The Maxwell Institute’s removal of Daniel Peterson as editor of the Mormon Studies Review continues to raise the issue of the appropriateness of apologetics at institutions such as BYU (for a more recent discussion, see here)–on the one hand BYU has a mission to “build the kingdom” so to speak, and on the other hand BYU is working to establish a legitimate academic presence in fields such as religious studies. There are some that see these two goals as largely exclusive... Read more
I recently ran across a hypothesis promulgated anew by Ben Witherington III that attempts to deal with the main issues about the authorship and uniqueness of the fourth gospel.[1] There is much of interest in the problem and proposed solution. First, an overview of the problem and proposed solution, then, its implications for Latter-day Saints. The problem: Of crucial interest is the mention of a “beloved disciple” in this highly unique gospel. Since antiquity the author of this gospel, who... Read more
Not long after the Evolution of Faith: How God is Creating a Better Christianity was published, I happened to encounter it on the shelf for new releases in my local library. I had been struggling for some time with feeling alienated from my religion of birth, having come to the realization that there was much in it that I could no longer accept as having a divine basis and aspects of its theology, culture, and spiritual practices that I believed were... Read more
From the time I first came to understand the nature of pseudepigrapha, I felt comfortable with the idea that many of these extra-scriptural writings were written under assumed names. Somewhere I had picked up the idea that it was a common and accepted convention for works of antiquity to be attributed to someone famous. There are ancient books of Adam, of Enoch, of Abraham, all written by later authors under a prophetic moniker to give their writings authority and status. Even... Read more
Section 7 of the Doctrine and Coventants shares much of its language and content with John 21, a few other New Testament texts like Hebrews 1 and Matthew 16, as well as 3 Nephi 28. This commonality is no secret. Most all the cross-references are listed right there in the footnotes to the standard edition. What to make of the commonality is of course debatable, but it can be argued that D&C 7 adds new material to John 21 by... Read more
I cannot speak more highly of Grant Hardy’s phenomenal The Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition. This text will transform your experience reading this sacred text. Hardy’s version organizes the text into readable paragraphs, formats poetry into verse, minimizes distracting footnotes by focusing on essential, clarifying materials, and includes a top notch appendix full of useful information. Right now, I just want to bring your attention to the fact that the e-edition of this book is on sale on Amazon... Read more
I have a weird problem with personal stories. It is not that I don’t like them (I do quite a bit!). Rather, I do not trust them because I do not think that there is a “personal” that is not the product of some cultural force. I feel the problem acutely as a Mormon because I find that I am nearly incapable of telling a personal story, which is the dominant way that one’s life of faith is expressed. I... Read more
On the chance that you missed it, at least two university professors invoked Martin Luther King Jr in the last few days in order to criticize the president. Given the national holiday, the King-Obama association that had already been established, and the president’s use of King’s Bible for his second inauguration, this is not altogether surprising. What is perhaps surprising is that both professors did so from quite different points of view, which of course are hardly the only points... Read more
Author’s Note: I have updated this post to include quotes from Margaret Young of BYU and I have corrected the identification of the keynote speaker (1/23/13 4:50 Mountain Time). The Brigham Young University campus honored Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday in a variety of campus activities. With classes cancelled for the national holiday, students participated in service activities during the day in and around the Wilkinson Students Center. The activities ranged from making quilts and toys to donating blood.... Read more
Out-going Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has lifted the ban on women serving in combat roles within the armed forces. This is a sweeping and striking move towards gender equality. The significant impact of such a decision will have ramification far beyond the Department of Defense. Within the military, access to combat roles will allow for more women to move up to the highest ranks. There have been female generals and admirals already. That is true. However, leadership... Read more
Faith-Promoting Rumor
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