Scholars of religious traditions have often presumed that a tension exists between oral “revelation” and written “scripture.” the fluidity of extra-textual revelation, according to such scholars, is halted in its tracks by the textualization of that revelation. Thus, the “living word” of revelation and the “dead letter” of sacred scripture constitute two poles that stand diametrically opposed. However, history has provided us with two communities that successfully bridged the perceived chasm between extra-textual revelation and written scripture. This paper will examine the approaches of the Qumran community and the Mormon prophet Joseph smith regarding revelation and its embodiment in scripture.

Jacob Rennaker