Wrestling the Angel :The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity

3.82 ( 91 Ratings by Goodreads)
Wrestling the Angel

Wrestling the Angel :The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity

(Author)
3.82 (91 Ratings by Goodreads)
hardback
Published: 20 November, 2014
Standard worldwide delivery by Tue, August 4 - Fri, August 7
Order within 0
Condition: NEW
$56.62
Price includes shipping
Available 20+ in stock
- +
Add to basket Wishlist This
FREE Returns within 30 days
More Details

Popular Books by Terryl L. Givens

View All Books by Terryl L. Givens
The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon
Terryl L. Givens
$13.77
New
Add to basket
The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism
The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism
Terryl L. Givens
$257.07
New
Add to basket
The Viper on the Hearth
The Viper on the Hearth
Terryl L. Givens
$48.62
New
Add to basket
By the Hand of Mormon
By the Hand of Mormon
Terryl L. Givens
$26.33
New
Add to basket
The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism
The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism
Terryl L. Givens
$89.21
New
Add to basket
Feeding the Flock
Feeding the Flock
Terryl L. Givens
$48.51
New
Add to basket
The Viper on the Hearth
The Viper on the Hearth
Terryl L. Givens
$227.02
New
Add to basket

Description

In this first volume of his magisterial study of the foundations of Mormon thought and practice, Terryl L. Givens offers a sweeping account of Mormon belief from its founding to the present day. Situating the relatively new movement in the context of the Christian tradition, he reveals that Mormonism continues to change and grow. Givens shows that despite Mormonism's origins in a biblical culture strongly influenced by nineteenth-century Restorationist thought, which advocated a return to the Christianity of the early Church, the new movement diverges radically from the Christianity of the creeds. Mormonism proposes its own cosmology and metaphysics, in which human identity is rooted in a premortal world as eternal as God. Mormons view mortal life as an enlightening ascent rather than a catastrophic fall, and reject traditional Christian concepts of human depravity and destiny. Popular fascination with Mormonism's social innovations, such as polygamy and communalism, and its supernatural and esoteric elements-angels, gold plates, seer stones, a New World Garden of Eden, and sacred undergarments-have long overshadowed the fact that it is the most enduring and even thriving product of the nineteenth century's religious upheavals and innovations. Wrestling the Angel traces the essential contours of Mormon thought from the time of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to the contemporary LDS church, illuminating both the seminal influence of the founding generation of Mormon thinkers and the significant developments in the church over almost 200 years. The most comprehensive account of the development of Mormon thought ever written, Wrestling the Angel will be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the Mormon faith.
See more

More Details

Type Book
ISBN13 9780199794928
ISBN10 0199794928
Number Of Pages 422
Item Weight 676 g
Product Dimensions 168 x 242 x 33 mm
Publisher / Reseller Oxford University Press Inc
Format hardback
See More +

Media Reviews

Givens has embraced a certain reading of the Mormon intellectual project and has found the tools of the academy a means for its expression...Therefore, scholarship is an essential tool for fully comprehending Mormonism's truths. These moments reveal that Givens is as much a Mormon intellectual as a scholar of Mormonism, and like Lowry Nelson or Juanita Brooks has taken upon himself the task of vitalizing his tradition by healing the wound ripped open in the Arrington era. * Matthew Bowman, Nova Religio *
[A]s an introduction 'to the intellectual richness and depth of Mormonism's theological heritage' (p. xi), Givens' volume has much to recommend it... Undoubtedly, Wrestling the Angel will spark considerable debate within the Mormon tradition, but it will also be of great interest to scholars of Mormonism, New Religious Movements, and American religion in general, as well as to those working in comparative theology. It will likewise be useful for graduate seminars on these topics since it will undoubtedly inspire some interesting and lively discussions about this fascinating, complex American tradition. * Brian C. Wilson, Religion *
The most pioneering book on Mormon theology ... This book shows that not only do we have a theology, it is a glorious one * Jana Riess, Book of the Year 2014, Religion News Service *

Show more

Author's Bio

Terryl L. Givens is Professor of Literature and Religion and James A. Bostwick Chair of English at the University of Richmond. His books on Mormonism and American religious culture include By the Hand of Mormon, People of Paradox, Parley P. Pratt (with Matthew Grow), and Viper on the Hearth.

Show more