SMPT This Week

[_Daniel Peterson]

Just a reminder that the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology takes place this Thursday through Saturday at BYU.

It begins Thursday afternoon, and goes through late afternoon on Saturday.

[_Daniel Peterson]

This is the most accurate current conference program:

http://www.smpt.org/conferences_2011.html

[_Joseph]

"This is the most accurate current conference program:"
**********************

Are there a buncy of inaccurate current programs floating around out there?

[_Fence Sitter]

Just a reminder that the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology takes place this Thursday through Saturday at BYU.

It begins Thursday afternoon, and goes through late afternoon on Saturday.

Dan,

I wish I could attend but it is too far for me to travel. I am reading McMurrin's "Theological Foundations Of Mormon Religion" at the moment. Newel says something interesting in the introductory essay about McMurrin and the Church. He says McMurrin felt that they (the Church) "have not picked an apostle for at least a half a century who has a serious interest or training in theology". Do you feel that statement was true when it was written and do you feel it is still true now? If not, who do you think fit(s) that description and what has he published on the subject?

[_Daniel Peterson]

I wish I could attend but it is too far for me to travel.

Understandable. I think you would have enjoyed it, though.

I am reading McMurrin's "Theological Foundations Of Mormon Religion" at the moment. Newel says something interesting in the introductory essay about McMurrin and the Church. He says McMurrin felt that they (the Church) "have not picked an apostle for at least a half a century who has a serious interest or training in theology". Do you feel that statement was true when it was written and do you feel it is still true now? If not, who do you think fit(s) that description and what has he published on the subject?

I think, if one uses a standard definition of the term "theology," that that is more or less true, and that it was true then. Of course, several apostles over the past century or so (the time covered by your question above) have given a great deal of attention to what might not unjustly be called a form of "pastoral theology." But Latter-day Saints, on the whole, don't do theology in the normal academic sense of the word at all -- not among the apostles, and not among the mass of members.

I don't see that as an unambiguously bad thing, by the way.

[_Fence Sitter]

I think, if one uses a standard definition of the term "theology," that that is more or less true, and that it was true then. Of course, several apostles over the past century or so (the time covered by your question above) have given a great deal of attention to what might not unjustly be called a form of "pastoral theology." But Latter-day Saints, on the whole, don't do theology in the normal academic sense of the word at all -- not among the apostles, and not among the mass of members.

I don't see that as an unambiguously bad thing, by the way.

Why do you think the LDS as a whole do not do theology? Are there any LDS in academics which you consider theologins in the standard sense (whatever that means)? If not, why is that?

[_Daniel Peterson]

Why do you think the LDS as a whole do not do theology?

We do history. That's the discipline into which our best energy has typically gone.

As with Jews and Muslims.

The Abrahamic religions are historically oriented. Theology is a Hellenizing discipline, and is secondary (at best) to historical/legal matters in both Judaism and Islam, as in Mormonism. Only in mainstream Christendom, and only after the first century or two, does theology enjoy pride of place. The Bible is not, really, a theological book.

That's a broad-brushstroke answer, and more than a bit of an oversimplification, but I think it's pretty much the truth.

Are there any LDS in academics which you consider theologins in the standard sense (whatever that means)? If not, why is that?

I suppose that Blake Ostler would be a theologian. So would David Paulsen, in an important way. Several of the other people associated with and speaking at SMPT could be considered theologians, too, at least some of the time, in some of their work.

[_the narrator]

Why do you think the LDS as a whole do not do theology?

I think the simplest answer is that we don't have a trained/professional ministry. For the most part, lay Christians do not do theology. It is primarily done by those who have gone through seminaries and/or gotten degrees in theology. Because of this few Mormons do the necessary studies to adequately do theology.

Furthermore, Mormon theology is primarily a dogmatic/prophetic theology based on a plethora of (sometimes seemingly incompatible) authoritative (and semi-authoritative) declarations, instead of philosophical conclusions based on a relatively minimal scriptural claims. Also, Mormonism doesn't have a clear set of creeds for which to clearly identify Mormon dogma (the Articles of Faith are quite ambiguous compared to some of the Christian creeds). Because of this, doing Mormon theology becomes a fairly messy endeavor, as it is never quite clear where one should begin and to what one should end.

Finally, and perhaps the biggest reason why Mormons don't do theology, Mormonism claims continuing revelation. Because of this, the role of explicating theology is primarily left to those sustained as prophets. Couple this with the common belief that the great apostasy consisted of a rejection of prophets in place of philosophy and theology, and we get a certain level of skepticism of those who do theology without the proper hierarchical authority.

[_the narrator]

Sorry, I'm actually working on my SMPT paper at this moment, so my writing is quite erratic.

[_Daniel Peterson]

[I think the simplest answer is that we don't have a trained/professional ministry. For the most part, lay Christians do not do theology. It is primarily done by those who have gone through seminaries and/or gotten degrees in theology. Because of this few Mormons do the necessary studies to adequately do theology.

I concur with this, and should have thought to mention it.

What would a Latter-day Saint with a degree in theology do for a living? The options for doing something in the field would be severely limited, if not essentially nonexistent.

Sorry, I'm actually working on my SMPT paper at this moment

You too?

Trouble is, I'm participating in a BYU (Wheatley Institution) conference on "Islam and the West" for most of the day tomorrow.

How do I get myself into these situations?