Category Archives: Metaphysics

The Creation of American Ignorance

Posted on January 27, 2012 by mogget

Over on BCC, Steve P has posted a nice summary of an article in New Scientist which attributes the decline in scientific literacy in the US to three factors:  relativism in the academy, unserious journalism, and the illiteracy of Congress. … Continue reading →

Posted in Metaphysics, Scripture, Studying Religion | 3 Comments

Spiritual Birth: Challenges for Philosophers

Posted on July 6, 2011 by aquinas

Earlier this year we explored some of the historical challenges for telling the story of “spirit birth” in Mormon theological history.  In this post, we will turn our attention to the philosophical challenges raised by “spirit birth.”  Again, here we … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine, History, Metaphysics, Mormon Studies, Scripture, Speculation, Theology | Tagged , , , , | 34 Comments

Mormon Christology/ies?

Posted on June 21, 2011 by theyellowdart

The New Testament writings and other LDS Scriptural texts present a variety of Christologies (i.e., understandings about who Jesus was and the purpose of his life, teachings, and mission).  For instance, the Gospel of John presents Jesus as the pre-existent … Continue reading →

Posted in Atonement, Bible, Doctrine, Feminism, History, LDS Church History, Metaphysics, Mormon Culture, Mormon Studies, Personal Issues, Scripture, Speculation, Studying Religion, Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Blessings of an Unknown God

Posted on January 23, 2011 by enoch

This post could be called anti-Areopagean, since in a reversal of the Acts 17 narrative, I write to those who inherited a supremely certain God and extol the virtues of a God unknown. I propose that agnostic theism actually results … Continue reading →

Posted in Metaphysics, Theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Spiritual Birth: Challenges for Historians

Posted on January 12, 2011 by aquinas

I appreciate the comments received in response to the Bushman and Paulsen post and found fascinating the diversity of views. I wanted to explore the reasons for preferring one aspect over another apart from historical or textual arguments, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine, History, Metaphysics, Mormon Studies, Scripture, Theology | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Roberts and Descartes

Posted on January 10, 2011 by aquinas

The problem of how to label Mormon philosophical and theological views is a perennial one, but an issue that must be treated. Mormon scholars have debated the propriety of using terms like infinite, finite, monotheism, henotheism, polytheism, modalism, binitarianism, etc. … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine, History, Metaphysics, Mormon Studies, Theology | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

God, Self and Spiritual Birth: Two Perspectives

Posted on January 1, 2011 by aquinas

An issue that arises in the study of the Mormon thought is the origin of the teaching that our spirits are begotten by God in a literal sense in the premortal world. In this post, I wish to bracket the … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine, Metaphysics, Mormon Studies, Theology | 22 Comments

The Formation of the Gods

Posted on June 18, 2009 by TT

I have suggested before in more oblique ways that the humanist account of the stable subject is at odds with Mormon doctrine of divinization, and in this way Mormonism has more in common with the psychoanalytic account of the formation … Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine, Metaphysics, Theology | 16 Comments

King Benjamin Killed God

Posted on February 11, 2009 by TT

Jesus set up an impossible paradox when he explained that the two great commandments are to love God and to love one’s neighbor (though he was not the first to summarize the Law in such a way). The problem is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Book of Mormon, Metaphysics, Theology | 59 Comments

The Trinity, Two Formulations

Posted on November 20, 2008 by dwclark

Yesterday, I heard St. Augustine’s formulation of the Trinity. He gives it as a series of logical propositions as follows:

Posted in Doctrine, Metaphysics, Theology | 55 Comments