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Mormon Inquiry

LDS Science Review reminds us that 2009 is the sesquicentennial of the first publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species. The site provides links to several videos and articles of interest. I wonder if the BYU biology department will sponsor any events celebrating this anniversary?

Here’s a short quote from Richard Rorty’s essay “Truth without Correspondence to Reality” for those who feel there is a tight link between politics and doctrine. Rorty uses the term “philosophy,” but I think the same argument holds true for philosophy, theology, or doctrine. It is unfortunate, I think, that many people hope for a…

I’m off visiting family for a few days, which brings with it the pleasure of browsing someone else’s bookshelf. I came across Reflections on Mormonism: Judaeo-Christian Parallels (1978), one of the early volumes in the excellent monograph series from BYU’s Religious Studies Center. The short and intriguing lead article is an essay by noted sociologist…

From Mild-Mannered Musings, “Mormons Give More,” summarizing a Christianity Today article that reports on the findings of three sociologists regarding charitable giving by denomination. The top three groups were Mormons, Pentecostals, and “other Protestants,” a category which appears to include Evangelicals whose congregations have no clear denominational affiliation. Trailing the pack were mainline denominations, and…

At the Salt Lake Tribune, “Focus pulls interview over Beck’s Mormon faith.” What a fine exhibition of the Christmas spirit of togetherness, tolerance, and good will. What was pulled was an interview with Beck about his recent book, The Christmas Sweater. It seems Focus on the Family readers were not adequately warned that Beck is…

I dropped a new book into slot one of my Now Reading list (on the sidebar), Nauvoo Polygamy: “… but we called it celestial marriage”, by George D. Smith. The title is certainly an orthographic challenge. I’ll save my own substantive comments for a later post (after I’ve read more of the book), but here are…

Earlier I posted a link to the “year in review” post at the LDS Newsroom. Here’s a similar post at the Salt Lake Tribune, “A year of scrutiny for the LDS Church.” The article features extensive commentary by Philip Barlow, the Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State, who called it “a…

This is the first of several posts on Blomberg and Robinson’s How Wide the Divide: A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation. The format of the book is its biggest strength — each chapter contains a joint conclusion in which the authors summarize the exchange, with an emphasis on restating the many points of belief…

At the LDS Newroom, “2008: A Historic Year for the Church,” highlighting and discussing major LDS stories from 2008. The biggies: The passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley, with Thomas S. Monson becoming the 16th President of the Church shortly thereafter; the first volume of the Joseph Smith Papers project finally getting published; and Elder…

SquareTwo, an online journal hoping to foster informed discussion and development of LDS issues. The introductory essay by Richard Sherlock notes in particular that history and sociology have had their day in the sun as avenues of discussion; now it is time for theology and public policy issues to move to the center of the…
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