PHIL3620
MormonTheology&theChristianTradition
UtahValleyUniversity
Spring,2015
INSTRUCTOR:BrianD.Birch
OFFICELOCATION:LA109
OFFICEHOURS:byappointment
CONTACTINFORMATION:[email protected],(801)863-6363
COURSEDESCRIPTION
This course will examine selected topics in Mormon thought and situate them in relation to the Christian
philosophical and theological tradition. The curriculum will 1) focus on the more distinctive features of
Mormonismand2)exploretherangeofperspectiveswithinthistraditionagainstthebackdropofhistorical
and contemporary debates in Christian theology. The course will also examine questions regarding the
placeoftheologyinMormonStudiesandhowtheseissuesimpactthedevelopmentofthisemergingZieldof
study.
TEXTS
1. SterlingM.McMurrin,TheTheologicalFoundationsoftheMormonReligion(UniversityofUtahPress,1965)
2. TerrylL.Givens,WrestlingtheAngel:TheFoundationsofMormonThought(OxfordUniversityPress,2014)
3. CraigL.Blomberg&StephenE.Robinson,HowWidetheDivide:AMormon&AnEvangelicalinConversation
(InterVarsityPress,1997)
4. Reservereadings(specifiedbelow)
COURSEREQUIREMENTSANDGRADING
1. Studentsarerequiredtocompletetheassignedreadingsandactivelyparticipateinclassdiscussion.
2. Students are required to complete a midterm and final examination consisting of essay questions taken
fromthecurriculum,lectures,andclassdiscussion.
3. Students are required to submit a final paper between 2500 and 3000 words. All paper topics must be
selectedinconsultationwiththeinstructor.Aprécisandpreliminarylistofsourceswillbesubmitted by
March17th.
GRADINGBREAKDOWN
Exams:200points
Paper:100points
Participation:100points
Total:100points
376–400=A 360–375=A- 348–359=B+
336–347=B 320–335=B- 308–319=C+ 296–307=C
280–295=C-
268–279=D+
256–267=D
240–255=D-
0–239=E
ScheduleandReadings
CourseIntroduction;TheChristianTradition
• BrucePorter&GeraldMcDermott,“IsMormonismChristian?”(FirstThings,October,2008)
SectionOne:ApostasyandRestoration
• MirandaWilcox“NarratingApostasyandtheLDSQuestforIdentity”inStandingApart:Mormon
HistoricalConsciousnessandtheConceptofApostasy(OxfordUniversityPress,2014)
• NoelReynolds,“WhatWentWrongfortheEarlyChristians”inEarlyChristiansinDisarray:
ContemporaryLDSPerspectivesontheGreatApostasy(MaxwellInstitute,2005)
• RichardHughes,“TwoRestorationTraditions:MormonsandChurchesofChristintheNineteenth
Century”(JournalofMormonHistory,1993)
SectionTwo:MormonFinitism
• SterlingMcMurrin,“TheConceptofGod”inTheologicalFoundationsoftheMormonReligion
• Blomberg&Robinson,“God&DeiZication”inHowWidetheDivide
• TerrylGivens,“Eternalism”and“EmbodiedGod”inWrestlingtheAngel
• Birch&Underwood,“GodandtheCosmos”inMormonismAmongChristianTheologies
• FrancisBeckwith,“MormonTheism,TheTraditionalChristianConceptofGod,andGreek
Philosophy:ACriticalAnalysis”(JournaloftheEvangelicalTheologicalSociety,44:4,2001)
SectionThree:TheTrinityandtheGodhead
• DavidPaulsen,“JosephSmithandtheSocialTrinity”(FaithandPhilosophy25:1,2008)
• BrianBirch,“DivineInvestiture:MormonismandtheConceptoftheTrinity”inTalkingDoctrine
(InterVarsityPress,2015)
• TerrylGivens,“TheGodhead”inWrestlingtheAngel
• Blomberg&Robinson,“ChristandtheTrinity”inHowWidetheDivide
SectionFour:TheFeminineandtheDivine
• LDSFirstPresidency,“TheFamily:AProclamationtotheWorld”
• LindaWilcox,“TheMormonConceptofaMotherinHeaven”inSistersinSpirit(UniversityofIllinois
Pressure,1992)
• TerrylGivens,“MotherGod”inWrestlingtheAngel
SectionFive:Fall,Grace,Salvation,andDeiMication
• SterlingMcMurrin,“TheConceptofMan”inTheologicalFoundationsoftheMormonReligion
• TerrylGivens,“TheFall”inWrestlingtheAngel
• BrianBirch,“MormonismandtheHeresies”inforthcomingvolume(BrighamYoungUniversity
Press,2015)
• GeraldMcDermott&RobertMillet,“SalvationinChrist:Grace,Faith,andWorks”inClaimingChrist:
AMormon-EvangelicalDebate(BrazosPress,2007)
• DennisPotter,“DidChristPayforOurSins?”(Dialogue:AJournalofMormonThought,32:4,1999)
• TerrylGivens,“Salvation”inWrestlingtheAngel
• Blomberg&Robinson,“Salvation”inHowWidetheDivide
• Doctrine&Covenants,Section76
• BrianBirch,“TurningtheDevilOutofDoors:MormonismandtheConceptofHell”inHellandIts
Afterlife(AshgatePress,2010)
• TerrylGivens,“Theosis”inWrestlingtheAngel
• LDSChurch,“BecomingLikeGod”GospelTopics,LDS.org
SectionSix:ProvidenceandEvil
• ClarkPinnock&DavidPaulsen,“ADialogueonOpennessTheology”inMormonisminDialoguewith
ContemporaryChristianTheologies
• PaulHelm,“Providence:RiskyorRiskFree”inTheProvidenceofGod(IVPAcademic,1994)
• BrianBirch,“ProvidenceandEvil”inMormonismAmongChristianTheologies(draft)
• DennisPotter,“FinitismandtheProblemofEvil”(Dialogue:AJournalofMormonThought33:4,
2000)
SectionSeven:RevelationandDoctrinalAuthority
• SecondVaticanCouncil,“DogmaticConstitutiononDivineRevelation”
• LDSChurch-NewsroomCommentary:“DivineRevelationinModernTimes”(December,2011)
• RobertMillet,“WhatDoWeReallyBelieve?IdentifyingDoctrinalParameters”inDiscoursesin
MormonTheology(GregKoffordBooks,2007)
• JaniceAllred,“DoYouPreachtheOrthodoxReligion?”inGodtheMotherandOtherTheological
Essays(SignatureBooks,1997)
• BrianBirch,“WhatPowerShallStaytheHeavens?”presentationattheAmericanAcademyof
ReligionConference,2013
SectionEight:TheologyandAtheology
• GeraldBradford,“OnDoingTheology”(BYUStudies14:3,1974)
• BrianBirch,“FaithSeeingUnderstanding:MormonAtheologyandtheChallengeofFideism”in
MormonismattheCrossroadsofPhilosophyandTheology(KoffordBooks,2012)
• JamesFaulconer,“WhyAMormonWon’tDrinkCoffeebutMighthaveaCoke”(Element2:2,Fall,
2006)
• LouisMidgley,“APleaforNarrativeTheology:LivingInandByStories”(MormonInterpreter8,
2014)
SectionNine:Scripture
• Blomberg&Robinson,“Scripture”inHowWidetheDivide
• TerrylGivens,“TheEncounterwithBiblicalChristianity,”inBytheHandofMormon(Oxford
UniversityPress,2003)
• KathleenFlake,“TranslatingTime”(JournalofReligion87:4,2007)
• HeikkiRäisänen,“JosephSmithasaCreativeInterpreteroftheBible”(InternationalJournalof
MormonStudies2:1,Spring,2009)
AdditionalReadings
CourseIntroduction;OverviewoftheLatter-daySaintsandtheChristianTradition
• PresbyterianChurchUSA,“PresbyteriansandMormons”(PCUSA)
• CraigBlomberg,“IsMormonismChristian?”inTheNewMormonChallenge(Zondervan,2002)
• StephenDavis,“AreMormonsChristian?TheologicalImpressionsAfteraVisittoZion”Perspectives:AJournalofReformed
Thought(January,2003)
• JefferyHolland,“TheOnlyTrueGodandJesusChristWhomHeHasSent”Ensign,November,2007.
• KentJackson,“AreMormonsChristian:Presbyterians,Mormons,andtheQuestionofReligiousDeZinitions?”NovoReligio
(2000)
• RichardMouw,‘ThePossibilityofJosephSmith:SomeEvangelicalProbings”(JosephSmith,Jr.:ReappraisalsAfterTwo
Centuries,OxfordUniversityPress,2009)
• RichardJohnNeuhaus,“IsMormonismChristian?”FirstThings(March,2000)
• RichardOstlingandJoanOstling,MormonAmerica,chap.19(HarperSanFrancisco,2000)
• DavidPaulsen,“AreChristiansMormon:ReassessingJosephSmith’sTheologyinHisBicentennial?”BYUStudies45:1
(2006)
• StephenRobinson,AreMormonsChristian?(Bookcraft,1998)
MormonismandRestorationChristianity
• E.BrooksHoliZield,“Restoration”and“ImmediateRevelation”fromTheologyinAmerica:ChristianThoughtinAmericafrom
theAgeofthePuritanstotheCivilWar(YaleUniversityPress,2005)
• RichardT.Hughes,“TwoRestorationTraditions:MormonsandtheChurchesofChristintheNineteenthCentury”(Journal
ofMormonHistory,19:1,1993)
• JanShipps,“TheRealityoftheRestorationinLDSTheologyandMormonExperience”(SojournerinthePromisedLand,
UniversityofIllinoisPress,2000)
• BartEhrman,“TheQuestforOrthodoxy,”fromLostChristianities:TheBattleforScriptureandtheFaithsWeNeverKnew
(OxfordUniversityPress,2005)
• GrantUnderwood,“MormonsasMillenarians,”inTheMillenarianWorldofEarlyMormonism(UniversityofIllinoisPress,
1999)RichardBushman,JosephSmithandtheBeginningsofMormonism(UniversityofIllinoisPress,1984)
• PaulConkin,AmericanOriginals:HomemadeVarietiesofChristianity(UNCPress,1997)
• KentJackson,fromFromApostasytoRestoration(DeseretBook,1996)
• AlexanderMorrison,TurningfromtheTruth(DeseretBook,2005)
• DallinOaks,“ApostasyandRestoration”Ensign(May,1995)
• CarlMosserandPaulOwen,“MormonScholarship,Apologetics,andEvangelicalNeglect:LosingtheBattleandNot
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KnowingIt?”TrinityJournal19:1(1998)
NoelReynolds,ed.,EarlyChristiansinDisarray(BYUPress,2005)
B.H.Roberts,OutlinesofEcclesiasticalHistory(Cannon&Sons,1893;rep.DeseretBook,1979)
JanShipps,Mormonism,chap.4(UniversityofIllinoisPress,1985)
JanShipps,“Mormonism:AnIndependentInterpretation,”EncyclopediaofMormonism(Macmillan,1992)
JamesTalmage,TheGreatApostasy(DeseretBook,1909)
DanVogel,EarlySeekersandtheAdventofMormonism(SignatureBooks,1988)
ContinuingRevelationandDoctrinalAuthority
• JayBallif,“MelchizedekPriesthood”inEncyclopediaofMormonism(MacMillan,1992)
• GaryBergera,ed.,StatementsoftheFirstPresidency(SignatureBooks,2007)
• BrianBirch,“TheSocialDimensionsofReligiousExperience”(unpublishedmanuscript)
• JamesClark,MessagesoftheFirstPresidency,4vols.(Bookcraft,1970)
• RichlyCrapo,“Grass-RootsDeviancefromOfZicialDoctrine:AStudyofLatter-daySaint(Mormon)FolkBeliefs”Journalof
theScientiZicStudyofReligion26:4
• DouglasDavies,AnIntroductiontoMormonism,chaps.2,5(CambridgeUniversityPress,2003)
• VernonBallantyne,“AaronicPriesthood”inEncyclopediaofMormonism(MacMillan,1992)
• DennisHorne,ed.,DeterminingDoctrine(EbornBooks,2005)
• RogerKeller,“AuthorityandWorldwideGrowth”inTheWorldsofJosephSmith(BrighamYoungUniversityPress,2006)
• NathanOman,“ADefenseoftheAuthorityofChurchDoctrine”Dialogue40:4(Winter,2007)
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ArmandMauss,“TheFadingofthePharoah’sCurse”Dialogue14:3(Autumn,1981)
KernR.Trembath,DivineRevelation(OxfordUniversityPress,1991)
RichardSwinburne,“TheChurch”inRevelation(OxfordUniversityPress,2007)
TheQuestionofMormonFinitism
• BlakeOstler,“GodtheEternalFather”inExploringMormonThought:TheAttributesofGod(GregKoffordBooks,2001)
• BruceR.McConkie,“TheSevenDeadlyHeresies,”inDevotionalSpeechesoftheYear1980(Provo,UT:BrighamYoung
UniversityPress,1981)
• England,Eugene,“PerfectionandProgression:TwoWaystoTalkAboutGod”BrighamYoungUniversityStudies29:3
(Summer,1989)
• StephenE.Parrish,“ATaleofTwoTheisms”inTheNewMormonChallenge(Zondervan,2002)
• HyrumAndrus,God,Man,andtheUniverse(Bookcraft,1968)
• GaryBergera,ed.,LineUponLine:EssaysonMormonDoctrine(SignatureBooks,1989)
• FrankDilley,“AFiniteGodReconsidered”InternationalJournalforPhilosophyofReligion47:1(February,2000)
• VanHale,“TheDoctrinalImpactoftheKingFollettDiscourse”BYUStudies18(Winter,1978)
• OrsonPratt,“GreatFirstCause”inTheEssentialOrsonPratt(SignatureBooks,1991)
• B.H.Roberts,TheMormonDoctrineofDeity(DeseretBook,1903;rep.SignatureBooks,2000)
• KurtWidmar,MormonismandtheNatureofGod(McFarland&Co.,2000)
TheChristianTrinityandtheMormonGodhead
• StephenDavis,etal.,ed.,TheIncarnation(OxfordUniversityPress,2002)
• StephenDavis,etal.,ed.,TheTrinity(OxfordUniversityPress,1999)
• DavidPaulsen,“EarlyMormonModalismandOtherMyths”FARMSReview13:1(2001)
• RonaldFeenstraandCorneliusPlantinga,eds.,Trinity,Incarnation,andAtonement(UniversityofNotreDamePress,1989)
• BoydKirkland,“JehovahasFather:TheDevelopmentoftheMormonJehovahDoctrine”
• StephenDavis,ed.,EncounteringJesus(JohnKnoxPress,1988)
• RobertMillet,ADifferentJesus?TheChristoftheLatter-daySaints(Eerdmans,2005)
• PaulOwen,“TheDoctrineoftheTrinityinLDSand‘Catholic’Contexts”Element1:1(Spring,2005)
• BlakeOstler,“Re-VisioningtheMormonConceptofDeity,”Element1:1(Spring,2005)
• DavidPaulsen,“AreMormonsTrinitarians?”ModernReformation12:6(November,2003)
• JamesTalmage,JesustheChrist(DeseretBookCo.,1915)
TheEmbodimentofGod
• FrancisClooney,“MakingSenseofDivineEmbodiment”inHinduGod,ChristianGod(OxfordUniversityPress,2001)
• GraceJantzen,God’sWorld,God’sBody(Westminster/JohnKnox,1984)
• SarotMarcel,God,Passibility,andCorporeality(KokPharos,1992)
• DavidPaulsen,“MustGodBeIncorporeal”FaithandPhilosophy6:1(January,1989)
• DavidPaulsen,“DivineEmbodiment:TheEarliestChristianUnderstandingofGod”inEarlyChristiansinDisarray(FARMS,
2005)
• DavidPaulsen,“AugustineandtheCorporealityofGod”(HarvardTheologicalReview95:1,2002)
• DavidPaulsen,TheDoctrineofDivineEmbodiment:Restoration,Judeo-Christian,andPhilosophicalPerspectives”BYU
Studies35:4(1996)
• ThomasTracy,God,Action,andEmbodiment(Eerdmans,1984)
• DavidPaulsen,“EarlyChristianBeliefinaCorporealDeity”(HarvardTheologicalReview83:2.1990)
• CharlesTaliferro,“TheIncorporealityofGod”(ModernTheology3:2(1987)
• GraceDyke,“OmnipresenceandIncorporeality”(ReligiousStudies13:1,1977)
• JamesFaulconer,“DivineEmbodimentandTranscendence”(Element1:1,Spring,2005)
• C.StephenEvans,“TheSelf-EmptyingofLove:SomeThoughtsonKenoticChristology”TheIncarnation(OxfordUniversity
Press,2002)
TheFeminineandtheDivine
• MaureenBeecherandLavinaFieldingAnderson,eds.,SistersinSpirit(UniversityofIllinoisPress,1992)
• ElizabethClarkeandHerbertRichardson,WomenandReligion(Harper&Row,1977)
• MaxineHanks,ed.,WomenandAuthority(SignatureBooks,1992)
• Jorgensen,DannyL.,"TheMormonGender-InclusiveImageofGod,"JournalofMormonHistory,27:1(Spring2000).
• RosemaryRadfordRuether,WomenandRedemption(AugsburgFortress,1998)
• RosemaryRadfordRuether,GoddessesandtheDivineFeminine(UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2006)
• RodneyTurner,WomenandthePriesthood(DeseretBook,1972)
ProvidenceandEvil
• PeterAppleby,“FinitistTheologyandtheProblemofEvil”inLineUponLine(SignatureBooks,1989)
• StephenDavis,ed.,EncounteringEvil(Westminster/JohnKnoxPress,2001)
• EugeneEngland,“TheWeepingGodofMormonism”Dialogue35:1(Spring,2002)
• NealA.Maxwell,“TheOmniscienceofanOmnipotentandOmnilovingGod”inAllTheseThingsShallGiveTheeExperience
(DeseretBook,2007)
• DavidGrifZin,God,Power,Evil:AProcessTheodicy(Westminster,1976)
• JohnHick,EvilandtheGodandLove(Harper&Row,1977)
• SterlingMcMurrin,TheologicalFoundationsoftheMormonReligion,pt.4(SignatureBooks,2000)
• BlakeOstler,ExploringMormonThought:TheAttributesofGod(KoffordBooks,2001)
• DavidPaulsen,“ANewEvangelicalVisionofGod”(FARMSReview15:2,2003)
• DavidPaulsenandBlakeOstler,“Sin,Suffering,andSoul-Making”inRevelation,Reason,andFaith(FARMS,2002)
• ClarkePinnock,MostMovedMover(Baker,2001)
• Pinnock,etal.,TheOpennessofGod(InterVarsityPress,1994)
• JohnSanders,TheGodWhoRisks(InterVarsityPress,1998)
Grace,SalvationandDeiMication
• CraigBlombergandStephenRobinson,HowWidetheDivide?ChapterTwo:“GodandDeiZication”
• DouglasDavies,TheMormonCultureofSalvation(Ashgate,2000)
• TrumanMadsen,EternalMan(DeseretBook,1966)
• BlakeOstler,ExploringMormonThought:TheProblemsofTheismandtheLoveofGod(Kofford,2006)
• NormanRussell,TheDoctrineofDeiZicationintheGreekPatristicTradition(OxfordUniversityPress,2004)
• DanielJudd,“TheFortunateFallofAdamandEve”inNoWeaponShallProsper:NewLightonSensitiveIssues,ed.RobertL.
Millet(ReligiousStudiesCenter,BYU)
Scripture
• PhilipBarlow,MormonsandtheBible(OxfordUniversityPress,1991)
• JamesFaulconer,“ScriptureasIncarnation”inHistoricityandtheLatter-daySaintScriptures
• JamesFaulconer,“OnScriptureorIdolatryversusTrueReligion”inDiscoursesonMormonTheology(GregKoffordBooks,
2007)
• TerrylGivens,BytheHandofMormon(OxfordUniversityPress,2002)
• PaulHoskisson,ed.,HistoricityandtheLatter-daySaintScriptures(ReligiousStudiesCenter,BYU,2001)
• DavidKelsey,TheUsesofScriptureinRecentTheology(FortressPress,1975)
• BrentMetcalfe,ed.,NewApproachestotheBookofMormon(SignatureBooks,1993)
• DanVogel,ed.,TheWordofGod(SignatureBooks,1990)
• DanVogel,ed.,AmericanApocrypha(SignatureBooks,2002)
ThePlaceofTheologyinMormonism
• JamesFaulconer,“RethinkingTheology:TheShadowoftheApocalypse”FARMSReview19:1(2007).
• HansFrei,TheEclipseofBiblicalNarrative(YaleUniversityPress,1974)
• GeorgeLindbeck,TheNatureofDoctrine(WestminsterPress,1984)
• JamesMcLachlanandLoydEricson,DiscoursesinMormonTheology(KoffordBooks,2008)
• LouisMidgley,“PropheticMessagesorDogmaticTheology”FarmsReview1:1(1989)
• HughNibley,TheWorldandtheProphets(DeseretBook,1987)
• ShubertOgden,OnTheology(Harper&Row,1986)
• ThaddeusShoemaker,“SpeculativeTheology:KeytoaDynamicFaith”inLineUponLine(SignatureBooks,2000)
• DavidTracy,TheBlessedRageforOrder(UniversityofChicagoPress,1996)
• DavidTracy,TheAnalogicalImagination(Herder&Herder,1998)