Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Gnostic Context Of The Gospel Of Judas, Gaye Strathearn
The Gnostic Context Of The Gospel Of Judas, Gaye Strathearn
BYU Studies Quarterly
This article discusses the Gospel of Judas, an Early Christian text found in Egypt about 1978 and published in 2006 with much media attention. Discussions about the Gospel of Judas raise questions about Gnosticism. Gaye Strathearn explains that Gnosticism is a name scholars, beginning in the eighteenth century, apply to the teachings of groups outside mainstream Christianity. The Gospel of Judas and the Nag Hammadi texts reveal the Gnostics' unorthodox views, including Judas being a hero, the serpent in Eden being good, and an emphasis on the pursuit of knowledge. Some of their beliefs seem to parallel modern Latter-day Saint …
Are Christians Mormon?: Reassessing Joseph Smith's Theology In His Bicentennial, David L. Paulsen
Are Christians Mormon?: Reassessing Joseph Smith's Theology In His Bicentennial, David L. Paulsen
BYU Studies Quarterly
Harold Bloom, the self-proclaimed “unbelieving Jew” and distinguished scholar, recently characterized Joseph Smith as “a religious genius,” stating that the religion Smith founded “is truly a biblical religion.” More recently, Carl Mosser has written concerning the doctrine of that religion: “Mormonism’s heresies are legion; they are also very interesting and often unique in the history of heresy.” Biblical or heretical? Of these two reactions, the charge of heresy has been far more common, especially among conservative Christian critics, who consistently draw a circle that leaves Joseph’s Mormonism out.