Author: Dan Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781560852902
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Said to have been dictated by Joseph Smith as a translation of an ancient Egyptian scroll purchased in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, the Book of Abraham may be Mormonism's most controversial scripture. Decades of impassioned discussion began when about a dozen fragments of Smith's Egyptian papyri, including a facsimile from the Book of Abraham, were found in the New York Metropolitan Museum in 1966. The discovery solved a mystery about the origin of the Egyptian characters that appear in the various manuscript copies of the Book of Abraham from 1835, reproduced from one of the fragments. Some LDS scholars devised arguments to explain what seemed to be clear evidence of Smith's inability to translate Egyptian. In this book, Dan Vogel not only highlights the problems with these apologetic arguments but explains the underlying source documents in revealing detail and clarity.
Book of Abraham Apologetics: A Review and Critique
Author: Dan Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781560852902
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Said to have been dictated by Joseph Smith as a translation of an ancient Egyptian scroll purchased in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, the Book of Abraham may be Mormonism's most controversial scripture. Decades of impassioned discussion began when about a dozen fragments of Smith's Egyptian papyri, including a facsimile from the Book of Abraham, were found in the New York Metropolitan Museum in 1966. The discovery solved a mystery about the origin of the Egyptian characters that appear in the various manuscript copies of the Book of Abraham from 1835, reproduced from one of the fragments. Some LDS scholars devised arguments to explain what seemed to be clear evidence of Smith's inability to translate Egyptian. In this book, Dan Vogel not only highlights the problems with these apologetic arguments but explains the underlying source documents in revealing detail and clarity.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781560852902
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Said to have been dictated by Joseph Smith as a translation of an ancient Egyptian scroll purchased in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, the Book of Abraham may be Mormonism's most controversial scripture. Decades of impassioned discussion began when about a dozen fragments of Smith's Egyptian papyri, including a facsimile from the Book of Abraham, were found in the New York Metropolitan Museum in 1966. The discovery solved a mystery about the origin of the Egyptian characters that appear in the various manuscript copies of the Book of Abraham from 1835, reproduced from one of the fragments. Some LDS scholars devised arguments to explain what seemed to be clear evidence of Smith's inability to translate Egyptian. In this book, Dan Vogel not only highlights the problems with these apologetic arguments but explains the underlying source documents in revealing detail and clarity.
The Pearl of Greatest Price
Author: Terryl Givens
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190603887
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
The Pearl of Greatest Price narrates the history of Mormonism's fourth volume of scripture, canonized in 1880. The authors track its predecessors, describe its several components, and assess their theological significance within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Four principal sections are discussed, along with attendant controversies associated with each. The Book of Moses purports to be a Mosaic narrative missing from the biblical version of Genesis. Too little treated in the scholarship on Mormonism, these chapters, produced only months after the Book of Mormon was published, actually contain the theological nucleus of Latter-day Saint doctrines as well as a virtual template for the Restoration Joseph Smith was to effect. In The Pearl of Greatest Price, the author covers three principal parts that are the focus of many of the controversies engulfing Mormonism today. These parts are The Book of Abraham, The Book of Moses, and The Joseph Smith History. Most controversial of all is the Book of Abraham, a production that arose out of a group of papyri Smith acquired, along with four mummies, in 1835. Most of the papyri disappeared in the great Chicago Fire, but surviving fragments have been identified as Egyptian funerary documents. This has created one of the most serious challenges to Smith's prophetic claims the LDS church has faced. LDS scholars, however, have developed several frameworks for vindicating the inspiration of the resulting narrative and Smith's calling as a prophet. The author attempts to make sense of Smith's several, at times divergent, accounts of his First Vision, one of which is canonized as scripture. He also assesses the creedal nature of Smith's "Articles of Faith," in the context of his professed anti-creedalism. In sum, this study chronicles the volume's historical legacy and theological indispensability to the Latter-day Saint tradition, as well as the reasons for its resilience and future prospects in the face of daunting challenges.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190603887
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 297
Book Description
The Pearl of Greatest Price narrates the history of Mormonism's fourth volume of scripture, canonized in 1880. The authors track its predecessors, describe its several components, and assess their theological significance within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Four principal sections are discussed, along with attendant controversies associated with each. The Book of Moses purports to be a Mosaic narrative missing from the biblical version of Genesis. Too little treated in the scholarship on Mormonism, these chapters, produced only months after the Book of Mormon was published, actually contain the theological nucleus of Latter-day Saint doctrines as well as a virtual template for the Restoration Joseph Smith was to effect. In The Pearl of Greatest Price, the author covers three principal parts that are the focus of many of the controversies engulfing Mormonism today. These parts are The Book of Abraham, The Book of Moses, and The Joseph Smith History. Most controversial of all is the Book of Abraham, a production that arose out of a group of papyri Smith acquired, along with four mummies, in 1835. Most of the papyri disappeared in the great Chicago Fire, but surviving fragments have been identified as Egyptian funerary documents. This has created one of the most serious challenges to Smith's prophetic claims the LDS church has faced. LDS scholars, however, have developed several frameworks for vindicating the inspiration of the resulting narrative and Smith's calling as a prophet. The author attempts to make sense of Smith's several, at times divergent, accounts of his First Vision, one of which is canonized as scripture. He also assesses the creedal nature of Smith's "Articles of Faith," in the context of his professed anti-creedalism. In sum, this study chronicles the volume's historical legacy and theological indispensability to the Latter-day Saint tradition, as well as the reasons for its resilience and future prospects in the face of daunting challenges.
An Introduction to the Book of Abraham
Author: John Laurence Gee
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781944394066
Category : Mormon Church
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
When the Book of Abraham was first published to the world in 1842, it was published as "a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into [Joseph Smith's] hands from the catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called 'The Book of Abraham, Written by his Own Hand, upon Papyrus.'" The resultant record was thus connected with the papyri once owned by Joseph Smith, though which papyrus of the four or five in his possession was never specified. Those papyri would likely interest only a few specialists--were the papyri not bound up in a religious controversy. This controversy covers a number of interrelated issues, and an even greater number of theories have been put forward about these issues. Given the amount of information available, the various theories, and the variety of fields of study the subject requires, misunderstandings and misinformation often prevail. The goal with the Introduction to the Book of Abraham is to make reliable information about the Book of Abraham accessible to the general reader.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781944394066
Category : Mormon Church
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
When the Book of Abraham was first published to the world in 1842, it was published as "a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into [Joseph Smith's] hands from the catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called 'The Book of Abraham, Written by his Own Hand, upon Papyrus.'" The resultant record was thus connected with the papyri once owned by Joseph Smith, though which papyrus of the four or five in his possession was never specified. Those papyri would likely interest only a few specialists--were the papyri not bound up in a religious controversy. This controversy covers a number of interrelated issues, and an even greater number of theories have been put forward about these issues. Given the amount of information available, the various theories, and the variety of fields of study the subject requires, misunderstandings and misinformation often prevail. The goal with the Introduction to the Book of Abraham is to make reliable information about the Book of Abraham accessible to the general reader.
Joseph Smith
Author: Dan Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
A psychological biography of Joseph Smith presents a comprehensive account of his life, set against a backdrop of theology, local and national politics, Smith family dynamics, organizational issues, and interpersonal relations.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 760
Book Description
A psychological biography of Joseph Smith presents a comprehensive account of his life, set against a backdrop of theology, local and national politics, Smith family dynamics, organizational issues, and interpersonal relations.
Early Mormon Documents
Author: Dan Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 520
Book Description
In Volume Five: INTERVIEWS WITH BOOK OF MORMON WITNESS DAVID WHITMER, CONDUCTED BY: Joseph F. Smith & Orson Pratt William H. Kelley & George A. Blakeslee George Q. Cannon Edmund C. Briggs & Rudolph Etzenhouser Joseph Smith III Zenas H. Gurley James Henry Moyle Thomas W. Smith Nathan Tanner, Jr. Edward Stevenson and the Chicago Times, Kansas City Journal, Omaha Herald, and St. Louis Republican, among others. STATEMENTS, TESTIMONIES, LETTERS, AND REMINISCENCES BY: Hiram Page John Whitmer William E. McClellin Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery Diedrich Willers Lucius Fenn Ezra Booth Parley P. Pratt Sidney Rigdon J. L. Traughber and minutes of meetings, ordination certificates, maps, and a chronology of the Joseph Smith family, 1771-1831.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 520
Book Description
In Volume Five: INTERVIEWS WITH BOOK OF MORMON WITNESS DAVID WHITMER, CONDUCTED BY: Joseph F. Smith & Orson Pratt William H. Kelley & George A. Blakeslee George Q. Cannon Edmund C. Briggs & Rudolph Etzenhouser Joseph Smith III Zenas H. Gurley James Henry Moyle Thomas W. Smith Nathan Tanner, Jr. Edward Stevenson and the Chicago Times, Kansas City Journal, Omaha Herald, and St. Louis Republican, among others. STATEMENTS, TESTIMONIES, LETTERS, AND REMINISCENCES BY: Hiram Page John Whitmer William E. McClellin Elizabeth Ann Whitmer Cowdery Diedrich Willers Lucius Fenn Ezra Booth Parley P. Pratt Sidney Rigdon J. L. Traughber and minutes of meetings, ordination certificates, maps, and a chronology of the Joseph Smith family, 1771-1831.
American Apocrypha
Author: Dan Vogel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
In the preceding pages, I have tried to show how a historical-critical view of the Book of Mormon illuminates some of its more interesting problems. Many questions remain, and many problems have yet to be discovered and analyzed. I myself have questions about the Book of Mormon's origins that I cannot yet answer. However, that fact does not diminish the certainty of my conclusion that the Book of Mormon is a modern text.
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
In the preceding pages, I have tried to show how a historical-critical view of the Book of Mormon illuminates some of its more interesting problems. Many questions remain, and many problems have yet to be discovered and analyzed. I myself have questions about the Book of Mormon's origins that I cannot yet answer. However, that fact does not diminish the certainty of my conclusion that the Book of Mormon is a modern text.
Is God a Moral Monster?
Author: Paul Copan
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441214542
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How are Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the two testaments? In this timely and readable book, apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including: God is arrogant and jealous God punishes people too harshly God is guilty of ethnic cleansing God oppresses women God endorses slavery Christianity causes violence and more Copan not only answers God's critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441214542
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How are Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the two testaments? In this timely and readable book, apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including: God is arrogant and jealous God punishes people too harshly God is guilty of ethnic cleansing God oppresses women God endorses slavery Christianity causes violence and more Copan not only answers God's critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.
Abraham's Silence
Author: J. Richard Middleton
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493430882
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience? Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham. This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493430882
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265
Book Description
It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience? Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham. This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.
New Approaches to the Book of Mormon
Author: Brent Lee Metcalfe
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781560850175
Category : Book of Mormon
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
When Joseph Smith presented the Book of Mormon for sale in early 1830, questions surfaced immediately regarding its claim to be an ancient history of America. In this ten-essay compilation, scholars outline the broad contours of contemporary research bearing on this question. Drawing from a variety of disciplines, contributors discuss historicity from the standpoint of physical and cultural anthropology, geography, linguistics, demographics, literary forms, liturgical context, theology, and evolution of the original manuscript to published work. The message of the Book of Mormon is one of socio-economic equality and divine intervention. That message can be obscured by people who revere it as an icon and prooftext rather than read it for understanding. Furthermore, attempts to make the book safe for Sunday school audiences can gloss over context. Returning to a nineteenth-century understanding restores the book's spiritual rather than symbolic importance. By asking hard questions, contributors modify, even transform, previous theories regarding the nature of LDS scripture. Still, through painstaking research, they share a wealth of fresh perspectives and offer an array of new directions for future investigation.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781560850175
Category : Book of Mormon
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
When Joseph Smith presented the Book of Mormon for sale in early 1830, questions surfaced immediately regarding its claim to be an ancient history of America. In this ten-essay compilation, scholars outline the broad contours of contemporary research bearing on this question. Drawing from a variety of disciplines, contributors discuss historicity from the standpoint of physical and cultural anthropology, geography, linguistics, demographics, literary forms, liturgical context, theology, and evolution of the original manuscript to published work. The message of the Book of Mormon is one of socio-economic equality and divine intervention. That message can be obscured by people who revere it as an icon and prooftext rather than read it for understanding. Furthermore, attempts to make the book safe for Sunday school audiences can gloss over context. Returning to a nineteenth-century understanding restores the book's spiritual rather than symbolic importance. By asking hard questions, contributors modify, even transform, previous theories regarding the nature of LDS scripture. Still, through painstaking research, they share a wealth of fresh perspectives and offer an array of new directions for future investigation.
Has Christianity Failed You?
Author: Ravi Zacharias
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310562449
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
In 2006, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) held an open forum at the Fox Theater in Atlanta to address the subject: "Has Christianity Failed You?" Tickets were sold for the event and--to the complete surprise of everyone--the event was sold out with a capacity crowd of over 5,000. People lined up offering to buy tickets from folks in line for higher prices. Before the event, an RZIM cameraman walked the streets and asked people if they had rejected the faith they held at one time. One answered that, because of a Christian's rejection of his gay lifestyle he had done just that. Another answered that she had left her faith because she had fallen into adultery and could never live it down in the church. Others had their own reasons. Some said it was just intellectually untenable in an age of reason. They chose to come to the event to judge if there were adequate answers. It is estimated that for every one person who writes a letter or attends an event, there are one thousand who agree. If the Atlanta crowd was any indication, the question is real and troubling. Why is it that many live with silent doubt, many leaving the "evangelical fold" for something else? Is there something wrong with the message, the communicator, the hearer . . . or is it all three? It's time to ask the hard questions of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and why it seems as though God has made it so hard to continue believing. In fact, the son of a prominent US Senator phoned me with that very question. "Why has God made it so hard to believe in Him?" Such skepticism is not just representative of the hostile; it also represents many honest questioners. This book attempts to lay out the response to those within as well as those outside the Christian faith so as to understand what it is we believe and why it is so hard to do so. More to the point: Why it is actually so hard to deny God and still make sense out of life? In the end the answers should be both felt and real, with the added truth that God is nearer than you think. He desires that we sense Him very near to us and not distant. But closeness comes at a cost just as any relationship of love and commitment does.
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310562449
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
In 2006, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) held an open forum at the Fox Theater in Atlanta to address the subject: "Has Christianity Failed You?" Tickets were sold for the event and--to the complete surprise of everyone--the event was sold out with a capacity crowd of over 5,000. People lined up offering to buy tickets from folks in line for higher prices. Before the event, an RZIM cameraman walked the streets and asked people if they had rejected the faith they held at one time. One answered that, because of a Christian's rejection of his gay lifestyle he had done just that. Another answered that she had left her faith because she had fallen into adultery and could never live it down in the church. Others had their own reasons. Some said it was just intellectually untenable in an age of reason. They chose to come to the event to judge if there were adequate answers. It is estimated that for every one person who writes a letter or attends an event, there are one thousand who agree. If the Atlanta crowd was any indication, the question is real and troubling. Why is it that many live with silent doubt, many leaving the "evangelical fold" for something else? Is there something wrong with the message, the communicator, the hearer . . . or is it all three? It's time to ask the hard questions of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and why it seems as though God has made it so hard to continue believing. In fact, the son of a prominent US Senator phoned me with that very question. "Why has God made it so hard to believe in Him?" Such skepticism is not just representative of the hostile; it also represents many honest questioners. This book attempts to lay out the response to those within as well as those outside the Christian faith so as to understand what it is we believe and why it is so hard to do so. More to the point: Why it is actually so hard to deny God and still make sense out of life? In the end the answers should be both felt and real, with the added truth that God is nearer than you think. He desires that we sense Him very near to us and not distant. But closeness comes at a cost just as any relationship of love and commitment does.