Theological Foundations of

Do not think of this as an A-Z explanation of Mormon dogma, but rather an analysis of essential Mormon beliefs about the nature of deity and how they fit within the context of traditional Christian philosophy. Dr. McMurrin covers many historical dilemmas in theology, such as the extent of God's power, original sin and the problem of evil, specifically addressing how Mormonism's unique synthesis of heresy and orthodoxy equip it to respond well to these challenges. He also addresses the level of awareness within Mormonism of these concepts, and how neo-orthodox movements in Mormonism have caused some to unwittingly distance themselves from its most beneficial doctrines.

I am not a philosophy student, but I found the book fascinating and well-written. It is best to carefully read the terminology definitions at the beginning and then read the book sequentially. The later chapters build on the earlier ones, culminating in a discussion of the nature of evil. The last section of the book contains a reprint of an earlier paper which mostly duplicates the first part of the book. Two topics were most interesting to me. The first was the comparison of the nature of God between Mormon and Catholic or Protestant theology. The second was the explanation of evil in the world. Dr. McMurrin explains that the Mormon belief is that the most basic part of each person, his or her "intelligence" or essential being, existed with God from the beginning and was not created by Him. This places Mormonism on a very different theological foundation than Catholic or Protestant religions. It also provides for a much different explanation of why "moral" evil and "natural" evil exist. It is clear that he was very interested in the question of evil and he deliberately structured the book so that the earlier chapters build the foundation for that final topic. What is left out of the book, though, is a discussion of the meaning of revelation and its part in Mormon theology. I don't see how a book on Mormon theology is complete without dealing with the implications of God speaking to Man and telling him directly about His nature and the nature of His creations. The book's strength is in its remarkable explanations of how Mormanism compares to other religions on several key theological points. That should be enlightening to both Mormon and non-Mormon readers. However, as a true theological explanation of Mormanism, I'm left thinking that something fundamental is missing and you'll need to turn to other books to fill the gap.

Sterling is comprehensive in his introductory comparisons of LDS theology to the history of philosophical theology in the West. This book explores the important inovations and contributions LDS theology makes to the larger framework of Christian theology. The book is a bit technical for those with no background in philosophy or theology, but perfect for the student of these subjects who wants to understand LDS philosophical perspectives. Included is an excellent appendix on the LDS concept of God.