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Thomas Jefferson is one of the most well-known historical figures in our society. A Founding
Father of our nation, he famously penned the Declaration of Independence, and was the third President
of the United States. Political and historical figures such as Jefferson often are subject to intense
scrutiny, frequently in regard to their personal religious beliefs. The most commonly asked questions
about Jefferson’s beliefs pertain to whether they can be defined as Christian or deist. Coming into this
essay, I was unaware of Jefferson’s specific religious views. However, in researching it, I discovered that
Jefferson was, in fact, a deist. This conclusion is largely drawn from and supported by Jefferson’s own
words, in the form of personal letters written by him to close friends. In addition to analyzing Jefferson’s
beliefs, this paper will analyze and compare his beliefs to those held by Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson’s
fellow Founding Father, whose beliefs also often come under the microscope. Furthermore, I will
examine the Declaration of Independence for reflected religious beliefs, and delve into the different
definitions, perspectives on, and creeds of the deist and Christian religions.
Christianity is one of the most practiced and recognized religions in the world. It was founded in
Palestine by followers of a man named Jesus, whom they believe to be the Son of God. The fundamental
beliefs of the Christian religion are that of the Trinity, which comprises God the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit as one Supreme Being. Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prediction of
the Messiah, and that Jesus’ life, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven are proof of God’s
love of humans and the promise that God forgives human sin. Christians also believe that through
acceptance of Jesus Christ as their savior, they are granted eternal life and salvation. These beliefs are
derived from the New Testament of the Bible. They also accept the Old Testament as sacred text. There
are many, many offshoots of the Christian religion, but all traditional Christians believe in those basic
principles.1
1
“Christianity”, Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition
2
Simply defined, deism is: “The view that regards God as the intelligent creator of an
independent and law-abiding world but denies that he providentially guides it or intervenes in any way
with its destiny. Reason is the sole instrument through which God’s existence and nature can be
deduced from the perfectly rational working of the universe.” The “father of deism”, Lord Herbert of
Cherbury, established five “Tenets of Deism”, the first of which is the belief in the existence of a
Supreme Being who created the world, but has not intervened in the way it works since, through
revelation or miracles. Second, that there is an obligation to worship God. Third, that as humans we are
obligated to perform right, which can be derived from reason. Fourth, the conviction that there is a need
for repentance of sin, and finally, the belief that the human soul is immortal, and that it’s afterlife is
dependent on one’s behavior on Earth. Deism can also be described as a rejection of Calvinism, in that
deists reject the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the divine authority of the Bible, the
atonement, miracles, the idea of any chosen people, and any supernatural act of redemption. Deists are
also opposed to any interpretation of the Supreme Being as vengeful, vindictive, jealous, or cruel.
Instead, deists consider God to be gentle, loving, and benevolent, with expectations of human kind to
behave decently. Finally, deists believed in a separation between church and state, as well as religious
toleration, because they viewed all religions as being relatively equal, and believed people should have
the right to seek salvation in whatever way they so chose.2
Jefferson’s letters were never meant to be seen by anyone other than the recipient, and in this
way we know that they are perfectly honest, as he did not have any reason to try to downplay his beliefs
in them to keep the public at bay. In his letter to Peter Carr, he brings up the subject of morality and
reason, writing: “Man…was endowed with a sense of right and wrong…this sense is as much a part of his
nature as the sense of hearing, seeing, feeling…” Jefferson goes on to compare man’s sense of reason to
just another limb in a man’s body, which he believes can be “strengthened by exercise”. Traits and
2
Ron Petrin, “Deism”, CD1103F09
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actions he considers to be stimulating to man’s sense of reason include generosity, gratefulness,
charitable acts, humanity, truthfulness, fairness, firm, orderly, and courageous. These statements can be
related back to the third tenet of deism, the obligation to perform right. Jefferson is a staunch believer
in the use of reason to perform decent acts. Jefferson also proves to be a deist in the way he approaches
religion, encouraging Carr to “divest [himself] of all bias” in approaching the subject. He even informs
Carr that it is essential to “question…the existence of God”; something a Christian would almost
certainly never instruct a friend to do. These examples show the Jefferson is a supporter of approaching
the subject of religion in a very logical way, something that is in the foundation of the deist beliefs. He
even goes as far as to tell Carr to read the Bible with intense scrutiny, as he would with any other
philosopher’s work and to decide whether that which breaks the “laws of nature” is credible. In this was
Jefferson is showing that he questions the holiness of the Bible, in at least some areas. Finally, in his
letter to Carr Jefferson offers two views of Jesus Christ, the first being that he is in fact the Messiah, and
savior, and the second being that he was born illegitimately, and had a “benevolent heart [and]
enthusiastic mind”. In questioning Christ’s divinity, Jefferson is questioning one of the most basic
foundations of the Christian religion: the Trinity.3
In his letters to Drs. Priestly and Rush, Jefferson addresses more directly the subject of Jesus. To
Priestly, he writes that “Jesus…endeavored to bring…the true principles of a pure deism…to reform [the
Jew’s] moral doctrines to the standard of reason, justice, & philanthropy…” Jefferson firmly states that
he believes that the foundations of Jesus’ teachings were laid in reason, and other acts of humanity,
which in essence are a means of defining how to live religiously. Jefferson goes on to say he believes
Jesus to be “the most innocent, the most benevolent, the most eloquent and sublime character that has
3
Thomas Jefferson, [Letter] “To Peter Carr” (Paris, August 10, 1787), in Ron Petrin, “Five Letters by Thomas
Jefferson,” CD1103F09
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ever been known to man.”4 This is a statement many would expect from a traditional Christian,
however, Jefferson makes his point clearer in his letter to Rush, stating: “…to the corruptions of
Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in
the only sense he wished anyone to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others;
ascribing to himself every human excellence; & believing he never claimed any other.” Though Jefferson
clearly states himself as a Christian, he is quick to distinguish his interpretation of the term, which differs
greatly with orthodox Christianity. The most important part of this statement is his claim that Jesus was
human, and that Jefferson believed Christ never claimed to be anything but that. Jefferson goes on to
expound upon his mistrust in parts of the Bible, specifically the New Testament, stating that the
problem with Jesus was that “he wrote nothing himself…and the committing to writing his life &
doctrines fell on the most unlettered & ignorant men; who wrote, too, from memory, & not till long
after the transactions had passed.” This severely bothered Jefferson, who thought that the Bible’s
portrayal of Christ’s teachings was “mutilated, misstated, & often unintelligible.” Jefferson used this to
explain the violations of natural law and reason that he found in the Bible. Jefferson’s lack of belief in
the supernatural firmly places him in the deist category.5
In his letter to John Adams, Jefferson delves into his fervent dislike of Calvin, and what has
stemmed from Calvinism and other fanatical religions. “I can never join Calvin in addressing his god…If
ever man worshiped a false god, he did…It would be more pardonable to believe in no god at all, then to
blaspheme him by the atrocious attributes of Calvin.” Jefferson objects to the harsh perception of God
that Calvin created, and shows his deism in rejecting that harsh god in favor of a gentler one. Though
Jefferson declares atheism a more suitable alternative than Calvinism, he does not prescribe to atheist
4
Thomas Jefferson, [Letter] “To Dr. Joseph Priestly” (Washington, April 9, 1803), in Ron Petrin, “Five Letters by
Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
5
Thomas Jefferson, [Letter] “To Dr. Benjamin Rush” (Washington, Apr. 21, 1803), in Ron Petrin, “Five Letters by
Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
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beliefs. This is evident further on in the same letter, when Jefferson states that he cannot imagine
something as complex and infinite as the Universe existing without a Supreme Creator. That means that
Jefferson does credit a Supreme Being with the creation of the Universe, the first tenet of deism. In the
same sentence he espouses that revelation is not necessary to discover this for oneself, further denying
a pillar of traditional Christian belief. Finally, Jefferson addresses the orthodox Christian belief in the
Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity. Jefferson reasons that a verse in the Bible has been mistranslated by
traditional Christians. He believes the correct translation to be “in the beginning God existed, and reason
(or mind) was with God, and that mind was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things were
created by it, and without it was made not one thing which was made.” Jefferson thought the error was
made in the translation of the word “logos”, which he said meant “reason”, but which traditional
Christians took to be “a second preexisting being, and ascribed to him, and not to God, the creation of
the Universe.” This translation error, as Jefferson viewed it, was the key to disproving the notion of the
Holy Ghost, and the Trinity.6
Jefferson wrote to Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse refining what he believed to be the true doctrines
of Jesus. “1. That there is one only God, and he is all perfect. 2. That there is a future state of rewards
and punishments. 3. That to love God with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself, is the sum of
religion.” These can be viewed as a statement of Jefferson’s beliefs, and they are extremely similar to
the tenets of deism. The first is an acknowledgement of a Supreme Being, very similar to the first tenet.
Second, he expresses a belief in the afterlife, and that actions in this life will determine his fate in the
afterlife, which is comparable to the fourth and fifth tenets. And finally, he states that morality and
6
Thomas Jefferson, [Letter] “To John Adams” (Monticello, April 11, 1823), in Ron Petrin, “Five Letters by Thomas
Jefferson,” CD1103F09
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worship of God are the definition of religion, therefore stating, as the second tenet does, that worship of
God is a necessary practice. In this final letter, Jefferson makes his deistic beliefs clearer than ever.7
Now that Jefferson’s religious beliefs have been made clear, let us examine the views of his
fellow Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin wrote several things pertaining to his religious
beliefs. He proves himself to be a deist through these writings. The first of those documents being
examined are Franklin’s “Articles of Belief”, in which he outlines his basic religious values. He begins by
stating: “I believe there is one Supreme, most perfect Being…” This is what Jefferson states as a central
belief, and also is a center piece of deism. It is dissimilar to Christianity because Christians focus on the
Trinity, not just a Supreme Being. Franklin goes on to state that he believes human were created with
“reason superior to all other animals…”, again focusing on a central tenet of deism. Unlike Jefferson,
Franklin more thoroughly delves into the worship of God, in that he states that he does not believe God
expects or requires worship from his creations, but it is us who feel a compulsion to do so. Franklin
writes that he believes it his “duty, as a man, to pay Divine regards to something.” With that, Franklin
confirms his support of the second tenet of deism, the obligation to worship. One of the main focal
points of his Articles of Belief is that of morality, and happiness. Franklin sees the two as being linked,
and implies that God expects morality from humans, as it is the key to their happiness. In stating this as
fact, Franklin argues that God is a just and loving God, as deists like Jefferson affirm, whose main goal
for His creations is their contentedness. 8
Franklin further solidified his religious viewpoint in a letter written in response to a Mr. Ezra
Stiles, whom had written Franklin inquiring about his salvation in general Christian terms. Franklin
replied, reaffirming that he believed in one God, whom he thought ought to be worshipped. Franklin
then wrote that he believed that “the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another
7
Thomas Jefferson, [Letter] “To Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse” (Monticello, April 26, 1822), in Ron Petrin, “Five Letters
by Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
8
Benjamin Franklin, Articles of Belief (1728), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
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life respecting its conduct in this”, meaning that he believed in an afterlife, and that one’s fate in it was
dependent on one’s actions on Earth. Deists are believers in this philosophy, and strict Calvinists are not.
When addressing the topic of Jesus of Nazareth, Franklin makes his respect for the man’s doctrines
know, but also writes that he has “some doubts as to his divinity”, just as Jefferson did. Franklin wraps
up his correspondence by proclaiming that: “having experienced the goodness of that being, in
conducting me prosperously through a long Life, I have no doubt of its continuance in the next.” At
peace, on his death bed, Franklin reveals his honest belief in the rewards of having lived a good life, and
the immortality of the soul.9
In his autobiography, Franklin dedicates a chapter to the subject of religion. The chapter’s title,
“Religion and Virtue”, conveys how closely related Franklin viewed the two to be. He designates the
following to be the “essential” values of every religion: “the existence of the Deity; that he made the
world, and governed it by his Providence; that the most acceptable service of God was the doing of good
to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded…” These
values are just reaffirming what Franklin has previously expressed to be in his core beliefs. He goes on to
criticize a preacher that focused too much on the technicalities that separated the denominations of
Christian churches, rather than the morality of man. Franklin states that “vicious actions are not hurtful
because they are forbidden, but forbidden because they are hurtful”. In this he uses clear logic and
reason to explain a philosophical truth, which deists prize above all else. Clearly, all of this puts Franklin
well into the deist system of belief, and distances him from traditional Christian thinking.10
The Declaration of Independence, a document recognized in our society as the beginning of our
sovereignty as one nation, was penned by Thomas Jefferson. Therefore, it would be beneficial, now
knowing his religious affiliation, to analyze the writing for any religious themes that may be contained
9
Benjamin Franklin, [Letter] “To Ezra Stiles” (Philadelphia, March 9, 1790), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
Benjamin Franklin, “On Religion and Virtue,” (1790), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
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within it. The first notable passage refers to the “Powers of the earth”, which implies that there were
bestowed powers onto those living on Earth. This is a concept found both in Christianity and deism.
Next, Jefferson writes of the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”, a statement which would be
interpreted differently depending on religious viewpoint.11 Deists would assume that “nature” was one
in the same as reality, or that nature also refers to Earth, itself, and the responsibilities and rights given
to its residents by a divine power.12As far as Christian beliefs go, however, nature is often used in the
context of the character or personality of the divine, or things associated with the Him, such as “the
Father, took Man’s nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin”13 or “[the] understandings of the nature of
Christ.”14
Jefferson goes on to discuss the issue of equality, stating that “all men are created equal”15, an
idea that is rampantly deist, in regard to toleration and endowed rights.16This is a much more foreign
concept in Christianity. Many Christian creeds do not contain reference to equality, but those that do,
like the Anthanasian creed, apply the concept only when discussing the Trinity, for example, the
following statement: “But the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, equal glory, and
coeternal majesty.”17 One can safely assume that Jefferson’s reference was inherently more deist than
Christian in meaning. Finally, there is Jefferson’s famous line regarding “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
Happiness.”18 This is a foreign phrase in Christian creeds. The only relevant part is the word “Life”.
However, when used in the Apostles Creed, it is stated as “the life everlasting,” which is a reference to
salvation and the afterlife19, which are not considered “unalienable” to “all men”. 20 In deism, however,
11
“Declaration of Independence”, (1776), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
Petrin, “Deism”
13
“Thirty Nine Articles”, (1571), (1662). CD1103F09
14
“Nicene Creed”, CD1103F09
15
“Declaration of Independence”
16
Petrin, “Deism”
17
“Anthanasian Creed”, CD1103F09
18
“Declaration of Independence”
19
“Apostles Creed,” CD1103F09
12
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this is a familiar phrase. English deist William Wollaston wrote that natural religion was defined by
reason and morality, and was essentially “the pursuit of happiness by the practice of truth and reason”.
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It is almost certain that Jefferson borrowed that phrase from Wollaston for the Declaration. After
careful analysis of the document, it is safe to say that it is more partial to the deist ideal than to the
Christian one.
When investigating a topic, especially one as controversial as religion, it is important to include
differing opinions to gain perspective and eliminate any potential bias. Avery Dulles, a Cardinal in the
Catholic Church, wrote an article analyzing deism and Jefferson’s association with it. Dulles defines
deism as “an alternative position…that maintained that revelation was unnecessary because [of] human
reason” and that “God…had implanted in the human soul from the beginning five innate religious ideas:
the existence of God, divine worship, the practice of virtue, repentance for sin, and personal
immortality.” Dulles’s definition is an accurate summary of deism as an idea. Dulles held that both
Franklin and Jefferson were deists, and thought of Jefferson of not just a deist, but a “Christian deist”,
because “[Jefferson] saw Christianity as the highest expression of natural religion, and Jesus as an
incomparably great moral teacher.” I see Dulles’s argument as a sound one, firmly based, as mine were,
on Jefferson’s own words. Though brief and just quickly mentioned, I believe Dulles’s assertion that
Franklin was a deist was accurate as well. Dulles does not heavily rely on religion alone in his analysis,
and instead grounds his findings in well researched material, which backs up his findings.22
In conclusion, Thomas Jefferson, a key figure in American history, was a deist, as substantiated
by his own writings. His fellow Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, was also a deist. The Declaration of
Independence, one of the founding documents of our nation, was not an overtly religious writing, but is
20
“Declaration of Independence”
Petrin, “Deism”
22
Dulles, Avery Cardinal, “The Deist Minimum,” First Things (January 2005) at
http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=143&var_recherche=Deism
21
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more deist in nature than it is Christian. Finally, Cardinal Avery Dulles’s article as relating to deism,
Jefferson, and Franklin is accurate. Deism has had a significant impact on our country, and people should
not be ignorant concerning its meaning and application.
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Bibliography
1. “Apostles Creed,” CD1103F09
2. “Anthanasian Creed”, CD1103F09
3. “Christianity”, Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition
4. “Declaration of Independence”, (1776), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
5. Dulles, Avery Cardinal, “The Deist Minimum,” First Things (January 2005) at
http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=143&var_recherche=Deism
6. Franklin, Benjamin, Articles of Belief (1728), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
7. Franklin, Benjamin, “On Religion and Virtue,” (1790), in Ron Petrin, CD1103F09
8. Franklin, Benjamin, [Letter] “To Ezra Stiles” (Philadelphia, March 9, 1790), in Ron Petrin,
CD1103F09
9. Jefferson, Thomas, [Letter] “To Peter Carr” (Paris, August 10, 1787), in Ron Petrin, “Five Letters
by Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
10. Jefferson, Thomas, [Letter] “To Dr. Joseph Priestly” (Washington, April 9, 1803), in Ron Petrin,
“Five Letters by Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
11. Jefferson, Thomas, [Letter] “To Dr. Benjamin Rush” (Washington, Apr. 21, 1803), in Ron Petrin,
“Five Letters by Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
12. Jefferson, Thomas, [Letter] “To Dr. Benjamin Waterhouse” (Monticello, April 26, 1822), in Ron
Petrin, “Five Letters by Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
13. Jefferson, Thomas, [Letter] “To John Adams” (Monticello, April 11, 1823), in Ron Petrin, “Five
Letters by Thomas Jefferson,” CD1103F09
14. “Nicene Creed”, CD1103F09
15. Petrin, Ron, “Deism”, CD1103F09
16. “Thirty Nine Articles”, (1571), (1662). CD1103F09
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