• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FAIR

Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me

  • Find Answers
  • Blog
  • Media & Apps
  • Conference
  • Bookstore
  • Archive
  • About
  • Get Involved
  • Search

modern Church

Harold Bloom on the Mormon Breakthrough

November 14, 2011 by Stephen Smoot

Harold Bloom, the celebrated Yale literary critic, has offered a recent opinion piece with the New York Times. The topic: Mitt Romney, 19th century vs. 21st century Mormonism, and the “crucial precedent” that has been set by Romney’s progress thus far in the upcoming presidential election. As he usually is with his writings, Bloom is very thoughtful and captivatingly eloquent with this article. This is a refreshing relief, considering the questionable remarks of other recent popular social commentators.

By way of introduction, Harold Bloom has previously written on Mormonism, to which he gives the crowning title “the American religion”.[1] Bloom is positively enamored with Joseph Smith, whom he cordially refers to as an “authentic religious genius”, and is amazed at the power of Joseph Smith’s revelations. Granted, it appears that Bloom’s admiration for Joseph Smith and his revelations is on a sort of quasi-literary level; I don’t think it would be too much of a stretch to say that Bloom would place Joseph’s revelations on the same level as great poetry or literature, but nothing more. Notwithstanding, Bloom is a first-rate intellectual who has given us some probing, albeit somewhat flawed, writings to explore.[2]

[Read more…] about Harold Bloom on the Mormon Breakthrough

Filed Under: Apologetics Tagged With: Harold Bloom, Joseph Smith, Mitt Romney, modern Church, New York Times, presidential election

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address:

Subscribe to Podcast

Podcast icon
Subscribe to podcast in iTunes
Subscribe to podcast elsewhere
Listen with FAIR app
Android app on Google Play

Pages

  • Blog Guidelines

FAIR Latest

  • Join us this weekend for a FREE virtual Book of Mormon conference with keynote speaker Richard Bushman
  • Come, Follow Me with FAIR: Faithful Answers to New Testament Questions – 2 Corinthians 8–13
  • By Study and Faith – Episode 7: Confidence and Bias
  • Sacrifice and Obedience: Lessons from Zion’s Camp
  • Come, Follow Me with FAIR: Faithful Answers to New Testament Questions – 2 Corinthians 1–7

Blog Categories

Recent Comments

  • Clair on Come, Follow Me with FAIR: Faithful Answers to New Testament Questions – 2 Corinthians 8–13
  • Dennis Horne on Asking Big Questions: How Can I Develop a Stronger Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ?
  • Sarah Allen on Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 23: The Early Church – Blacks and the Church [D]
  • No on Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 23: The Early Church – Blacks and the Church [D]
  • Dennis Horne on Letter For My Wife Rebuttal, Part 23: The Early Church – Blacks and the Church [D]

Archives

Footer

FairMormon Logo

FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Our Friends

  • BYU Religious Studies Center
  • BYU Studies
  • Book of Mormon Central
  • TheFamilyProclamation.org
  • Interpreter Foundation
  • Wilford Woodruff Papers Project

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • iTunes
  • YouTube

Donate to FAIR

We are a volunteer organization. We invite you to give back.

Donate Now

Donate to us by shopping at Amazon at no extra cost to you. Learn how →

Site Footer

Copyright © 1997-2023 by The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of FAIR, its officers, directors or supporters.

No portion of this site may be reproduced without the express written consent of The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research, Inc.

Any opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the goods and services offered by FAIR are solely those of FAIR and not those of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) Logo

FAIR is controlled and operated by the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR)