The Hierarchy of Truth
Narratives wield a power measured not in historical accuracy but in effect on the reader. In many cases, the values expressed in a narrative, and especially the way that narrative moves us to thought...
View ArticleI'd like to bear my nuancimony…
I started thinking about writing this post last testimony meeting. I do still bear my testimony, and several people usually comment on it, though I think only my wife hears what I am really saying. But...
View ArticleConversion, Cultural Conditioning and (the Absence of) Compulsory Means
It is pretty great being a member of the LDS Church. We have a tightly-knit, caring community. We have satisfying, coherent theology. We have a strong organizational structure that provides us with...
View ArticleThe Problem of Santodicy
I love Christmas. I love the chance we have to celebrate our relationships and take the time to think of and give to those close to us. I could listen to Christmas music all year. I freely admit to not...
View ArticleThe Blessings of an Unknown God
This post could be called anti-Areopagean, since in a reversal of the Acts 17 narrative, I write to those who inherited a supremely certain God and extol the virtues of a God unknown. I propose that...
View ArticleHopeful Agnostic Sympathetic Mormon
I appreciated Chris H’s post and wanted to respond regarding the boundaries of Mormonism, the needs of individual and community, and especially the role of criticism within the Church. I hope to build...
View ArticleJesus: Savior or Symbol
This post is extremely long. Consider yourself warned, and skim through quotations if you want. Or just read the final section. Here I will reconcile three seemingly paradoxical points: I love the...
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