This book colourfully examines a famous Jeffersonian document which set the precedent for the US Constitution's guarantee of religious liberty. Jefferson wrote the Virginia Statute, shepherded it through a decade-long struggle to adoption, and included it in his epitaph (along with the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the University of Virginia). The Statute's history reflects two key revolutionary principles: absolute freedom of religious conscience; and the separation of church and state. Both principles remain lively topics of debate on the contemporary religious and political scene. Papers collected here were presented at a conference sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. Among the contributors are several of America's most prominent religious and political historians and experts on jurisprudence.

This volume originates from a symposium held in 1985 at the Univeristy of Virginia.

Book Information
ISBN 9780521343299
Author Merrill D. Peterson
Format Hardback
Page Count 392
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 740g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 25mm