exploring mormon culture, thought and texts
Thanks to Logos’ RefTagger, all past, present and future FPR posts now have pop-up Bible links š
Currently it’s set for the KJV, but that may change in the future. Check out one of TYD’s scripture-heavy posts for the new functionality.Ā http://www.faithpromotingrumor.com/2009/04/el-shaddai/
Clicking on the “more” button on a pop-up will take you to a full-text page of the Bible, which also lets you change to a variety of translation. Enjoy.
I just found this old post that I never published. Can’t remember why.
For some reason, Mormons often cling to the old creeds of eternal, objective truth. Perhaps they are wary of the “boogey-men” of relativism. This makes no sense to me because Mormonism arose out of an intellectual environment that was questioning these very foundations of eternal truth. In the end, Mormonism becomes the ultimate example of a religion without any eternal, objective truths because the eternities are the participation in a culture.
Continue reading “That Same Sociality”
I knew that Elder Holland graduated from Yale with a PhD in American Studies, but it never occurred to me untilĀ General ConferenceĀ (while I was watching him speak), that it might be available online via ProQuest (UMI’s Microfilm initiative). MostĀ university libraries, by the way, have subscriptions that will let you download theĀ dissertation for free. Continue reading “Reading Elder Holland’s Dissertation”
I was struck by something I noticed in Sunday School this past week when the instructor handed around a reprint of the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. Continue reading “Theologically Challenged”
Hello Friends,
Ā
Thanks for the the invitation to participate on this fantastic site. Ā I’m also grateful for the warm reception. Ā For my first contribution, I would like to share some ideas regarding an important biblical passage for LDS students of the Old Testament.
The notion of authority can imply a range of ideas. Among this range it can mean “the power to act in behalf of”, as well “theĀ possessionĀ of specialized knowledge”. An authority in the former sense would be a decision/policy maker for an organization or a representative of an organization. An authority in the latter sense would be an expert or reliable source of information on a particular topic. Continue reading “Multiple Authorities”
Deuteronomy 6.4-9, also known as the Shema because the first word of the passage in Hebrew is the imperative shÄmaā, meaning āListen,ā is probably one of the most well known passages in all of biblical literature. In Jewish tradition this passage is frequently recited as a prayer, a practice that goes back at least to the early rabbinic period [1]. The broader Judeo-Christian tradition, moreover, has often taken the first verse of this passage as a statement of Israelās (and its own) radical monotheistic faith. This verse reads: āListen, O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one.ā However, this common Judeo-Christian interpretation which claims that Israel maintained a radical monotheistic stance, or a belief that there is only one G/god in existence (in this case, Yahweh, the God of Israel), has been subject to severe criticism by modern biblical scholars.
Our series on graduate application and study will continue in the future. In the meantime, this article is a must read for those considering it. (Hat tip: Stephen M.) My undergrad profs at BYU did a good job discouraging us, or at least, making us aware of the harsh realities that almost inevitably awaited. Is it the bravest and smartest or the most clueless and optimistically naive who persevere on to and through a PhD?
Edit: I should point out, the article is specifically about Humanities PhDs, and when I say “you” I mean LDS considering graduate school in ANES/Bible/theology, etc.