Antonio Tross The Jefferson Bible

According to Lambert, the Deists were thinkers that were brought out of the Enlightenment who believed that reason should be considered over revelation (159, 172).  They denoted the idea that the bible was the absolute truth and that only certain people had access to the Bible in way that they could report on it and interpret its meaning (161-162).  The Deists were thinkers that believed in the “New Learning”, which focused on logic and reason and a rejection of traditional religious values.  The “New Learning” was the opposition to the “Old Learning” (162).  The Old Learning thinking considered the Bible to be the absolute truth and that it is possible to find answers to all of life’s problems by turning to the Bible (164). The “New Learning” students included Locke, Bacon, and Newton, who all believed in developing the laws of nature and looking for answers using empirical data and inductive reasoning (166).  From the Enlightenment, there was a bigger emphasis on scientific reasoning to explain certain things that are hard to explain in the Bible (168).  Jefferson, having similar ways of think with the deists, would then consider the Gospels in a more logical and calculating manner.  In the Jefferson Bible, he excludes the miracle stories, the birth narrative, and the resurrection story.  I think part of the reason that Jefferson took those parts out was because he wanted to emphasis Christianity based on morals and obligations towards others.  Jefferson compiles the Gospels together to create one story that details Jesus’s journey and the morals that he was teaching.  The Jesus that is portrayed in the Jefferson Bible doesn’t really have any traits that set him apart from other people.  He is portrayed as a seemingly normal man who preached the word of God and taught people the right and wrong ways to live their lives.