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LearnOutLoud -- Monthly Offer -- exp 31 Jul

• FREE -- The Jefferson Bible -- Thomas Jefferson/ Seth Anderson --> 2.5 hrs --> religion

The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

The Thomas Jefferson Bible, or "The Life and Morals of Jesus" is a stripped down and combined version of the first four books of the Biblical New Testament compiled by Thomas Jefferson as a means of distilling the core teachings of Jesus Christ. Taken up late in the third President's life, this personal project endeavored to separate Christ's philosophy from the centuries of dogma that Jefferson thought only served to over-complicate what was originally a simple theology. Since it was intended for self-study, Jefferson's personal Bible was never published in his lifetime, though there is some indication that he believed this concise Gospel might be more palatable to the Native American population as an educational tool. The result of Jefferson's distillation process is a stark presentation of Christ's ministry, where the sheer power of Jesus' parables demonstrate how he gained such a quick following and why he ultimately became a threat to local authorities. One will also note that all reference to Christ's divine nature have also been cut, but this takes nothing away from a message that remains as moving and challenging as ever.