The Mormon Doctrine of Deity: The Roberts-Van Der Donckt Discussion

Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry), 1857-1933Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0

Word count: 555K words
Chapters: 56

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Mormon Doctrine of Deity: The Roberts-Van Der Donckt Discussion by RobertsAuthor: Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry), 1857-1933,Language: English, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Apr 24, 2014

Editor's review

This book is a record of a public discussion on the doctrine of deity between two religious figures in the late nineteenth century, one representing the Mormon position and the other the Catholic position, conducted in debate form. Its value lies in preserving first-hand material of each side's arguments at the time, allowing readers to see directly how two theological systems engage on the same issue, their structures of argument, and where they diverge. As a public-domain e-book, it is better used as a primary source for religious history and theological debate than as an introductory text. Readers should note the historical context and the presuppositions of the debaters, and avoid treating either side's statements as neutral conclusions. For readers studying the history of Mormon thought, nineteenth-century religious dialogue, or the genre of debate, this is a text of reference value.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars studying the history of Mormon thought and nineteenth-century religious debate
Religious studies researchers interested in doctrinal differences between Catholicism and Mormonism
Theology students needing primary debate texts
Readers who enjoy public discussion records and care about argument structure

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a neutral introduction or overview of religion
Readers easily swayed by debate positions and seeking religious guidance
General readers unfamiliar with Christian theological terminology and lacking background knowledge

Reading tips

First learn the identity and position of the two discussants before entering the text, to avoid misreading the direction of the debate.
Read section by section by topic; for each section, first outline both sides' arguments, then compare the differences in their grounds of argument.
Read alongside basic materials on Mormon and Catholic doctrine to lower the terminology barrier.
After reading, use a brief table to record each side's core claims and points of divergence for easy review.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Which side's view does this book present?

The book presents both discussants' positions: one the Mormon representative, the other the Catholic representative, unfolding alternately in debate form. It is not a one-sided work; readers should treat both sides' statements as arguments with presuppositions, not neutral conclusions.

Can I understand it without a theological background?

The book involves theological terms and argument methods such as deity and personhood, which readers lacking a foundation in Christian theology will find difficult. It is advisable to first acquire basic knowledge of Mormon and Catholic doctrine before reading the text, or to use it with annotations and research materials.

Is this book suitable as an introduction to Mormonism?

Not very suitable. It is a debate record from a specific historical context, focused on confrontation rather than systematic introduction. For an introduction, one should first read overview works, then use this book as supplementary primary-source reading.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry), 1857-1933 Author

Brigham Henry Roberts (B. H. Roberts, 1857–1933) was a prolific writer and historian of the Latter-day Saint tradition. Fourteen of his works are held in this collection, chiefly on church history and doctrinal exposition, including The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo, The Life of John Taylor, The Gospel: An Exposition of its First Principles, The Mormon Battalion, Its History and Achievements, A New Witness for God, Succession in the Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Outlines of Ecclesiastical History, and New Witnesses for God. His writing is marked by careful use of historical sources and argumentative doctrinal reasoning, with a clear, orderly style and a strongly polemical tone; his works center on major early events of the church, the lives of its leaders, and its doctrinal system, offering a fairly systematic body of literature for the study of early Latter-day Saint history. Beyond these works, public information is limited, and details of his early life and specific offices are not elaborated here.