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The religious views of Thomas Jefferson diverged widely from the orthodox Christianity of his era. Throughout his life Jefferson was intensely interested in theology, religious studies, and morality.〔Charles Sanford, ''The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson'' (Charlotte: UNC Press, 1987).〕 Jefferson was most closely connected with Unitarianism.〔Michael Corbett and Julia Mitchell Corbett, ''Politics and religion in the United States'' (1999) p. 68〕 He was sympathetic to and in general agreement with the ''moral'' precepts of Christianity, believed in an afterlife〔(Thomas Jefferson: Deist or Christian? Debunking Dr James Kennedy ) Jefferson: "That there is a future state of rewards and punishments." By Lewis Loflin. Downloaded 15-04-03.〕 and in the ''active'' involvement, or guidance, of God in the affairs of mankind.〔(Thomas Jefferson, Second Inaugural Address ), Monday, March 4, 1805〕 He considered the teachings of Jesus as having "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man,"〔Jefferson, Washington, 1907, p. 89〕 yet he held that the pure teachings of Jesus appeared to have been appropriated by some of Jesus' early followers, resulting in a Bible that contained both "diamonds" of wisdom and the "dung" of ancient political agendas.〔(Thomas Jefferson and his Bible ) April, 1998, PBS Frontline, downloaded 15-04-03〕 As the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, Jefferson articulated a statement about human rights that most Americans regard as nearly sacred. Jefferson held that "acknowledging and adoring an overruling providence" (as in his First Inaugural Address〔(Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address )〕) was important and in his second inaugural address, expressed the need to gain "the favor of that Being in whose hands we are, who led our fathers, as Israel of old."〔 Still, together with James Madison, Jefferson carried on a long and successful campaign against state financial support of churches in Virginia. Also, it is Jefferson who coined the phrase "wall of separation between church and state" in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists of Connecticut. During his 1800 campaign for the presidency, Jefferson even had to contend with critics who argued that he was unfit to hold office because of their discomfort with his "unorthodox" religious beliefs. Jefferson used certain passages of the New Testament to compose ''The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth'' (the "Jefferson Bible"), which excluded any miracles by Jesus and stressed his moral message. Though he often expressed his opposition to many practices of the clergy, and to many specific popular Christian doctrines of his day, Jefferson repeatedly expressed his admiration for Jesus as a ''moral'' teacher, and consistently referred to himself as a Christian (though following his own unique type of Christianity) throughout his life. Jefferson opposed Calvinism, Trinitarianism, and what he identified as Platonic elements in Christianity. In private letters Jefferson also described himself as subscribing to other certain philosophies, in addition to being a Christian. In these letters he described himself as also being an "Epicurean" (1819),〔 〕 a "19th century materialist" (1820),〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Letter to William Short ) 〕 Upon the disestablishment of religion in Connecticut, he wrote to John Adams: "I join you, therefore, in sincere congratulations that this den of the priesthood is at length broken up, and that a Protestant Popedom is no longer to disgrace the American history and character."〔''Works'', Vol. iv., p. 301. 〕 a "Unitarian by myself" (1825),〔 and "a sect by myself" (1819).〔 〕 Historian Sydney E. Ahlstrom associated Jefferson with "rational religion" or deism,〔Ahlstrom p 366〕 however Jefferson's expressed beliefs in divine interventionism, and in an afterlife would seem to disqualify him from being labeled as a true Deist, as the word Deist is understood in modern-day usage. Jefferson saw a certain harmony between the various philosophies that he ascribed to, but his understandings of these philosophies themselves were sometimes at odds with the more popular or "orthodox" understandings of these philosophies of his day. ==Church attendance== Jefferson was raised in the Church of England at a time when it was the established church in Virginia and only denomination funded by Virginia tax money. Before the Revolution, parishes were units of local government, and Jefferson served as a vestryman, a lay administrative position in his local parish. Office-holding qualifications at all levels—including the Virginia House of Burgesses, to which Jefferson was elected in 1769—required affiliation with the current state religion and a commitment that one would neither express dissent nor do anything that did not conform to church doctrine. Jefferson counted clergy among his friends, and he contributed financially to the Anglican Church he attended regularly. Following the Revolution, the Church of England in America was disestablished. It reorganized as the Episcopal Church in America. Margaret Bayard Smith, whose husband was a close friend of Jefferson, records that during the first winter of Jefferson's Presidency he regularly attended service on Sunday in a small humble Episcopalian church out of respect for public worship. This was the only church in the new city, with the exception of a little Catholic chapel. Within a year of his inauguration, Jefferson began attending church services in the House of Representatives, a custom which had not yet begun while he was Vice President, and which featured preachers of every Christian sect and denomination.〔(Mrs. Samuel Harrison Smith (Margaret Bayard), ''The first forty years of Washington society'' ), pp.13, 15〕 In January 1806, a female evangelist, Dorothy Ripley, delivered a camp meeting-style exhortation in the House to Jefferson, Vice President Aaron Burr, and a "crowded audience". Throughout his administration Jefferson permitted church services in executive branch buildings, which were acceptable to Jefferson because they were nondiscriminatory and voluntary, and because he believed that religion was an important support for republican government.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Religion and the Federal Government: PART 2 ) (Religion and the Founding of the American Republic)〕 Henry S. Randall, the only biographer permitted to interview Jefferson's immediate family, recorded that Jefferson "attended church with as much regularity as most of the members of the congregation—sometimes going alone on horse-back, when his family remained at home", and that he also "contributed freely to the erection of Christian churches, gave money to Bible societies and other religious objects, and was a liberal and regular contributor to the support of the clergy. Letters of his are extant which show him urging, with respectful delicacy, the acceptance of extra and unsolicited contributions, on the pastor of his parish, on occasions of extra expense to the latter, such as the building of a house."〔(Henry S. Randall, ''The life of Thomas Jefferson'' ), p. 555〕 In later years, Jefferson refused to serve as a godparent for infants being baptized, because he did not believe in the dogma of the Trinity. Despite testimony of Jefferson's church attendance, there is no evidence that he was ever confirmed or was a communicant. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Religious views of Thomas Jefferson」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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