April 29: Bruce Braden “Ye Will Say I Am No Christian”—The ThomasJefferson/John
Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values
When: Sunday April 29 2:00 PM Where: Center for Inquiry Indiana, 350 Canal Walk, Suite A,
Indianapolis
RSVP info: Anyone is welcome to attend. Admission is free. Books will be available for sale and Mr. Braden will be there to autograph your copy of the book. Did Thomas Jefferson and John Adams think they were Christians? Would Christians today accept them in the club?
Carmel author Bruce Braden explains. The “Culture Wars” have produced a lot of talk about religion, morals, and values, with both sides often hearkening back to our Founding Fathers. Here is your chance to learn firsthand what two of the most influential pillars of the
American
Republic thought about these perennial topics. From 1812 to July 4, 1826 — when ironically death claimed both men — Thomas Jefferson and John Adams exchanged letters touching on these still controversial issues.
The little-known letters in “Ye Will Say I Am No Christian”—The Thomas Jefferson/John Adams Correspondence on Religion, Morals, and Values contain many surprising revelations. In the 1800 presidential election, in which the Republican Jefferson opposed the Federalist Adams, religion was a topic of hot debate, as reflected in this correspondence written many years after. What was it about
Jefferson’s religious beliefs that provoked such vitriol against him in the campaign? And what was there in
Adams’s theology that prompted certain Calvinists and Trinitarians to label him “no Christian”? Though they expressed different opinions, Jefferson and Adams agreed on what they called the “corruptions of Christianity.” Despite their criticisms and their critics, both men considered themselves Christians, in different senses of the term. These little-known letters contain many surprising revelations. In the 1800 presidential election, in which the Republican Jefferson opposed the Federalist Adams, religion was a topic of hot debate, as reflected in this correspondence written many years after. What was it about
Jefferson’s religious beliefs that provoked such vitriol against him in the campaign? And what was there in
Adams’s theology that prompted certain Calvinists and Trinitarians to label him “no Christian”? Though they expressed different opinions, Jefferson and Adams agreed on what they called the “corruptions of Christianity.” Despite their criticisms and their critics, both men considered themselves Christians, in different senses of the term.
You should know before you go…Read a review of Braden’s book here and here. For a flavor of current debates about religion and faith in society, listen to the debate on “We would we be better off without religion”, with Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and AC Grayling on one side and Rabbi Julia Neuberger, Roger Scruton and Nigel Spivey on the other. For more information…David L. Holmes, The Faiths of the Founding FathersJon Meacham, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a NationGordon S. Wood, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
Indy experts: Bruce Braden would probably be happy to talk and sign copies of his book, reach him through the Center for Inquiry. Philip Goff is head of IUPUI’s Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. Get involvedIf you are skeptical about religion, you will find sympathetic friends at the Center for Inquiry. A more academic approach to faith in the
US can be found at events hosted by IUPUI’
Center for the Study of Religion and American Life.
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