You make our work possible. Please help us continue.

Donate Now

From the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom to the 'Wall of Separation', Jefferson's views and statements on religion have left a powerful legacy in the United States. Listen to some of his most quoted writings on the subject and take a peek at Jefferson's editing process in a comparison of two excerpts from the same document (originally published as a Monticello Podcast on May 4, 2006).

Brief Introduction (approx. 2 min.)
 

Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom as drafted by Jefferson (later edited and adopted in 1786) (approx. 6 min.)
 

Query 17, Religion, Notes on the State of Virginia (written and published in the 1780s) (approx. 14 min.)
 

Jefferson's Jan. 1, 1802 letter to Danbury Baptist Association (approx. 2 min.)
 

Jefferson's April 21, 1803 letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush "on the Christian religion" (approx. 10.5 min.)
 

Jefferson revising Jefferson: two excerpts from Query 17, Religion, Notes on the State of Virginia (approx. 4 min.)