Defining and Explaining "Emergent Mormonism" as a Lens for Interpreting LDS Scripture & History (Blog Series)

• Introduction to Emergent Mormonism: Here I cover my intended reader, my larger goal of respecting my European LDS Pioneer ancestors; Literalism versus Typology; and how I begin philosophically from the rock bottom of worldviews by assuming the worst and grant Nihilism for the sake of argument; and then show how by movimg from there like Nietzsche did, I make the case for a Life-affirming version of Mormonism that is pro-body, pro-Family, and fosters an overall healthy cultural Peoplehood 

• The Case for Pro-Body Mormonism (Part 1): The original Life-affirming doctrines of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Orson Hyde & the Pratt Brothers

• Pro-Body Mormonism (Part 2): How Joseph Smith Moved Away from Anti-Body Augustinian-Evangelicalism to a More Pro-Body Indo-European Spirituality and the Changes in post-1900 versions of Mormonism

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

•  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

• The Organic God Farm and Farmhands & The Controlling Zookeeper Types as a Metaphor for Two Kinds of Mormon Leaders

• Joseph Smith on “Feeling Nothing” and the Book of Mormon’s Pragmatic Epistemology on Faith as Uncertainty Growing to Experiencial Knowledge & the Criteria of the Ethically "Good" as Truth

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

• Mormon Scripture as Midrash: This post explains how I interpret Mormon scripture through Marcus Borg's historical- metaphorical paradigm and John Spongs' midrash and mysticism views of Scripture.

• Scripture as Art: Reform Mormons and Scripture,(off site)

• Reform Mormons and Interpreting Scripture (link to another blog)

• Emergent Mormonism compared to Reform Mormonism?


•  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.

•  Scripturalization in Mark’s Crucifixion Narrative by Mark Goodacre

•  Summary of Richard Hay's books on Figural Reading

•  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

• Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy: a Journey Into a New Christianity Through the Doorway of Matthew's Gospel by John Shelby Spong

• The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus by John Dominic Crossan

• The Amazing Doctrines of Paul As Midrash: The Jewish Roots and Old Testament Sources for Paul's Teachings By Edward J. Vasicek

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)