Telling Jefferson Lies
The series was active from January-April, 2024. I am periodically posting bonus episodes throughout the remainder of 2024. Please subscribe so you will be notified.
Telling Jefferson Lies chronicles how history can be hijacked for ideological and political purposes, as well as a much broader story about the surge of Christian nationalism and the misuse of history which often goes along with it. The series begins with an in-depth consideration of the methods of Christian nationalist story teller David Barton. Then I tell the story of how his book on Jefferson was pulled from publication in 2012 and the response of evangelicals to that rare event. From there, I broaden the scope to examine the varieties of Christian nationalism and the negative consequences of this way of thinking about church and state. The last segment examines the reasons why the separation of church and state is good history, good civics, and good religion.
For more information, go to http://www.gettingjeffersonright.com.
Telling Jefferson Lies
Getting Jefferson Right
What was so wrong with The Jefferson Lies that Thomas Nelson decided to pull the book from publication? In this episode, Michael Coulter and Warren Throckmorton start answering that question by pulling material from their book, Getting Jefferson Right.
In this episode, we take long looks into Barton’s handling of the Danbury Baptist letter to Thomas Jefferson, the Jefferson Bible, and a fable about Jefferson and church attendance. We show how the use of ellipses, second and third-hand sources, and a creative imagination can make historical fiction out of history.
SHOW NOTES:
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (The 1820 Jefferson Bible)
https://uuhouston.org/files/The_Jefferson_Bible.pdf
Letter from the Danbury Baptists
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-35-02-0331
Letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-36-02-0152-0006
Telling Jefferson Lies is written and produced by Warren Throckmorton. Today’s installment was hosted by Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter. The podcast is brought to you by the second edition of Getting Jefferson Right: Fact Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson by Throckmorton and Coulter and available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or just about anywhere books are sold.
For more information, go to gettingjeffersonright.com.
The next episode Whitewash will post in two weeks on February 21. In the meantime, I plan a bonus episode for sometime next week. Stay tuned for that.
Today’s closing song is "Ain’t It a Shame to Work on Sunday" by the Bethel Jubilee Quartet and written by T.H. Wiseman. Telling Jefferson Lies Theme song is "The World Awaits Us All" by Roman Candle. Background music was provided by Roman Candle and Warren Throckmorton.
I want to acknowledge Right Wing Watch for providing many video clips on YouTube.
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