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"[This] volume is a deep, sometimes murky, but always provocative look at some very important questions in Christian theology." -- AML Review of Books, Jeff Needle
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strongly recommended reading for students of the Mormon faith, scriptures, and theology,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problems With Theism And the Love of God (vol. 2) (Hardcover)
Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problems Of Theism And The Love Of God by Blake T. Ostler is an informative detailing of the philosophical interpretation of Mormonism and the understanding that in a relationship with God, if God loves us and respects our dignity as individuals, God must then leave us freedom to choose to have a saving relationship with the deity. Introducing readers to a concise presented conceptual interpretation of grace and the traditional views encountered in the strictly structured premises of the Mormon religion, Exploring Mormon Thought offers an intellectually engaging and theologically progressive construct for debates, discussion groups study the theology of the Mormon religion. Exploring Mormon Thought is very strongly recommended reading for students of the Mormon faith, scriptures, and theology.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Discussion on LDS Soteriology,
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This review is from: Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problems With Theism And the Love of God (vol. 2) (Hardcover)
Blake Ostler, in his Exploring Mormon Thought series, has shown both the sound biblical and philosophical footing LDS theology has. In this volume, "The Problems of Theism and the Love of God," Blake shows the problems of more "traditional" views on soteriology (the theology of salvation), such as the Arminian view, the Reformed/Calvinist view, and the Catholic view on predestination, the nature of atonement, human anthropology, and the love of God. Furthermore, he shows, in a scholarly manner, how LDS soteriology, far from being the unbiblical theology many critics claim it to be (e.g., they falsely claim Mormon theology is Pelagian/Legalistic), Blake shows that the LDS view (akin to the idea of "Covenantal Nomism" a la the New Perspective on Paul), is soundly rooted in "biblical Christianity" (to use a popular term employed by anti-Mormons).
The final chapter, "God the Eternal Father" is rather controversial, with Blake departing from the more "traditional" interpretations of both the King Follet Discourse and the Sermon in the Grove (AKA Discourse on the Pluarlity of the Gods). Notwithstanding this, I have to agree with Blake on this, and highly recommend all LDS to read even just this chapter in the book. While you may disagree, it will make you think about what the meaning of these sermons really are, as opposed to reading into the more "traditional" understanding of them. This, and the other volumes in the series, are must-reads for those who have a serious interest in LDS theology. Robert Boylan
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great follow up to the first volume,
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This review is from: Exploring Mormon Thought: The Problems With Theism And the Love of God (vol. 2) (Hardcover)
This is the second volume of Ostler's series "Exploring Mormon Thought". The first volume discussed the attributes of God and did a very thorough job of reviewing not only the Mormon view of God, but also the view of the major Christian theologians.
This volume moves into the relationship of God with man and presents many of the classical problems discussed over the years about this relationship. One example of what he discusses is the problem of prayer; why is it necessary to ask God for what he already knows is best for us? Another example is that he talks about the implausibility of Original Sin. Ostler also relates the various theories of the Atonement. He also tackles the subject of justification by faith and discusses grace and free will. Most of the differences in Mormon though are related to the LDS belief in the eternity of spirits (pre-existence) and the related non-belief in creation ex-nihilo. This causes a paradigm shift in how one views his or her relationship with God. Ostler's book does an excellent job exploring these differences. As an LDS person who had not thought much about these questions in the past, this book has been very intellectually stimulating. I can now see what the great theologians of the past have been struggling with and I can now almost carry on a decent discussion on these points with others. It was also interesting to me that many Mormons do not have crystallized views on these subjects, and Ostler did a good job discussing the different LDS perspectives. I highly recommend this book and series to anyone interested in LDS theology, both LDS and non-LDS should benefit.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
It is remarkable that throughout the history of Christian thought few indeed have started their exploration from the basic conviction that "God is love" (I John 4:8). Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, Grand Rapids, Latter-day Saints, New Testament, New York, God the Father, Salt Lake City, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Cambridge University Press, Old Testament, Downers Grove, Alma the Younger, Apostle Paul, Clarendon Press, Cornell University Press, Elder Nelson, Martin Luther, Religious Studies, The Attributes of Cod, Brigham Young, Joel Feinberg, Martin Buber New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
It is remarkable that throughout the history of Christian thought few indeed have started their exploration from the basic conviction that "God is love" (I John 4:8). Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, Grand Rapids, Latter-day Saints, New Testament, New York, God the Father, Salt Lake City, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Cambridge University Press, Old Testament, Downers Grove, Alma the Younger, Apostle Paul, Clarendon Press, Cornell University Press, Elder Nelson, Martin Luther, Religious Studies, The Attributes of Cod, Brigham Young, Joel Feinberg, Martin Buber New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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- Divine and Human Action: Essays in the Metaphysics of Theism by Thomas V. Morris on 6 pages
- The Words of Joseph Smith by Lyndon Cook on 5 pages
- Grace of God, the Will of Man, The by Clark H. Pinnock on 4 pages
- Justification and Variegated Nomism: The Complexities of Second Temple Judaism (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament. 2. Reihe. 140) by D. A. Carson on page 330, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- RC Series Bundle: The Moral Law: Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals (Routledge Classics) by Immanuel Kant on page 100, page 102, and Back Matter
See all 100 books this book cites
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