This session sets out to examine the tensions of biblical Christianity and how it interacts with Mormonism, the modern age, and social justice.along with the author of How to Read the Bible and Still be a Christian, John Dominic Crossan. John Dominic Crossan, Joshua Madson, Sheila Taylor, George D. Smith, R. Dennis Potter
Speaker: R. Dennis Potter
Testimony And Disagreement In Mormonism
Clearly, testimony plays a central role in Mormonism. Does it play an epistemic role? And if so, what is it? Is this role justified? This paper will argue that the primary role for testimony in Mormonism is deference to the testimonies of the Church leadership. I will argue that this role for testimony in religious …
Author Meets Critics How To Read The Bible And Still Be A Christian
This session sets out to examine the tensions of biblical Christianity and how it interacts with Mormonism, the modern age, and social justice.along with the author of How to Read the Bible and Still be a Christian, John Dominic Crossan. John Dominic Crossan, Joshua Madson, Sheila Taylor, George D. Smith, R. Dennis Potter
ALONE IN THE DESERT: INCREASING ACTIVISM AT BYU
ALONE IN THE DESERT: INCREASING ACTIVISM AT BYU During the turbulent 1960s, BYU was an oasis of calm: no anti-war protests, no violence, no organized opposition to the status quo. Today, self-proclaimed progressive BYU students are increasingly adopting political and humanitarian causes, from the conflict in Sudan to protesting the war in Iraq. In the …
DOES GOD REALLY HATE AMPUTEES?, OR WHAT DOES SCIENCE AND REASON TELL US ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD?
DOES GOD REALLY HATE AMPUTEES?, OR WHAT DOES SCIENCE AND REASON TELL US ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD? The title of this panel discussion comes from a website discussed by atheist Sam Harris in his book, Letter to A Christian Nation, that insists that there are no “answered” prayers that could not be written off …
The Americanization Of Mormonism Reflected In Pop Culture
The Americanization Of Mormonism Reflected In Pop Culture Once marginalized but now centralized in American culture, Mormonism is a very interesting case study for cultural studies-type critiques which employ political theory and strategy, as well as philosophy, anthropology, literary criticism, religious studies, and other fields. We can learn much about Mormonism’s relationship to networks of …
Post-Mortem Materialism: A Mormon Approach To Embodiment
Traditionally, materialism reduces embodiment to static physical characteristics. Such an ontology is “dead” insofar as no reference to the life of a body is required to comprehend it. By contrast, I argue that we need to embrace a living materialism. To be embodied is to have a life. On this view, the claim that the …
When Talking About God With Those Of Other Religions, Do We Mean The Same Thing?
When traditional Christians and Mormons talk about God, are they talking about the same being and disagreeing with each other, or are they merely talking past one another? This panel will explore the philosophical issue of how we can refer to God and what implications this has for interreligious discourse between Mormons and those of …
Mormon Contributions To Christology And Understanding The Atonement
Sterling M. McMurrin once noted that even among the best Mormon theologians, one can find “a confused combination of the entire gamut of atonement theories.” Panelists in this session will attempt to bring forth clarity from this confusion, as well as suggest areas in which Mormonism has made unique contributions to Christology (how Jesus can …
Film: This Divided State
In September 2004, with a presidential election approaching, the state of Utah was prepared to declare itself “Bush Country.” However, his conservative calm was jolted when Utah Valley State College student leaders announced that they had invited liberal filmmaker Michael Moore to speak at heir campus. An explosion of outrage tore the community apart, and …