Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Preparatory Redemption: Reading Alma 12-13, Matthew Bowman, Rosemary Demos

Maxwell Institute Publications

The twelfth and thirteenth chapters of the Book of Mormon’s Alma contain a theologically rich and often misunderstood text—a brief discourse to the people of Ammonihah exploring the nature of redemption and the establishment of God’s holy order of priesthood.

In this collection of essays, eight scholars examine Alma’s words from a broad range of disciplines and analytical approaches, from literary criticism to philosophy to comparative religious history. Their interpretive experiments open this text up to theological insights that inform devotion and prompt deep inquiry.

Christ And Antichrist: Reading Jacob 7, Adam S. Miller, Joseph M. Spencer

Maxwell Institute Publications

The Book of Mormon’s Jacob chapter 7 focuses on a dramatic showdown between Sherem, a defender of the Mosaic tradition, and Jacob, a prophet who views the Mosaic law as dead in light of what he calls “the doctrine of Christ.” The papers collected in this volume offer theological readings of this Book of Mormon chapter that draw on Jacob 7’s structure and literary details to illuminate key themes like law, family, prayer, mourning, and messianic time.

Includes contributions from Jana Riess, Kimberly M. Berkey, Adam S. Miller, Jacob Rennaker, Jeremy Walker, Joseph M. Spencer, Jenny Webb, and Sharon J. …

A Dream, A Rock, And A Pillar Of Fire, Adam S. Miller

Maxwell Institute Publications

The first chapter of 1 Nephi may be the most read in all of Mormon scripture. But beyond its veneer of familiarity, its substance remains shadowed by a host of contextual and theological questions. The papers collected in this volume offer theological readings that draw on careful examinations of 1 Nephi 1’s structure and literary details to explore questions about Lehi’s world, the nature of revelation, the problem of suffering, and the promised Messiah.

Fleeing The Garden: Reading Genesis 2-3, Adam S. Miller

Maxwell Institute Publications

The papers collected in this book are the product of a Mormon Theology Seminar dedicated to generating close, theologically informed readings of the second and third chapters of Genesis. Though participants in the seminar employed a wide variety of methodological approaches, the results clearly show a common core of understanding won through months of close collaborative effort. Essays explore the nature of appetite, the role of community, the necessity of ecology, and the persistence of paradox in one of the Bible’s most human stories.

Embracing The Law: Reading Doctrine And Covenants 42, Joseph M. Spencer, Jeremiah John

Maxwell Institute Publications

According to Joseph Smith, Doctrine and Covenants 42 “embraces the law of the church.” In this collection of essays, six scholars probe the significance of this revelation, especially the significance of its status as “law.” In what ways is D&C 42—especially the law of consecration—binding for Latter-day Saints today? These wide-ranging essays argue that the law remains in force, but in many different ways.

Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22, Julie M. Smith

Maxwell Institute Publications

The Book of Revelation has perplexed and fascinated readers for centuries. In particular, its final two chapters—which contain the only extended description of heaven in the canon—beg for close examination and careful consideration. In this collection of essays, six scholars theologically examine Revelation 21–22. With approaches ranging from textual criticism to intertextual readings to conceptual analysis, this book sheds new light on a most enigmatic text.

An Other Testament: On Typology, Joseph M. Spencer

Maxwell Institute Publications

How should we read the Book of Mormon? And does the Book of Mormon itself have anything to say about it? Joseph Spencer follows the lead of Nephite prophets who interpreted Isaiah and other prophets typologically—according to “types” and “shadows”—in order to preach salvation through Jesus Christ. By focusing on history, memory, time, repentance, and conversion, An Other Testament explores what it means to believe God provided the Book of Mormon to change a person like you and a world like ours.

Reading Nephi Reading Isaiah: 2 Nephi 26-27, Joseph M. Spencer, Jenny Webb

Maxwell Institute Publications

Nephi’s adoration of the words of Isaiah has puzzled many readers of the Book of Mormon. What does Nephi’s reading and repurposing of the biblical prophet suggest about the nature of prophecy and scripture study? Six scholars of the Mormon Theology Seminar address these and other questions in Reading Nephi Reading Isaiah. By shedding new light on this particular scriptural text, these essays provide exemplary models for improved scripture study.

Postponing Heaven: The Three Nephites, The Bodhisattva, And The Mahdi, Jad Hatem

Maxwell Institute Publications

Christianity, like other world religions, surprisingly acknowledges the existence of a plurality of human messiahs. In this comparative work, philosopher Jad Hatem examines Mormonism’s Three Nephites, Buddhism’s Bodhisattva, and Islam’s Mahdi—distinctive messianic figures who postpone Heaven, sacrificially prolonging their lives for the benefit of humankind.

Originally published in French, this translation includes two additional papers written by Jad Hatem dealing with aspects of Latter-day Saint belief and a new interview between Hatem and Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer.

The New Testament Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions, James E. Faulconer

Maxwell Institute Publications

Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The New Testament Made Harder on the premise that scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. While many scriptural guides provide useful chapter synopses, timelines, memorizable bullet-points, or shortcuts, this book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading harder—and therefore fresher—by …

The Alexandrian Epitomes Of Galen, Volume 1: On The Medical Sects For Beginners; The Small Art Of Medicine; On The Elements According To The Opinion Of Hippocrates, Galen, John Walbridge, Translator

Maxwell Institute Publications

The second-century physician and philosopher Galen is not known for brevity. Although his writings on medicine are famously verbose and numerous, for centuries they constituted much of the standard syllabi for medical students. About fourteen hundred years ago, one or possibly several professors put together a series of epitomes of Galen’s work. In contrast to Galen’s rambling and argumentative style, these epitomes present the material dryly but clearly, offering systematic categorizations of concepts, symptoms, diseases, and organs. Originally written in Greek, The Alexandrian Epitomes of Galen can also be found in Arabic and Hebrew translations, and the epitomes have had …

An Experiment On The Word: Reading Alma 32, Adam S. Miller

Maxwell Institute Publications

This book is based on a novel idea: that Mormons do theology. “Doing theology” is different from weighing history, deciding doctrine, or inspiring devotion, though it sometimes overlaps with those things. Theology speculates. It experiments with questions, tests new angles, and pulls loose threads. It reads familiar texts in careful and creative new ways. In this collection of essays, six scholars theologically examine Alma chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon, which contains some of the most insightful verses about faith in the entire Latter-day Saint canon. Not only do these scholars shed new light on Alma 32, they also …

The Book Of Mormon Made Harder, James E. Faulconer

Maxwell Institute Publications

Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The Book of Mormon Made Harder on the premise that our scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. While many books about the Book of Mormon provide useful shortcuts, chapter synopses, timelines, and memorizable bullet-points, this book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to …

The Doctrine And Covenants Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions, James E. Faulconer

Maxwell Institute Publications

Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The Doctrine & Covenants Made Harder on the premise that our scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. The book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading harder—and therefore fresher—by priming your pondering pump with insightful study questions.

So much of …

Revelation, Reason, And Faith: Essays In Honor Of Truman G. Madsen, Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, Stephen D. Ricks

Maxwell Institute Publications

The distinguished career of Truman G. Madsen has earned him wide respect in and outside of LDS circles as an outstanding teacher, scholar, researcher, speaker, university administrator, church leader, and religious ambassador. With the publication of Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen, the Institute pays tribute to this remarkable man whose many accomplishments include helping to advance Book of Mormon scholarship and related interests of the Institute.

Edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen D. Ricks (each of whom also author a chapter), the 800-plus-page volume contains contributions by 31 scholars, …

The Old Testament Made Harder: Scripture Study Questions, James E. Faulconer

Maxwell Institute Publications

Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer’s Made Harder series raises many more questions than it answers. And that is precisely the point. Faulconer wrote The Old Testament Made Harder on the premise that our scripture study is only as good as the questions we bring to the endeavor. While many books about the Old Testament provide useful shortcuts, chapter synopses, timelines, and memorizable bullet-points, this book consists almost entirely of challenging questions (with occasional commentary for clarity’s sake) because, in Faulconer’s experience, questions themselves are the key to reflective and deep scripture study. This book is intended to make reading …

Bountiful Harvest: Essays In Honor Of S. Kent Brown, Andrew C. Skinner, D. Morgan Davis, Carl Griffin

Maxwell Institute Publications

Over the course of his forty-year career, S. Kent Brown, professor of religious studies, has taught and inspired thousands of students at Brigham Young University and has produced over one hundred publications and several films in the fields of early Christian, Near Eastern, and Mormon studies. Twenty-four scholars, including Leslie S. B. MacCoull, Robert Millett, and Jacob Neusner, have contributed articles to this volume in honor of Brown. Essay topics include archaeology, biblical studies, Coptic studies, early Christian studies, Islamic studies, Jewish studies, Mormon studies, and Quran studies. In addition to these pieces, the book includes a bibliography of works …

An Approach To The Book Of Abraham, Hugh Nibley

Maxwell Institute Publications

Originally published in 1957, An Approach to the Book of Mormon is Dr. Hugh Nibley’s classic work on the Book of Mormon. A gifted scholar with expertise in ancient languages, literature, and history, Nibley shows numerous details in the Book of Mormon narrative to be in accord with cultural traits of the Middle East.

He examines Lehi as a representative man of his time, the Jews and the caravan trade, Lehi’s Arab and Egyptian connections, politics in Jerusalem, the pioneer tradition, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, Lehi’s dreams, proper names, Old World ritual in the New World, the Jaredite …

Faith, Philosophy, Scripture, James E. Faulconer

Maxwell Institute Publications

Faith, Philosophy, Scripture is a collection of ten path-breaking essays informed by Professor James E. Faulconer’s work as a philosopher and his abiding faith as a Latter-day Saint.

“The confidence of my faith, a confidence that came by revelation,” Faulconer writes,” has allowed me to hear the questions of philosophy without fear, and philosophy has never asked me to give up my faith, though it has asked questions about it.” Faith is the starting point, scripture offers the data, and philosophy more supplement than competitor. Faith, philosophy, and scripture help make sense of each other.

These essays ask what it …

A Textual History Of The Book Of Abraham: Manuscripts And Editions, Brian M. Hauglid

Maxwell Institute Publications

In July 1835 at Kirtland Ohio, a traveling antiquities dealer brought to Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet, four Egyptian mummies and several rolls of papyri. Upon inspection Smith determined that one of the rolls contained a lost record of the patriarch Abraham. After purchasing these artifacts for $2400 Smith generated through translation five chapters that appeared during March 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois in the Times and Seasons, a Mormon periodical, under the title “The Book of Abraham”. This book has since become a canonized text of scripture for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A Textual …

The Sermon At The Temple And The Sermon On The Mount: A Latter-Day Saint Approach, John W. Welch

Maxwell Institute Publications

The Sermon on the Mount has had greater influence on the history and character of Christianity than any other text in the Bible. Yet as biblical scholar Hans Dieter Betz has recently lamented, “New Testament scholarship up to the present has offered no satisfactory explanation of this vitally important text.”

The Sermon at the Temple and the Sermon on the Mount, by John W. Welch, offers, for the first time, a thorough Latter-day Saint interpretation of Jesus’ famous sermon. The author relies especially on crucial information and details that only the Book of Mormon can supply.

In New Testament Palestine, …

The Book Of Mormon And Dna Research: Essays From The Farms Review And The Journal Of Book Of Mormon Studies, Daniel C. Peterson

Maxwell Institute Publications

In the last few years, the topic of how DNA research fits in with the text of the Book of Mormon has become increasingly divisive. Now, for the first time in one volume, respected DNA scientists, geneticists, and Book of Mormon scholars provide their views on DNA and the Book of Mormon.

Poetic Parallelisms In The Book Of Mormon, Donald W. Parry

Maxwell Institute Publications

Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text Reformatted comprises the entire text of the Book of Mormon formatted into historical narrative or parallelistic forms.

All of these forms and figures are designed to present the central message of the Book of Mormon—Jesus Christ and his gospel—in an unforgettable, understandable, artistic, and fascinating way.

Journey Of Faith: From Jerusalem To The Promised Land, S. Kent Brown, Peter Johnson

Maxwell Institute Publications

The DVD documentary Journey of Faith (Maxwell Institute, 2006) continues in expanded form in this book, Journey of Faith: From Jerusalem to the Promised Land. The documentary was filmed in the Middle East at locations that scholars believe mark or approximate the route that took Lehi’s party across Arabia to reach the seaside location where they eventually embarked by ship to the New World. Like the DVD, the book will enrich one’s study of the opening chapters of the Book of Mormon.

Astronomy, Papyrus, And Covenant: Proceedings Of The 1999 Book Of Abraham Conference, John Gee, Brian M. Hauglid

Maxwell Institute Publications

This third volume in the series Studies in the Book of Abraham includes nine papers from a FARMS-sponsored conference on the Book of Abraham, one of the canonized works of scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Three papers on related subjects are also included. An assumption underlying the papers in this volume is that the Book of Abraham is both an authentic and ancient text.

In seeking to illuminate the background of the Book of Abraham from historical, geographical, cultural, scientific, and doctrinal perspectives, these studies deal with three broad themes: astronomy in the Book of …

Glimpses Of Lehi's Jerusalem, Jo Ann H. Seely, David Rolph Seely, John W. Welch

Maxwell Institute Publications

Imagine Jerusalem around 600 BC, the world of Lehi, Sariah, Laban, Zoram, Josiah, and Jeremiah. How did people live? What motivated them? And what eventually destroyed their city? The answers to such questions foster better understanding of the prophetic words of Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob in the Book of Mormon.

Much of that era was lost forever when Jerusalem met its prophesied fate and was destroyed by the Babylonians. The Temple of Solomon and the city walls were torn down, buildings burned, treasuries looted, people killed or deported, records lost or destroyed, and certain religious beliefs changed or extinguished. Glimpses …

Teachings Of The Book Of Mormon, Semester 1: Transcripts Of Lectures Presented To An Honors Book Of Mormon Class At Brigham Young University, 1988-1990, Hugh Nibley

Maxwell Institute Publications

Hugh Nibley is one of the best-known and most highly revered of Latter-day Saint scholars. For over forty years this near-legendary teacher has enthralled his readers and listeners with his encyclopedic knowledge, his wit, and his untiring research in defense of Latter-day Saint beliefs.

Now you can join Dr. Nibley in the first of four Honors Book of Mormon classes that he taught at BYU during 1988-90. Part one contains twenty-nine lectures focusing on 1 Nephi through Mosiah 5. It is vintage Nibley, with his insights, humor, and passionate convictions, discussing a book that he loves and knows so well.

Teachings Of The Book Of Mormon, Semester 2: Transcripts Of Lectures Presented To An Honors Book Of Mormon Class At Brigham Young University, 1988-1990, Hugh Nibley

Maxwell Institute Publications

Hugh Nibley is one of the best-known and most highly revered of Latter-day Saint scholars. For over forty years this near-legendary teacher has enthralled his readers and listeners with his encyclopedic knowledge, his wit, and his untiring research in defense of Latter-day Saint beliefs.

Now you can join Dr. Nibley in the first of four Honors Book of Mormon classes that he taught at BYU during 1988-90. Part two contains twenty-seven lectures focusing on Mosiah 6 through Alma 41. It is vintage Nibley, with his insights, humor, and passionate convictions, discussing a book that he loves and knows so well.

Teachings Of The Book Of Mormon, Semester 3: Transcripts Of Lectures Presented To An Honors Book Of Mormon Class At Brigham Young University, 1988-1990, Hugh Nibley

Maxwell Institute Publications

Hugh Nibley is one of the best-known and most highly revered of Latter-day Saint scholars. For over forty years this near-legendary teacher has enthralled his readers and listeners with his encyclopedic knowledge, his wit, and his untiring research in defense of Latter-day Saint beliefs.

Now you can join Dr. Nibley in the first of four Honors Book of Mormon classes that he taught at BYU during 1988-90. Part three contains twenty-nine lectures focusing on Alma 45 through 3 Nephi 20. It is vintage Nibley, with his insights, humor, and passionate convictions, discussing a book that he loves and knows so …

Teachings Of The Book Of Mormon, Semester 4: Transcripts Of Lectures Presented To An Honors Book Of Mormon Class At Brigham Young University, 1988-1990, Hugh Nibley

Maxwell Institute Publications

Hugh Nibley is one of the best-known and most highly revered of Latter-day Saint scholars. For over forty years this near-legendary teacher has enthralled his readers and listeners with his encyclopedic knowledge, his wit, and his untiring research in defense of Latter-day Saint beliefs.

Now you can join Dr. Nibley in the first of four Honors Book of Mormon classes that he taught at BYU during 1988-90. Part four covers 3 Nephi 6 through Moroni 10. It is vintage Nibley, with his insights, humor, and passionate convictions, discussing a book that he loves and knows so well.