Thomas Jefferson's Qur'an by Denise A. Spellberg
In this original and illuminating book, Denise A. Spellberg reveals a little-known but crucial dimension of the story of American religious freedom - a drama in which Islam played a surprising role.
Thomas Jefferson owned a copy of the Qur'an, which was the second edition of a 1734 translation by George Sale, a two-volume set published in London in 1764. This set was sold to the Library of Congress in 1815, and rebound by the Library in 1918. The daybook of the Virginia Gazette records the purchase of this edition by Jefferson in Williamsburg in 1765.[1] There are no other known records of Jefferson reacquiring this work, suggesting perhaps that it survived the fire at Jefferson's family home, Shadwell, in 1770.
In 2007, Jefferson's copy of the Qur'an was used by United States Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) to take his oath of office.
- Anna Berkes, March 20, 2009
In this original and illuminating book, Denise A. Spellberg reveals a little-known but crucial dimension of the story of American religious freedom - a drama in which Islam played a surprising role.
Jefferson's library, which at one point held over 6,000 books!, included a large collection of texts about religion, from all different points of view. Here are five of the most fascinating.
For Jefferson, whose unorthodox religious views were a matter of heated discussion, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was one of his greatest achievements.
David Holmes, retired professor of religion at the College of William and Mary, describes Jefferson's religious beliefs.
