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Jefferson was a regular church goer and a lifelong Christian. His unique theology was his own creation and combined elements of deism and Unitarianism. "I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know," he wrote to a friend.<ref>"[https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-religious-beliefs Jefferson's Religious Beliefs]," ''Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia''</ref>

Jefferson was a regular church goer and a lifelong Christian. His unique theology was his own creation and combined elements of deism and Unitarianism. "I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know," he wrote to a friend.<ref>"[https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-religious-beliefs Jefferson's Religious Beliefs]," ''Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia''</ref>

Jefferson was raised in the [[Church of England]] at a time when it was the established church in Virginia and never formally left the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]], and attended church regularly near the end of his life. Despite that, at least one historian claims that Jefferson was merely a [[deism|deist]].<ref>David L. Holmes, ''The Faiths of the Founding Fathers''.</ref>  Conservative scholars such as [[David Barton]] point out how Jefferson was a [[Piety|pious]] orthodox Christian.<ref>Barton, David. ''The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson'' (2012, Thomas Nelson)</ref> Some other Christians have criticized Barton's writings on Jefferson,<ref>https://world.wng.org/2012/08/the_david_barton_controversy?</ref> and [[liberal]] publishing houses, such as Oxford University Press, University of Virginia Press, and Yale University Press, typically deny or downplay Jefferson's Christian beliefs.   

Jefferson was raised in the [[Church of England]] at a time when it was the established church in Virginia and never formally left the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopal Church]], and attended church regularly near the end of his life this means he became more religious near the end of his life. Despite that, at least one historian claims that Jefferson was merely a [[deism|deist]].<ref>David L. Holmes, ''The Faiths of the Founding Fathers''.</ref>  Conservative scholars such as [[David Barton]] point out how Jefferson was a [[Piety|pious]] orthodox Christian.<ref>Barton, David. ''The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson'' (2012, Thomas Nelson)</ref> Some other Christians have criticized Barton's writings on Jefferson,<ref>https://world.wng.org/2012/08/the_david_barton_controversy?</ref> and [[liberal]] publishing houses, such as Oxford University Press, University of Virginia Press, and Yale University Press, typically deny or downplay Jefferson's Christian beliefs.   

Jefferson vehemently attacked Christianity, accusing the Christian God of being a "terrific character - cruel, vindictive, capricious, and unjust." Although some have claimed that Jefferson was merely citing the view of God that Jesus had criticized during his time.<ref name="let.rug.nl">http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/letters-of-thomas-jefferson/jefl261.php</ref> He called Christianity "the most perverted system that ever shone on man"<ref>Letter to the Unitarian heretic Joseph Priestly. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-33-02-0336</ref> and said that he did "not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature." Christianity, according to Jefferson, was merely another religion "founded on fable and superstition." Jefferson argued that in the gospels, "we discover a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things impossible, of superstition, fanaticism and fabrication."<ref name="let.rug.nl"/> He denied the historicity and authenticity of the Scriptures, saying that "the authors of the gospels were unlettered and ignorant men and the teachings of Jesus have come to us mutilated, misstated and unintelligible."<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=R8Z4CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA243&lpg=PA243&dq=jefferson+The+authors+of+the+gospels+were+unlettered+and+ignorant+men+and+the+teachings+of+Jesus+have+come+to+us+mutilated,+misstated+and+unintelligible.%22&source=bl&ots=He8HlprFYm&sig=qBwKrB7qXHse6K0VsrcEXFkOlIA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVx72tw4_bAhXCq1kKHXtxDl8Q6AEISDAI#v=onepage&q=jefferson%20The%20authors%20of%20the%20gospels%20were%20unlettered%20and%20ignorant%20men%20and%20the%20teachings%20of%20Jesus%20have%20come%20to%20us%20mutilated%2C%20misstated%20and%20unintelligible.%22&f=false</ref> Of the Apostles, Jefferson had a particular hatred for Paul, the author of most of the Books contained in the New Testament. "Of this band of dupes and impostors [the apostles], Paul was the great Coryphaeus, and firm corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus."<ref>http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1559</ref>

Jefferson vehemently attacked Christianity, accusing the Christian God of being a "terrific character - cruel, vindictive, capricious, and unjust." Although some have claimed that Jefferson was merely citing the view of God that Jesus had criticized during his time.<ref name="let.rug.nl">http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/letters-of-thomas-jefferson/jefl261.php</ref> He called Christianity "the most perverted system that ever shone on man"<ref>Letter to the Unitarian heretic Joseph Priestly. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-33-02-0336</ref> and said that he did "not find in orthodox Christianity one redeeming feature." Christianity, according to Jefferson, was merely another religion "founded on fable and superstition." Jefferson argued that in the gospels, "we discover a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things impossible, of superstition, fanaticism and fabrication."<ref name="let.rug.nl"/> He denied the historicity and authenticity of the Scriptures, saying that "the authors of the gospels were unlettered and ignorant men and the teachings of Jesus have come to us mutilated, misstated and unintelligible."<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=R8Z4CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA243&lpg=PA243&dq=jefferson+The+authors+of+the+gospels+were+unlettered+and+ignorant+men+and+the+teachings+of+Jesus+have+come+to+us+mutilated,+misstated+and+unintelligible.%22&source=bl&ots=He8HlprFYm&sig=qBwKrB7qXHse6K0VsrcEXFkOlIA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVx72tw4_bAhXCq1kKHXtxDl8Q6AEISDAI#v=onepage&q=jefferson%20The%20authors%20of%20the%20gospels%20were%20unlettered%20and%20ignorant%20men%20and%20the%20teachings%20of%20Jesus%20have%20come%20to%20us%20mutilated%2C%20misstated%20and%20unintelligible.%22&f=false</ref> Of the Apostles, Jefferson had a particular hatred for Paul, the author of most of the Books contained in the New Testament. "Of this band of dupes and impostors [the apostles], Paul was the great Coryphaeus, and firm corrupter of the doctrines of Jesus."<ref>http://tjrs.monticello.org/letter/1559</ref>