and suffragism through the twentieth century's civil liberties, civil rights, and feminist movements, Freethinkers illuminates the neglected accomplishments of secularists who, allied with liberal and tolerant religious believers, have stood at the forefront of the battle for reforms opposed by reactionary forces in the past and today. Rich with such iconic figures as Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Clarence Darrow—as well as once-famous secularists such as Robert Green Ingersoll, "the Great Agnostic"—Freethinkers restores to history generations of dedicated humanists. It is they, Jacoby shows, who have led the struggle to uphold the combination of secular government and religious liberty that is the glory of the American system.
Download or read book Thomas Jefferson s Freethought Legacy written by Thomas Jefferson and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This delightful collection of quotes from Jefferson establishes, beyond dispute, his enormous contributions to rationalism, freethought and science. Often, what historians (and especially politicians) have done is to select those quotes that reflect conventional religiosity and beliefs. Here great care has been taken to exclude those quotes and to present, instead, Jefferson's freethought legacy. Readers are invited to meander through these pages enjoying the diverse and wide-ranging views of one of America's early intellectuals. Or, savor one quote each day and delight in Jefferson's well-reasoned thoughts for 365 days, and for years to come.
Download or read book The Jefferson Bible written by Peter Manseau and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-29 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The life and times of a uniquely American testament 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.
Download or read book The Faiths of the Founding Fathers written by David L. Holmes and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, the book will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture.
Download or read book The Jefferson Lies written by David Barton and published by Thomas Nelson Inc. This book was released on 2012 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Noted historian Barton sets the record straight on the lies and misunderstandings that have tarnished the legacy of Thomas Jefferson.
Download or read book Sharia Versus Freedom written by Andrew G. Bostom and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Author Andrew G. Bostom expands upon his two previous groundbreaking compendia, The Legacy of Jihad and The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism, with this collection of his own recent essays on Sharia - Islamic law. The book elucidates, unapologetically, Sharia's defining Islamic religious principles and the consequences of its application across space and time, focusing upon contemporary illustrations. A wealth of unambiguous evidence is marshaled, distilled, and analyzed, including: objective, erudite studies of Sharia by leading scholars of Islam; the acknowledgment of Sharia's global "resurgence," even by contemporary academic apologists for Islam; an abundance of recent polling data from Muslim nations and Muslim immigrant communities in the West confirming the ongoing, widespread adherence to Sharia's tenets; the plaintive warnings and admonitions of contemporary Muslim intellectuals - freethinkers and believers, alike - about the incompatibility of Sharia with modern, Western-derived conceptions of universal human rights; and the overt promulgation by authoritative, mainstream international and North American Islamic religious and political organizations of traditional, Sharia-based Muslim legal systems as an integrated whole (i.e., extending well beyond mere "family-law aspects" of Sharia). Johannes J. G. Jansen, Professor for Contemporary Islamic Thought Emeritus at Utrecht University, says this book "will prove sobering to even staunch optimists."
Download or read book Thomas Paine s Rights of Man written by Christopher Hitchens and published by Grove Press. This book was released on 2008-09 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man" has been celebrated, criticized, maligned, suppressed, and co-opted, but Hitchens marvels at its forethought and revels in its contentiousness. In this book, he demonstrates how Paine's book forms the philosophical cornerstone of the U.S.
Download or read book Life and Opinions of Julius Melbourn written by Julius Melbourn and published by . This book was released on 1847 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Jabez Delano Hammond published The Life and Opinions of Julius Melbourn in 1847, amid state debates over black suffrage and national debates over slavery’s expansion. The white New Yorker wrote in the voice of a former slave, fooling some contemporaries and subsequent historians, seeking to link Thomas Jefferson’s legacy to antislavery and racial equality. Placed in the context of Hammond’s other public and private writings, Julius Melbourn represents the evolution, radicalization, and politicization of the antebellum abolition movement. Hammond began as an ardent Jeffersonian but came to advocate violence against the Slave Power before disavowing such tactics in favor of political mobilization before his death in 1855"--Abstract, "Jefferson's legacy, race science, and righteous violence in Jabez Hammond's abolitionist fiction."
Download or read book The American Deists written by Kerry S. Walters and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Challenging carved-in-stone tenets of Christianity, deism began sprouting in colonial America in the early 18th century, was flourishing nicely by the American revolution, and to all intents and purposes was dead by 1811. Despite its hasty demise, deism left a theological legacy. Christian sensibility would never be quite the same again.
Download or read book Call to Virtue written by Kim A. Mayyasi and published by Hillcrest Publishing Group. This book was released on 2016-03 with total page 590 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The American republic was the Enlightenment's greatest experiment, an attempt to institutionalize virtuous character as never done before. Call to Virtue explains the role of character as the driving force behind the rise and fall of empires, the well-being of citizens' lives, and the structure of governments and their constitutions. It draws a line between the definitions of virtue from ancient times to the motivating force behind our nation's founding. The book surveys 3,000 years of Western civilization and uses the voices of history's greatest participants to create a narrative describing character's pivotal role. It describes how definitions of character were an integral part of philosophy, government, and religion from ancient Greece and Rome to the European Enlightenment--and underpin the colonial spirit of America's founding.
Download or read book American Jesus written by Stephen Prothero and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2004-09-18 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Deep Dive into America's Complex Relationship with Jesus There's no denying America's rich religious background–belief is woven into daily life. But as Stephen Prothero argues in American Jesus, many of the most interesting appraisals of Jesus have emerged outside the churches: in music, film, and popular culture; and among Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and people of no religion at all. Delve into this compelling chronicle as it explores how Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, has been refashioned into distinctly American identities over the centuries. From his enlistment as a beacon of hope for abolitionists to his appropriation as a figurehead for Klansmen, the image of Jesus has been as mercurial as it is influential. In this diverse and conflicted scene, American Jesus stands as a testament to the peculiar fusion of the temporal and divine in contemporary America. Equal parts enlightening and entertaining, American Jesus goes beyond being simply a work of history. It’s an intricate mirror, reflecting the American spirit while questioning the nation's socio-cultural fabric.
Download or read book The Jefferson Bible written by Thomas Jefferson and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2012-03-02 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jefferson regarded Jesus as a moral guide rather than a divinity. In his unique interpretation of the Bible, he highlights Christ's ethical teachings, discarding the scriptures' supernatural elements, to reflect the deist view of religion.
Download or read book Twilight at Monticello written by Alan Pell Crawford and published by Random House. This book was released on 2008-11-19 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twilight at Monticello is something entirely new: an unprecedented and engrossing personal look at the intimate Jefferson in his final years that will change the way readers think about this true American icon. It was during these years–from his return to Monticello in 1809 after two terms as president until his death in 1826–that Jefferson’s idealism would be most severely, and heartbreakingly, tested. Based on new research and documents culled from the Library of Congress, the Virginia Historical Society, and other special collections, including hitherto unexamined letters from family, friends, and Monticello neighbors, Alan Pell Crawford paints an authoritative and deeply moving portrait of Thomas Jefferson as private citizen–the first original depiction of the man in more than a generation.
Download or read book Thomas Jefferson written by Edward Ellis and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2006 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating biography of Thomas Jefferson encapsulates his life and times. Ellis has portrayed him in all his greatness as a leader as well as a human being who was flawed, mysterious and, at times, deceptive. Due to the life-like portrayal, Jefferson turns out to be more humane, more approachable while retaining his position as an idol.
Download or read book The Philosopher s Index written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An international index to philosophical periodicals.
Download or read book Great Americans of History Thomas Jefferson A Character Sketch written by Edward Sylvester Ellis and published by Read Books Ltd. This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
