Missouri Baptist University Hosts Dr. Thomas S. Kidd for Spartan Speaker Series

Missouri Baptist University welcomed esteemed historian and author Dr. Thomas S. Kidd to the Pillsbury Chapel & Dale Williams Fine Arts Center stage on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, as part of MBU’s Spartan Speaker Series. The event brought together students, faculty, staff and community members as Kidd explored faith and reason in the life and legacy of Thomas Jefferson.
Kidd, a research professor of church history and John and Sharon Yeats Endowed Chair of Baptist Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., discussed the complexity of Jefferson’s religious beliefs and the broader implications of his spiritual and philosophical inquiries. Kidd noted that while the founding fathers of the United States are often portrayed as devout and orthodox Christians, Jefferson, in particular, was a man of spiritual contradictions.
“Jefferson described himself in private correspondence as ‘a real Christian,’ although he conceded that his religious beliefs were unconventional, even idiosyncratic, once saying he was of a ‘sect by myself,’” Kidd stated. “[Jefferson], like other top-tier founders, was not a Christian in the sense that the great tradition of Christian theology would recognize,” he added, citing Jefferson’s lack of belief in the Trinity or Christ’s resurrection.
A leading scholar in American religious history, Dr. Kidd has authored numerous books, including Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh and The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America.
The Spartan Speaker Series at Missouri Baptist University is held on the first Tuesday of each month during the fall and spring semesters. The series is designed to broaden minds, strengthen convictions, and stir affections toward love for God and love for our neighbors by engaging students and the community in meaningful conversations on faith, culture, and society.