Saying That Jefferson Has A Way With Words Would Be An Understatement

Jefferson’s query “The different religions received into that state?”, a segment of “Notes on the State of Virginia”, is a blatant critique of the Virginian governments’ approach to religious freedom, even going so far as to insinuate that political officials may be hypocritical. It may seem that in critically evaluating his government, and the then-current practices of Christianity, that Jefferson was a progressive man for his time period. While it is true that he did indeed have a radical approach to religion, it is also true that Jefferson was without a doubt a man of his time. Jefferson’s work was most likely heavily influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, when people were encouraged to believe that a logical systematic approach could be used to analyze any type of human activity. This includes, as can be seen in Jefferson’s work, practicing religion. In “Notes on the State of Virginia”, he follows a progressive thought process to explain why people should be allowed to explore their individual interpretations of religion. His rhetoric, although rather repetitive, is undeniably extremely logical. In fact, readers are so engrossed in his argument, they don’t even notice that Jefferson has just compared believing in Christianity to believing that the Earth is a “globe”, a rather ludicrous comparison when taken out of context.
But it’s more than just Jefferson’s logic that makes him convincing. Even if he were the most convincing man on Earth, if his arguments were not given credibility, they would have minimal weight (which was obviously not the case). So, what gives Jefferson credibility? First and foremost, Jefferson chooses to identify himself with Christianity. Becoming part of this group identity makes him an insider, someone that his fellow Christians can relate to. Because they feel a connection to him, it allows him to make such controversial statements as: “The shackles, therefore, which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of this war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a convulsion.” If an outsider, or the Other, had made such a statement about the problems with an extremist Christian government, their arguments would have automatically been discarded. But, because Jefferson identifies himself as Christian, he has a chance of changing the then-current extremist practices of Virginia’s secular government.

"A Sermon" or Self-Glorification?

In reading “A Sermon” by John Edwards, one cannot help but think that John Edwards is inferring that he himself has seen the light of God. This is made particularly clear when he comments near the end of his sermon: “Reason may determine that a countenance is beautiful to others, it may determine that honey is sweet to others; but it will never give me a perception of its sweetness.” In stating that “it will never give me a perception of its sweetness”, Edwards infers that he has personally experienced this perception of sweetness. And, as “tasting the sweetness” is compared to seeing the figurative light, it follows that Edwards believes that he himself has seen the light.
Consequently, in his clergy members taking Edwards’ word on the light as authority in the matter, it can be assumed that they also believe that he has seen the light. Whether this mutual belief originated from Edwards fulfilling his clergy members’ expectations, or from Edwards convincing his clergy members remains a mystery.
What does not remain a mystery, however, is Edwards’ discreet (and perhaps entirely unintentional) veneration of himself and of others who have seen the light. In glorifying the virtues of the light of God, Edwards inadvertently glorifies those who are bestowed with the sight of such a light: “Common grace differs from special, in that it influences only by assisting of nature; and not by imparting grace, or bestowing any thing above nature.” Those that the light of God is revealed to are exposed to a “special” grace, a word which in and of itself echoes elitism.
This elitism which Edwards subtly refers to in his sermon seems nearly impossible to achieve. On more than one occasion Edwards mentions the likelihood of individuals believing that they have seen the light when they are actually only delusional. This light, which Edwards describes as not tangible, something that can be obtained either naturally or divinely, and is only attainable if one’s heart is pure, seems practically impossible to pin down. Even if an individual has indeed seen the light of God which Edwards speaks of, how are they to know that is what they have experienced? Furthermore, how can people be expected to search for something which cannot concretely be defined?
Instead of reinforcing a search for purity and goodness through this ambiguous search for the light, Edwards has instead designed a model for the perpetuation of divisiveness in society. Those that believe they have seen the light will naturally feel superior to those who they believe have not. Similarly, those with the potential to see the light will feel superior to those who they believe have no chance of seeing the light (i.e. Jews). This standard of judging an individual’s spiritual awareness and proximity to God inevitably devolved into a tool for reinforcing social hierarchy, most likely with little to do with the reality of a person’s spiritual wellbeing. And who will be at the top of that hierarchy? John Edwards (the harbinger of the idea that certain people are able to see the light, while others are not).

Hello, My Name is..

Hey all. I'm Courtney Ross from Garner, NC. Most people haven't heard of this town, so I usually say that I'm from Raleigh. I'm a freshman here at UNC, tentatively working towards a journalism major and Spanish minor. I'm taking this class not only to fulfill my literature requirement, but also because I have a passion for literature. I'm pretty excited about this class, ecspecially since finding out that we'll be approaching the subject in a rather unorthodox manner. (i.e. Einstein)

In my spare time, I love to read, draw, (both of which I haven't had much time to do since coming to college), go contradancing, attempt yoga (I'm not very graceful), learn sign language, spend time with my Best Buddy, and hang out with friends.