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Eric Lopez

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Eric is Currently Reading

Eric Lopez is currently reading

The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

by Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author)

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(page 27 of 466)
"First chapter seemed like a drug out explanation of the word complex. It was one of his philosophical chapters. I wasn't too impressed." — Aug 20, 2017 10:38AM

Aug 20, 2017 08:43AM

Eric Lopez is currently reading

Feeding the Flock: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Church and Praxis

by Terryl L. Givens

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(page 22 of 416)
— Aug 09, 2017 06:23AM

Aug 06, 2017 08:38PM

Eric Lopez is currently reading

By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion

by Terryl L. Givens

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Reading for the 2nd time

read in January 2016

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Eric Lopez said: " This book is a fantastically articulated history of how both Mormons and non-Mormons viewed the Book of Mormon in an intellectual, spiritual, and even cultural way.

The first three chapters are a history of the coming of the Book of Mormon.

Chapters This book is a fantastically articulated history of how both Mormons and non-Mormons viewed the Book of Mormon in an intellectual, spiritual, and even cultural way.

The first three chapters are a history of the coming of the Book of Mormon.

Chapters four and five talk about some of the debates surrounding the ancient history of arguments for the historicity of the Book of Mormon. These arguments range from the dissenting statements from the Smithsonian institution, scholarly responses from Hugh Nibley, and the weak responses from the mainstream of Evangelical anti-Mormons.

I liked the section in chapter six, "searching for middle ground," discussing how scholars who are moderately sympathetic with Mormonism but don't necessarily identify with it try to seek middle ground.

Chapters seven and eight were about Book of Mormon theology. The author, interestingly enough, says that the "Book of Mormon was conservative rather than radical and fulfilled restoration hopes by reverting to simple truths seen by converts as at the heart of biblical religion." (pg. 197) I have to somewhat disagree with this idea that the Book of Mormon doesn't have a lot of 'new' theology or that it doesn't really preach theosis or other doctrines like so. But I do agree with Terryl that the Book of Mormon has a lot of things similarly found in the New Testament, although Mormon reject the counsels of Nicene (I would also like to add that rejecting the Hellenistic counsels is not the same thing as rejecting the NT). Overall though, these two chapters were simply fantastic.

Chapter nine wraps up the book uniformly in a way that touches cultural aspects of the Book of Mormon. How it's seen as a "cultural touchstone." For instance, Iron Rod Mormons and Liahona Mormons, and how there are toys and games regarding the Book of Mormon. It was interesting to see scholarly approaches to the Book of Mormon and also non-scholarly approaches. And I think this was a good way to leave the book.

All in all, the book was a compelling story of different ways people have looked at the Book of Mormon. I would recommend it to any reader who is looking for arguments regarding the historicity of the Book of Mormon or anyone who wants to understand some of the modern implications of it. ...more "

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(page 19 of 336)
— Aug 09, 2017 06:23AM

Aug 06, 2017 08:35PM · see review

Eric’s Quotes

“I didn't need to understand the hypostatic unity of the Trinity; I just needed to turn my life over to whoever came up with redwood trees.”
― Anne Lamott, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith

tags: belief, christianity, god, nature, trinity

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