Thomas Jefferson's religion and religious liberty -- Virginia's establishment and the revolutionary battle for religious liberty -- The Virginia statute for establishing religious freedom -- The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution : a Jeffersonian compromise -- From the First Amendment to Reynolds : Jefferson ascendant -- Federal control : Jefferson's vision in our times -- Jefferson's enduring legacy -- Documentary appendix: Virginia Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom (original and edited versions) -- Memorial & remonstrance against religious assessments -- First Amendment to the United States Constitution -- Memorial from the General Convention of Virginia Presbyterians, August 13, 1785 (Bethel) -- "Spirit of the Gospel" Resolution of the Virginia Baptist General Convention, August 13, 1785 -- Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802, and letters to Levi Lincoln and from Gideon Granger regarding the letter to the Danbury Baptists.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [271]-286) and index.

Offers a defense of Thomas Jefferson's advocacy for a strict separation of church and state by examining his views on religious freedom. Shows how the First Amendment's focus on maintaining the authority of states to regulate religious freedom demonstrates that Jefferson demanded a firm separation of church and state within the United States but never sought a wholly secular public square.