13AR18-11

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Apologia Report 18:11 (1,147)

March 21, 2013

Subject: The Internet takes its toll on Mormon membership

In this issue:

BIBLE CRITICISM - a summary of evangelical responses to historical criticism

CULTURE - do current zombie fads indicate general unhappiness?

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES - new feature-length documentary addresses a substantial list of criticisms

MORMONISM - online LDS magazine notes historic membership losses, promotes online resources to staunch bleeding

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BIBLE CRITICISM

"Evangelical Responses to Historical Criticism of the Bible: A Brief Survey" by J. Luis Dizon -- begins: "The eighteenth century enlightenment saw the rise of the historical-critical method of approaching scripture. This method is concerned with 'getting behind the text' to determine how the text arrived at its present form, hence its being called a diachronic approach to scripture. This is done through form criticism (the study of how the traditions that are found in the text developed), source criticism (the study of the sources used to produce the text) and redaction criticism (the study of how the text was shaped into its present form). This method also concerns the authorship and dating of the various biblical books, with many of its proponents developing theories that are based on the idea that many of the books of the Bible are not actually written by the persons to whom they ascribed, but are written much later (sometimes centuries later). Understandably, this kind of approach is met with criticism by conservative Evangelicals, who have presented criticisms of these theories and have proposed alternative views that preserve the integrity of scripture and the traditional views regarding its dating and authorship. The purpose of this article is to provide a short survey of various higher-critical theories that are common amongst Biblical academia, as well as the responses to these theories that have been provided by conservative scholars, thus presenting the various flaws that exist in the various historical-critical theories, as well as those of the method itself as it has been applied by most liberal scholars past and present." Hope's Reason, 4:1 - 2013, pp19-29. <www.ow.ly/j3XiJ>

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CULTURE

"Researcher: Zombie fads peak when society unhappy" by Meg Kinnard (AP story) -- begins by referring to the popular TV series 'The Walking Dead,' [in which] humans struggle to escape from a pack of zombies hungry for flesh. ... To Clemson University professor Sarah Lauro, the phenomenon isn't harmful or a random fad, but part of a historical trend that mirrors a level of cultural dissatisfaction and economic upheaval. ...

"Disinterested in violent movies or games, Lauro said she finds herself now taking part in both in an attempt to further understand what makes zombie-lovers tick. ...

"'We are more interested in the zombie at times when as a culture we feel disempowered,' Lauro said. 'And the facts are there that, when we are experiencing economic crises, the vast population is feeling disempowered. ... Either playing dead themselves ... or watching a show like "Walking Dead" provides a great variety of outlets for people.'" Denver Post, Mar 11 '13, <www.ow.ly/j3UOC>

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JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

"New Documentary Aims to Lift Veil on Jehovah's Witnesses" by Jen Carlson -- "Truth Be Told is a new feature-length documentary [www.hereliesthetruth.com] that will have its big-screen debut at Cobble Hill Cinemas [New York City] on March 27th. The theater is less than a mile and a half from the headquarters and central governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood dominated by the religion's followers who have been making a very slow-paced mass exodus from the borough for years.

"The documentary aims to 'lift the veil on the seemingly benign Jehovah's Witnesses religion to expose a profit-driven, isolationist culture characterized by fear, totalitarian corporate leadership, intellectual and spiritual intimidation, suspension of critical thinking, failed prophecies, doctrinal inconsistency and improper handling of physical and sexual abuse allegations within the church.'" In the film, "Former Jehovah's Witnesses candidly discuss growing up inside the religion throughout the film, which was also recently delved into in this piece by Amber Scorah in The Believer." <www.bit.ly/2XyLAxr> Gothamist, Feb 19 '13, <www.bit.ly/32iBP55>

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MORMONISM

"Evidence, Education, and the Loss of Faith" by Michael R. Ash -- mentions a recent Utah State University question-and-answer session in which Mormon general authority Marlin K. Jensen "said that 'maybe since Kirtland, we never have had a period of, I'll call it apostasy, like we're having right now....' [I]t is undeniable that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is experiencing member losses because of hostile Internet sites."

Ash writes for Meridian Magazine, a web-only resource for Mormons. This item begins a column in which he plans to address the current faith-loss crisis, something he refers to as testimony damage. "The cure for shaky testimonies - as will be shown in the months to come - is often not to study less, but to study more."

He concludes by recommending the following resources:

"The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (formerly FARMS): (www.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/). While the direction of the Maxwell Institute is currently finding a modified course, the Institute offers vast amounts of information, articles, and books, on various LDS-scholarly topics.

"The Interpreter (www.MormonInterpreter.com): This new online and print-on-demand journal was created by several of the original members of FARMS. In a short amount of time, they have produced an impressive amount of material.

"And, of course, there is FAIR - the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (www.fairlds.org) - an international organization of LDS volunteers who have produced a massive repository of responses to LDS-critical claims." FAIR is also the publisher of Ash's book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One's Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt [1], now in its 2nd edition. (See the critical review by Mormonism Research Ministry at <www.ow.ly/jgHeO>.) Meridian Magazine, Mar 8 '13, <www.ow.ly/j3R0f>

And, for an ironic example of a Mormon defending Christian apologetics - and naming many respected Christian apologists in the process - see "Defending the Faith: Religious apologetics has its place in history" by Daniel Peterson. Deseret News, Feb 21 '13, <www./ow.ly/j3FJG>. (Note: Peterson, a BYU professor, has long been associated with both FARMS and FAIR mentioned above.)

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, by Michael R. Ash (FARMS, 2 ed., 2013, paperback, 372 pages) <www.ow.ly/j62AQ>

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