Interpreter’s Radio Program Bites the Dust

[Ego]

The problem with an Interpreter podcast that extends beyond its technical problems, lack of formatting, and lack of editing, is that it's straightforward tier 3 apologetics. Nobody wants that.
…
The Afore had a good idea years ago with the tier 1 apologetic program translating Arabic medical texts.

What are these tiers of apologetics? I haven’t heard it framed this way before.

[Gadianton]

What are these tiers of apologetics? I haven’t heard it framed this way before.

Thank you for asking, Ego. It's been on my mind lately due to some Nazi apologetics going on in SP.

The tiers as some of us see it could be described as a division of labor, although by no means planned; it seems like with some forethought, tiering could be exploited for better gains.

Tier 3 is straightforward arguing for Mormonism.
Tier 2 is publishing papers broadly compatible with tier 3 positions but stand on their own. Not obviously Mormon related.
Tier 1 is work has nothing to with defending Mormonism but rather, builds institution credibility.

Here's the mind-blowing part:

Tier 1 and Tier 3 go together in that the apologetics org puts their name directly on the work. Tier 2 could be done by individuals associated with the org, but the greater the separation from the apologetics organization the better.

Dan's Arabic medical texts were tier 1, building up the credibility of FARMS as scholarly with legit output beneficial to non-Mormons.

Everything Hugh Nibley ever published in Western Political Quarterly, or wherever, was tier 2. Ineffective tier 2 since nobody but himself built upon his work; but every idea he ever had that the secular world could tolerate listening to went right toward one of his big ideas about what the gospel means.

There aren't many Egyptologists, but many Egyptologists are Mormons. To the extent Mormons work to shift Egyptology in a direction that can be exploited for apologetics later they are doing tier 2. Years ago something Gee published was a great example but I can't remember what it was.

If you have any suggestions to improve the framework, feel free to publish them here.

[Dr Exiled]

That's explains it well. On point. That's the reality and obfuscation of Mormon apologetics. Thanks for that.