Paul gutjahr book of mormon

Here paul gutjahr traces the life of this book as it has formed and fractured different strains of mormonism and transformed religious expression. With the books impeccable timing and an accompanying press release mentioning mitt romney and the book of mormon musical, princeton. And if an lds scholar could not have written the book of mormon. Alexander campbells delusions and the mormon response. Here, paul gutjahr traces the life of this book as it has formed and fractured different strains of mormonism and transformed religious expression around the world. The first part deals with the translation of the book and its immediate reception, and the second with 19th to early 20th century acceptance. Rarely a day passes without mention in television, news, print or the internet. Reviewed by tod r harris there in order is something to consider of a a paradox community prevalent and its in academic traditions religious objectively, studies. He lends that analytical expertise to the book of mormon, a biography. Gutjahr employs his sheer intellectual curiosity to produce a lively, enlightening history that deftly circles among joseph smith, mormons, and critics as though they were themselves engaged in an intelligent civil. A biography is very readable and portrays the mormon position well.

Princeton university press features the book of mormon in its new series, lives of great religious books. The mormon moment we are experiencing is made possible by this now venerable old book. There are heartening signs of change for the better even here, though, one of them being the recent publication of the book of mormon. Here paul gutjahr traces the life of this book as it has formed and fractured different strains of mormonism and transformed religious expression around the world. To follow gutjahrs lead, one could examine whether and how catholic and protestant approaches to the book have changed over time, and how conservative mormons, protestants. Thus began the unlikely career of the book of mormon, the founding text of the mormon religion, and perhaps the most important sacred text ever to originate in the united states. A biography lives of great religious books 10 kindle edition by gutjahr, paul c download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This is effect is, speaking generously, negligible. More commonly, i work in the area which has come to be called history of the book studies, and i work primarily in the north american context. America reads and the book of mormon religious studies. A complete concordance to the book of mormon download.

But gutjahr goes beyond the usual book of mormon stories. Gutjahrs book regarding how the book of mormon originated. Gutjahr does his absolute best to situate the book of mormon in a wider context, but outside of its effect on religious believers and detractors, he. Paul gutjahr has given us a fresh look at a book that so many millions revere as proof of modern revelation and of gods love for his children in our day and age. Gutjahr also offers a very good historiographical overview of how scholars, theologians, and different mormon sects have studied and examined the book of mormon over time, and even digs into the questions of how the church hierarchy controls the translations and publishing of pretty much every copy of the book of mormon and other texts. Eric johnson, christian research journal paul gutjahr has written the perfect book on the book of mormon. Gutjahr employs his sheer intellectual curiosity to produce a lively, enlightening.

Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the book of mormon. Save up to 80% by choosing the etextbook option for isbn. According to smith, moroni told him of a buried stack of gold plates that were inscribed with a history of the americas ancient peoples, and which would restore the pure gospel. Gutjahr employs his sheer intellectual curiosity to produce a lively, enlightening history that deftly circles among joseph smith, mormons, and critics as though they were themselves engaged in an intelligent civil conversation.

Thus began the unlikely career of thebook of mormon, the founding text of the mormon religion, and perhaps the most important sacred text ever to originate in the united states. Paul gutjahr has written the perfect book on the book of mormon. While the book stands as an important artifact in the study of the american history and. This volume is the newest installment in a series of twentyone biographies of great religious books by princeton university press. A biography, then paul gutjahr is a particularly wellqualified non mormon writer.

This book, though short, is an engaging and generally positive overview of the origin and impact of the book of mormon by a serious nonlds scholar. Gutjahr, the book of mormon, a biography princeton. Gutjahr begins the book with the story of how smith allegedly got the golden plates that contained the book of mormon text from the angel moroni, then talks about the details as much as are available of how the book was translated. The book of mormon, a biography latterday commentary. Gutjahr is an assistant professor of english, american studies, and religious studies at indiana university. Paul gutjahrs the book of mormon is an unbiased look at the holy book, written on golden plates and found by joseph smith in a farmers field. Gutjahr does his absolute best to situate the book of mormon in a wider context, but outside of its effect on religious believers and detractors, he has to try too hard to demonstrate cultural impact. Cleverly borrowing a metaphor from the book of mormon itself, gutjahr structures the biography in three parts. Book of mormon download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Previous books written by gutjahr include historical issues from the past two centuries, such as a look at the american bible. Any book about the book of mormon cannot fail to be an introduction to mormonism in general, since the book is the keystone of the mormon religion, according to the religions founder, joseph smith, jr. Paul gutjahr is professor of english at indiana university. Paul gutjahr, professor of english at indiana university, tells the story of an american scripture that rose from the dust of the. A biography, part of princeton university press s impressive new lives of great religious books serieshandsome little clothbound volumes short enough to get through in one or two sittings.

Gutjahr also has little to say about antimormon uses of the book of mormon, except when he writes of those who in the early years of the movement tried to discredit it. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of mormon. Wapo now turns its attention to the book of mormon. A history of the good book in the united states, 1777 1880 stanford university press, 1999, the coeditor of illuminating letters. The book of mormon paul c gutjahr bok 9780691144801. I am interested in how different forms of writing influence a vast array of cultural practices from religious preaching to proper etiquette at meals. Paul gutjahr has written the perfect book on the book of mormon fascinating, forthright, empathetic, critical, and discerning. Though latterday saints have long known that the book of mormon is an important religious text, it is encouraging to see it considered as such by a prestigious american university. For example, see grant hardy, understanding the book of mormon. A biography, paul gutjahr deftly untangles josephs efforts to keep the plates hidden while he translated what he called the reformed egyptian characters that covered them. In the words of paul gutjahr, american studies and english scholar, the book of mormon was perhaps the most audacious rendering of christs life to appear in the nineteenth century. Paul gutjahrs book is an interesting bibliographic history of the book of mormon, including its effect on the wider american cultural milieu.