Friday, September 9, 2022

The two phases of Joseph's Mormonism: From more Protestant to more Hebraic

Phase 1 (1829 - 1837): The Communitarian Zion Phase:


> The restoration of the hebraic hero spirit (Joseph as "one like unto Moses") within a modified Protestant theology.


> The revelatory Christ speaking through his messenger Joseph Smith Jr, just as he did with Paul.


> The restoration of Christ's authentic Ekkkesia.


> Millennial expectations


Phase 2 (1838 - 1843): A more robust restoration oh the Hebraic Spirit 


> A less imminent millennial expectation. 


> A more spiritual interpretation of Zion, working within the capitalistic system. 


> The restoration of hebraic Eros


> The affirmation of earthly materiality and the reproductive body through a solomonic structure. 


> A masculine lionizing exuberance within the Nauvoo Legion for self defense, to match the hebraic heroism in the Book of Mormon.

Mormonism as Life Philosophy (Blog Series)

Emergent Mormonism as an Interpretive Lens: A New Kind of LDS Christianity: An introduction to this blog.


> The Emergent Paradigm: Interpreting Mormon scripture through Marcus Borg's historical- metaphorical paradigm and John Spongs' midrash and mysticism views of Scripture. For links on how the New Testament is interpreted by scholars as midrash, see below.


Emergent Mormonism & Reform Mormonism?


Scripture as Art: Reform Mormons and Scripture, and by the same author: Reform Mormons and Scripture

(links to another blog)


Mormon Scripture through the Smith-Pratt Lens


Bullet Point Summary of the Core Tenets of Emergent Mormonism (as a Humanistic Spiritual Pragmatism)


 > Big Tent Mormonism: Expanding LDS-Christianity beyond the Utah-based Church


Interpreting Mormon Scripture through the Lens of the Question: Is it Empowering or Disempowering?


A "Nietzschean View" of Valuing Mormonism


Joseph Smith through Nietzschean Eyes


Joseph Smith as Artistic Creator of New Values


Mormonism as a Pragmatic Remedy to Nihilism 


 > The two phases of Joseph's Emerging-Mormonism: From more Protestant (1830-1835) to more Hebraic (1838-1844)


Links to Articles on the New Testament as Parabolic Scripturalization (or Midrash; a.k.a Figural Reading) which can help better Understand Mormon Scripture through similar Interpretive Lens:


Scripturalized Narrative in the Gospel of Mark and the Second Temple Period (SBL Annual Meeting, 2020) by Nathanael Vette. This short article does an excellent job summarizing how the Gospel of Mark is largely a midrashic or a narrative scripturalization of Old Testament texts.



Midrash in the New Testament. Posted on February 17, 2014 by jesuswithoutbaggage

>  Midrash in the New Testament by Kasper Bro Larsen

Midrash and the New Testament: A Methodology for the Study of Gospel Midrash by Miguel Pérez Fernández. See page 367 of the ebook Pdf here. If link does not work, search Google for the book The New Testament and Rabbinic Literature: Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, Editor Hindy Najman Volume 136.

> The Interpretation of Scripture: The Use of the Old Testament in the New (Links to several Articles on Midrash or Figural Reading of the Hebrew Bible into the New Testament)

Recommended books on the New Testament as Midrash






On Mormon Scripture as Parabolic Scripturalization (or Midrash):


Joseph Smith as "inspired eclecticist" and the Book of Abraham as bricolage, according to Terryl Givens (off site)