For the past several years, I’ve noticed a trend among theologians and philosophers of religion away from the first-person and autobiography-driven work that is part and parcel of the postmodern shift and toward a more conscious placing of their arguments once again in a logical framework. I think this is an important step if philosophers are to reach the coming generation who, as a whole, are quite comfortable with math- and logic-driven thinking. As a non-LDS theologian who has an interest in Mormon thought, I’ve noticed that most Mormons have been reluctant to make this shift away from the autobiographical. Imagine my pleasant surprise in discovering the writings of Blake T. Ostler. In this session, I will explore Ostler’s argumentation and how I believe it bodes well for future Mormon contributions to philosophy and theology.

Vanessa Raney, Blake T. Ostler