Page 266 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

religion and government 1567

Separation of Church & State:
Jefferson’s Wall of Separation Letter

U.S. President Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) wrote to those duties, the discharge of them becomes more
a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in 1802 to & more pleasing.
answer a letter from them in which they asked why he Believing with you that religion is a matter which
would not proclaim national days of fasting and lies solely between man & his god, that he owes
thanksiving, as had Presidents George Washington account to none other for his faith or his worship,
and John Adams before him. His letter contains the that the legitimate powers of government reach
phrase “wall of separation between church and state,” actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with
which has become short-hand for the principle of “sep- sovereign reverence that act of the whole American
aration of church and state” embodied in the Estab- people which declared that their legislature should
lishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building
This is a transcript of the letter as stored online at
a wall of separation between church and state.Adher-
the U.S. Library of Congress and reflects Jefferson’s
ing to this expression of the supreme will of the
spelling and punctuation.
nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see
Mr. President: with sincere satisfaction the progress of those senti-
ments which tend to restore to man all his natural
To messers Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, &
rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposi-
Stephen S. Nelson a committee of the Danbury Bap-
tion to his social duties.
tist association in the state of Connecticut.
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection
Gentlemen and blessing of the common Father and creator of
man, and tender you for yourselves and your religious
The affectionate sentiments of esteem & approbation
association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
which you are so good as to express towards me, on
behalf of the Danbury Baptist association, give me the [signed] Th. Jefferson
highest atisfaction. my duties dictate a faithful &
Jan.1.1802.
zealous pursuit of the interests of my constituents,
Source: Jefferson, T. (1802). Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/
and in proportion as they are persuaded of my fidelity danpost.html

Further Reading Stahnke,T., & Martin, J. P. (1998). Religion and human rights: Basic doc-
Berman, H. J. (1985). Law and revolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Uni- uments. New York: Columbia University Center for the Study of
versity Press. Human Rights.
Berman, H. J. (2004). Law and revolution, II:The impact of the Protestant Van der Vyver, J., & Witte, J., Jr. (1996). Religious human rights in global
reformations on the Western legal tradition. Cambridge, MA: Belknap perspective: Legal perspectives. The Hague, Netherlands: Martinus
Press. Nijhoff.
Evans, M. D. (1997). Religious liberty and international law in Europe. Witte, J., Jr., and van der Vyver, J. (1996). Religious human rights in global
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. perspective: Religious perspectives.The Hague, Netherlands: Martinus
Janis, M.W., & Evans, C. (Eds.). (1999). Religion and international law. Nijhoff.
The Hague, Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff. Wood, J. E., Jr. (Ed.). (1989). Readings on church and state. Waco, TX:
Laurensen, J. C. (Ed.). (1999). Religious toleration: “The variety of rites” J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University.
from Cyrus to Defoe. New York: St. Martin’s.
Lindholm, T., Durham, W. C., Jr., & Tahzib-Lie, B. G. (Eds.). (in press).
Facilitating freedom of religion or belief:A deskbook. Leiden: Martinus
Nijhoff.
Mullan, D. G. (Ed.). (1998). Religious pluralism in the West. Malden, MA:
Blackwell.
Reynolds, N. B., & Durham,W. C., Jr. (1996). Religious liberty in West-
ern thought. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.