FAIR

Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me

Interfaith Dialogue

“Well nigh as dangerous:” Revelation and infallibility

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In my opinion, one of critics’ most harped-on “weaknesses” of the Church is actually its greatest strength: the lack of absolute certainty and infallibility, and the possibility that Church leaders could potentially lead astray. How could that be a good thing? Because of our purpose for being here, and the great blessing of learning through experience to seek, receive, discern, process, and apply personal revelation. That this is not a guaranteed error-free process for anyone, regardless of past success, is what makes this crucial, and what ultimately preserves and protects the Church from being led astray.

There are numerous statements from Church leaders, unknown to many, that expound on this seeming paradox. Comments on my recent paper for FAIR are welcome!

/Misc/Latter-day_Prophecy_and_Revelation.html

FAIR Podcast, Episode 2: Terryl L. Givens

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Terryl L. Givens

Dr. Terryl L. Givens sat down with host Blair Hodges during the Mormon Scholars Foundation Summer Seminar at Brigham Young University. Blair uses selections from Givens’s books as jumping off points for further discussion on a wide array of subjects, including: nineteenth-century anti-Mormon literature, the Book of Mormon, prisca theologia, the paradox of searching and certainty, recent developments in Mormon studies, Parley P. Pratt, the preexistence, globalization, thoughtful faith, and dealing with difficult historical and theological puzzles.

Questions about this episode and ideas for future episodes can be added to the comments section here, or emailed to [email protected].

Dr. Terrl L. Givens is Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond. He has authored several books, including The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (Oxford 1997); By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion (Oxford 2003); People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture (Oxford 2007); The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford 2009); and When Souls had Wings: Pre-Mortal Life in Western Thought (2010). His current projects include a biography of Parley P. Pratt (with Matt Grow, to be published by Oxford in 2011), a sourcebook of Mormonism in America (with Reid Neilson, to be published by Columbia in 2011), a history of Mormon theology (with Steven Harper), and a study of the idea of human perfectibility in the Western tradition. He lives in Montpelier, Virginia.

(Image and info from http://terrylgivens.com/)

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Runtime:

55:26

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Mormon Thought vs. Open Theism

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[ed. note: The following was written by George Cobabe and posted here with his permission.]

I surely accept the idea that the general statement about Open Theism is one that we would all want to accept and is consistent with Mormon Thought. Clark Pinnock describes open theism as a situation where there”… is genuine interaction between God and his creations, where God enters into reciprocal give-and-take relations with this creations, and where God responds to what his creations do.” It is an attempt to “…bring out the personal nature of God and [the participants] want, in their own distinctive ways, to lift up the conviction that God is “open” and that he exists in a significant relationship with the creature.” [Read more…] about Mormon Thought vs. Open Theism

Louis Midgley on Open Theism

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[ed. note: This was originally written by Louis Midgley and posted with permission.]

The discussion [on Open Theism] always ends up focused on whether God knows and must know everything in fine detail that ever has or will ever happen. Some insist that this has to be the case.

But the fact is that Latter-day Saints are strictly Open Theists, if any group of believer fit that label. Why? The reason is that creedal Christians, and this includes everyone who is locked into what is often called classical theism, ends up picturing God with attributes that Latter-day Saints from day one flatly reject. One is an Open Theist or can be described as such, if one is uncomfortable with or rejects classical theism. What do I mean by classical theism? [Read more…] about Louis Midgley on Open Theism