[AnalogReigns]

It's my understanding that Jefferson's "Philosophy of Jesus" was undertaken in order to make a book just of Jesus moral teaching, acceptable to the Indians in the frontier. Jefferson never claimed it was the Bible or that he was saying all that can be said about Christ.

A commentary say, on the Sermon on the Mount would do the same thing... in a limited way. I think Jefferson has gotten a bum rap then and now over the "Philosophy of Jesus."

[gdani]

It's my understanding that Jefferson's "Philosophy of Jesus" was undertaken in order to make a book just of Jesus moral teaching, acceptable to the Indians in the frontier. Jefferson never claimed it was the Bible or that he was saying all that can be said about Christ.

I've never understood it to be meant for the Indians but rather for himself -- Not that it wasn't for that purpose but I understand the letter, in context, to be about Jefferson using the Philosophy of Jesus for his own studying purposes & I know that it was also the foundation for his future "Jefferson Bible"