Table of Contents

Introduction / Eric A. Eliason -- Soaring with the gods : early Mormons and the eclipse of religious pluralism / Richard T. Hughes -- Mormons / Dean L. May -- "Is Mormonism Christian?" : reflections on a complicated question / Jan Shipps -- "This great modern abomination" : orthodoxy and heresy in American religion / Terryl L. Givens -- The populist view of Joseph Smith / Nathan O. Hatch -- Modern heaven--and a theology / Colleen McDannell and Bernhard Lang -- Beyond the stereotypes : Mormon and non-Mormon communities in twentieth-century Mormondom / Jan Shipps -- Utah and the Mormons : a symbiotic relationship / Richard D. Poll -- Noble savages / Michael Hicks -- Mormonism, millenarianism, and modernity / Grant Underwood -- The basis of Mormon success :a theoretical application / Rodney Stark.

Promotional Information

A sampler of key essays by leading scholars on the history, foundational ideas and practices, and worldwide expansion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

About the Author

Eric A. Eliason is an assistant professor of English at Brigham Young University, where he teaches folklore and Mormon literature. He holds an M.A. in anthropology and a Ph.D. in American studies.
 

Reviews

"Provides college students with a useful introduction to the Latter-day Saint religion in the U.S." -- Choice ADVANCE PRAISE "This is a useful and balanced collection, one that brings together from disparate sources some of the best scholarship on Mormonism." - Randall Balmer, author of Blessed Assurance: A History of Evangelicalism in America "Every so often we need a compilation of the latest and best in Mormon studies. This collection edited by Eric Eliason, better than anything in print, gives us an idea of where we stand right now. Based on this work, Eliason makes the startling assertion that we must now look at Mormonism as an emergent world religion. A far cry from the older view of Mormonism as a cult, this judgment, if it holds, will require a broad reassessment of how we conduct Mormon studies." - Richard L. Bushman, author of Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism