14AR19-42

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Apologia Report 19:42 (1,225)

December 3, 2014

Subject: Joseph Smith, "American Muhammad"

In this issue:

EVANGELICALISM - the "profound implications" of a preference for emotion over intellect

MORMONISM - the many parallels between Joseph Smith and the prophet Muhammad, his "mentor"

+ "a reputation for holding a competitive advantage in the corporate world?"

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EVANGELICALISM

Homespun Gospel: The Triumph of Sentimentality in Contemporary American Evangelicalism, by Todd M. Brenneman (Visiting Instructor, Philosophy Department, University of Central Florida) [1] -- reviewer Blake Victor Kent begins: "In Homespun Gospel Todd M. Brenneman argues evangelicalism today relies far less on doctrine and a rigorous system of belief than it did in previous generations. It now promotes a message of God’s sentimental love for humanity at the expense of deep intellectual engagement, and this preference for emotion over intellect has profound implications for the future of the movement. ...

"The most important contribution of Homespun Gospel is that where other scholars have often made sentimentality just one facet of analysis, Brenneman sets it front and center. He wants to change how scholars talk about evangelicalism, and in this regard the book is successful. ...

"Most significantly overlooked, perhaps, is that the author neglects to distinguish if evangelicals are qualitatively *different* when it comes to sentimentality than any other group in American society. [Some] have bemoaned the anti-intellectual bent of American society since the 1960's, and [even] challenged that many of our intellectual debates are in fact based largely on intuition. Who, one wonders, gets to decide what should be considered intellectual ground zero?" Review of Religious Research, 56:3 - 2014, pp441-2.

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MORMONISM

American Muhammad: Joseph Smith, Founder of Mormonism, by Alvin J. Schmidt [2] -- in his review for Missiology (42:4 - 2014, p440), Larry Poston (Chair, Department of Religion, Nyack College) explains that this book "is devoted to a discussion of the fact that Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day [sic] Saints, viewed the prophet Muhammad as his 'mentor' with respect to several aspects of his life an was therefore called by many contemporary journalists 'the American Muhammad.' The author describes more than seventy 'religious parallels' (i.e., angelic revelations, prophethood, disavowal of Christian churches), 'moral parallels' (i.e., polygamy, being 'above the law'), and 'psychological/political parallels' (i.e., authoritarianism, warrior mentality), concluding that both men were false prophets when measured by the precepts of the canonical Scriptures.

"Schmidt's descriptions of the various aspects of Mormon belief and practice are comprehensive and provide many little-known insights into the early history of the Latter Day Saints and into the teachings and practices of Joseph Smith in particular. ...

"Sadly, the observations made regarding the life of Muhammad and the history of Islam are not up to the same standard as the treatment of the Latter Day Saints." Among other problems, "Schmidt repeats Robert Morey's unfounded assertion [in The Islamic Invasion (3)] that 'al-ilah' (Allah) was the pre-Islamic 'moon god,' whereas the actual name of this god was Sin (or Syn). ... These and many similar errors would damage the author's credibility with any and all Muslim readers.

"Still, the overall thesis of the monograph is an excellent one...."

Seeking the Promised Land, by David E. Campbell, John C. Green and J. Quin Monson [4] -- writing for the Wall Street Journal (Aug 24 '14, n.p.) Naomi Schaefer Riley's review begins with a question: "Mormons are unlikely to hear politics preached from the pulpit. So how are they one of the most politically cohesive groups in the U.S.?" In this "investigation of the political dimensions of Mormonism by David Campbell of Notre Dame, John Green of the University of Akron and J. Quin Monson of Brigham Young University ... veteran researchers ... present their findings in clear, readable prose. ...

"That the views of Mormons generally follow the church's official positions may seem unsurprising, but other top-down religious institutions can show a different pattern. The views of American Catholics, for instance, on abortion, gay marriage and contraception are not different from the general public's, despite the Vatican's doctrines and teachings. But Mormons are also the least likely of any religious group in the country to hear politics preached during religious services. ...

"Mormons 'are more likely to have family members, friends, and neighbors of the same religion than most other Americans.' ... Mormons [also] volunteer at high rates for both church activities and civic ones." The authors note that the LDS "develop many civic skills ... 'including initiating conversations with complete strangers.' A business-school professor once told me that the deliberate cultivation of these skills is one reason why Mormons have a reputation for holding a competitive advantage in the corporate world. ...

"In the 2008 election primaries, the authors found, 'identifying [Mitt] Romney as an active Mormon . . . produced a substantial, negative drop in his support . . . comparable to the effect of Obama's association with Pastor Jeremiah Wright.' The good news for Mormons is that the negative effect was lower in the 2012 election. 'It was small and likely inconsequential,' the authors say.

"Is this a sign that Americans are becoming more fully accepting of Mormons? Messrs. Campbell, Green and Monson reserve judgment. In Seeking the Promised Land, they present the 'paradox of Mormonism.' On the one hand, Mormons are seen as a fringe group, even a cult, by some Christians, who are troubled by the story of sacred golden tablets in upstate New York, the fairly recent history of polygamy and other aspects of the religion. Prejudice against Mormons may be among the last acceptable ones in polite society.

"On the other hand, Mormonism is a quintessentially American religion...." <www.ow.ly/F57sm>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Homespun Gospel: The Triumph of Sentimentality in Contemporary American Evangelicalism, by Todd M. Brenneman (Oxford Univ Prs, 2013, hardcover, 208 pages) <www.ow.ly/BJc9T>

2 - American Muhammad: Joseph Smith, Founder of Mormonism, by Alvin J. Schmidt (Concordia, 2013, paperback, 296 pages) <www.ow.ly/F4YNx>

3 - The Islamic Invasion, by Robert Morey (Christian Scholars Prs, 2001, paperback, 221 pages) <www.ow.ly/Fc0rK>

4 - Seeking the Promised Land: Mormons and American Politics, by David E. Campbell, John C. Green and J. Quin Monson (Cambridge Univ Prs, 2014, paperback 312 pages <www.ow.ly/F58JX>

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