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Mormons are adamant that they are Christian, and eloquent writers within their own faith have tried to make this case, but no theologian outside the LDS church has ever tried to demonstrate just how Christian they are. Stephen H. Webb's <em>Mormon Christianity: What Other Christians Can Learn from <em>the Latter-day Saints fills this void, as the author writes neither as a critic nor a defender of Mormonism but as a sympathetic observer who is deeply committed to engaging with Mormon ideas. Webb is unique in taking Mormon theology seriously by showing how it provides plausible and in some instances even persuasive alternatives to many traditional Christian doctrines. His book can serve as an introduction to Mormonism, but it goes far beyond that: Webb explains how Mormonism is a branch of the Christian family tree that extends well beyond what most Christians have ever imagined. His account of their creative appropriation of the Christian tradition is meant to inspire more traditional Christians to reconsider the shape of many basic Christian beliefs. <em>Mormon Christianity is not all affirming and celebratory. It ends with a call to Mormons to be more focused on Christian essentials and an invitation to other Christians to be more imaginative in considering Mormon alternatives to traditional doctrines.
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MORMON CHRISTIANITY
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MORMON CHRISTIANITY What Other Christians Can Learn from the Latter-day Saints
Stephen H. Webb
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1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016
© Oxford University Press 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Webb, Stephen H., 1961– author. Mormon Christianity : what other Christians can learn from the Latter-day Saints / Stephen H. Webb. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–19–931681–6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Theology. 2. Mormon Church—Theology. I. Title. BX8635.3.W43 2013 230′.93—dc23 2013006034 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
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Introduction: The Mormon Ecumenical Moment 1. Mormon Envy 2. The Magic of Being Mormon 3. What’s Up with Mormons and Matter? 4. Branches on the Family Tree: Relatives or Impersonators? 5. Mormon Overreach? Brigham Young and Parley Pratt 6. How to Heal Modernity’s Spiritual Breakdown 7. Two Decisions
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Appendix A: Two Theological Problems Mormonism Solves Appendix B: Some Puzzles