Anonymous Source Confirms Hit Piece

[_Doctor Scratch]

I thought that some here would be interested to know the full title of the "hit piece":

"Dubious Mormon Stories that John Dehlin Tells to Me: A Twenty-First Century Construction of Apostasy Narratives."

Students of Mopologetics will, of course, be fascinated at the fact that the hoary old "apostasy narratives" gambit was resurrected for this "article."

[_TrashcanMan79]

I thought that some here would be interested to know the full title of the "hit piece":

"Dubious Mormon Stories that John Dehlin Tells to Me: A Twenty-First Century Construction of Apostasy Narratives."

Oh my heavens! Not quite as nastily titled as Blair Hodges's "Stillborn," but this is still pretty rotten. Those commercial apologists can sure get ornery when they get so filled with hatred for the material and authors they're "reviewing."

PS - I was going to link to Blair Hodges's disgustingly titled "Stillborn" so all could behold the filth with their own gluzzies, but it looks as though the Maxwell Institute has removed it from their site: http://maxwellinstitute.BYU.edu/authors/?authorID=692

How curious!

[_Philo Sofee]

Wiki Wonka sure seems to know an awful lot about what Greg Smith does and thinks and wants..........makes one wonder doesn't it?

[_wayfarer]

I thought that some here would be interested to know the full title of the "hit piece":

"Dubious Mormon Stories that John Dehlin Tells to Me: A Twenty-First Century Construction of Apostasy Narratives."

Students of Mopologetics will, of course, be fascinated at the fact that the hoary old "apostasy narratives" gambit was resurrected for this "article."

clearly not a "hit piece"................

[_Kishkumen]

I thought that some here would be interested to know the full title of the "hit piece":

"Dubious Mormon Stories that John Dehlin Tells to Me: A Twenty-First Century Construction of Apostasy Narratives."

Students of Mopologetics will, of course, be fascinated at the fact that the hoary old "apostasy narratives" gambit was resurrected for this "article."

This matches intel that I received from my source, who referred to "some sort of lame theoretical material in there (something about group dynamics?) that was just a cover for the real nature of the article."

My guess is that this stuff about "twenty-first century construction of apostasy narratives" is related to that.

So, I think I understand now. Wiki Wonka is probably focusing on this theoretical smokescreen which he probably finds interesting and insightful, much as the people who read the latest MMM book were dazzled by a cursory discussion of "violence theory" therein. It does indeed look like the author upped his game, so to speak. But, if my source is correct, then it was in the service of the same tired task of smearing Dehlin, which is obviously indicated in the title and backed up by the various reports I have received from those who read it.

[_Doctor Scratch]

I thought that some here would be interested to know the full title of the "hit piece":

"Dubious Mormon Stories that John Dehlin Tells to Me: A Twenty-First Century Construction of Apostasy Narratives."

Oh my heavens! Not quite as nastily titled as Blair Hodges's "Stillborn," but this is still pretty rotten. Those commercial apologists can sure get ornery when they get so filled with hatred for the material and authors they're "reviewing."

PS - I was going to link to Blair Hodges's disgustingly titled "Stillborn" so all could behold the filth with their own gluzzies, but it looks as though the Maxwell Institute has removed it from their site: http://maxwellinstitute.BYU.edu/authors/?authorID=692

How curious!

Holy crap---you're right. It looks like they've yanked every single volume from 2008 on.

[_sock puppet]

I thought that some here would be interested to know the full title of the "hit piece":

"Dubious Mormon Stories that John Dehlin Tells to Me: A Twenty-First Century Construction of Apostasy Narratives."

Oh my heavens! Not quite as nastily titled as Blair Hodges's "Stillborn," but this is still pretty rotten. Those commercial apologists can sure get ornery when they get so filled with hatred for the material and authors they're "reviewing."

PS - I was going to link to Blair Hodges's disgustingly titled "Stillborn" so all could behold the filth with their own gluzzies, but it looks as though the Maxwell Institute has removed it from their site: http://maxwellinstitute.BYU.edu/authors/?authorID=692

How curious!

It looks like everything after 2007 has been removed.

How much more curious!

[_EAllusion]

Huh. The manipulation of the concept of an apostasy narrative existed at the MAD board because Juliann, being kinda dumb, badly misunderstood a college class she was taking and thought she had some opportunity to score points against LDS apostates.* It'd be wild if Greg Smith, through his exposure to that board culture, somehow got infected with that thinking and wanted to carry it over to a serious attempt at a paper that was going to be published somewhere. That's speculating a lot based merely on a title, but if that were the case I'd find it humorous enough to draw me in to read.

If Smith was using the term apostasy narrative as it normally is used on MAD, that isn't a reference to mere apostasy. It refers to a particular kind of defector who develops a narrative of the evil nature of the his or her former organization via their personal experience of being captured and escaping/ being rescued. They then go on to try and warn others. Think counter-cult stories. Or people who "escape" from FLDS compounds.

*Readers with a good memory might also remember that as part of this she often argued that rational choice theory, which sociologists of religion employ, demonstrates that academics accept that religious beliefs are chosen in the doxastic volunteerism sense. This is a special kind of wrong only someone like Juliann can manage, but it ties into another thread going on here right now.

[_Kishkumen]

It looks like everything after 2007 has been removed.

How much more curious!

You know what this means?

GREG SMITH'S OEUVRE HAS VANISHED!!!

[_Tator]

It looks like everything after 2007 has been removed.

How much more curious!

Garbage in garbage out but it took a while!