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| Strangers in Paradox Explorations in Mormon Theology |
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| Academic Library Book Review Margaret and Paul Toscano are devoted Mormons who find much that makes them uneasy in the contemporary beliefs and actions of their church. In Strangers In Paradox they bring their scholarship as doctoral candidate in Hebrew and lawyer respectively, and their life experiences to reassessment of Mormon texts and doctrines and of Mormonism's actions within the church and in the world, contending that "in order to grow spiritually, we must be willing to change our views again and again so that our understanding of the world and of God will mature." In these times, religious groups worldwide are experiencing intense internal stresses about their beliefs and the consequences of their beliefs for daily life. The Toscanos express the hope that, while their book is addressed primarily to their fellow Mormons, their discussion of religious ideas and practices, which includes examination of what is shared by diverse religious traditions as well as what is different, will find interested non-Mormon readers. Some will certainly find the exploration of feminine aspects of deity and the role of women in Mormonism surprising and stimulating. In addition, study of this volume will suggest methods of inquiry and provide helpful specific insights on a variety of issues to others who recognize the paradoxes in their own religious tradition and wish to contribute to development of more mature understandings. Small Press, David Azzolina To most outsiders, Mormonism appears to be an oppressive, narrow religion in which there is little room to maneuver. What is forgotten is that in all societies, no matter how oppressive (oppression is to some extent relative and all societies have limits of tolerable behavior or belief) there are people who creatively work out their will in their circumstance. The Toscanos are such people among the Mormons. Their explorations are short pieces on problems in Mormon belief, most about ten pages. The twenty-five essays together suggest how possible it is for gifted people to think about their beliefs in a system that is seemingly closed to creativity. It would be difficult for people who are not familiar with Mormon beliefs to get the drift of some of these essays but they will intrigue believers and non-believers alike. They are beautifully written. My only concern for Small Press readers is that the audience for this book might be too small but it must be pointed out that the way in which the Toscanos integrate feminist theology and Mormonism would interest more readers than first glance would suggest. The Mormon notion of Mother in Heaven is often neglected by Mormons and unknown by non-Mormons. Anyone who reads Strangers in Paradox will be unable to ignore it again. Logan Herald Journal, Helen Beach Cannon Even catchy titles rarely make books on theology into best sellers. Margaret and Paul Toscano's Strangers in Paradox: Explorations in Mormon Theology—a "wink, wink; nudge, nudge" title—may sell some copies, but it won't guarantee the reading among Sunday-go-to-meeting Mormons. And that's too bad. The book would enliven many a Sunday school class where heads tend to nod—enliven, and in some instances, infuriate, because the Toscanos' speculations on LDS theology run counter to beliefs that prevail in Sunday school classes of average adult Mormons. Study groups and journals within the Mormon intellectual community will hash and rehash the book's ideas, a few "outsiders" with theological bent will read the book with interest, if not with full understanding of its boldness, and the corporate church will roll on. As a reviewer of the book I must make plain my own stand and biases—as plain as I can in light of the ambiguities and paradoxes I myself wrestle with daily. I am a Mormon, I am a woman, I question, and, I believe. I yearn for certain things to be true. The Toscanos also yearn for some of the same things to be true, but even song lyrics tell us that wishing is not enough. Which is not to say that the authors have not marshalled compelling arguments. Their book, dealing (they say) with paradoxes in Mormon theology, itself presents certain paradoxes in the reading. It is provocative, but speculative; insightful, but presumptuous; scholarly but uneven, it causes me as a reader to be at once annoyed and grateful, skeptical and accepting, assenting and dissenting. I find the book both immensely important and terribly dangerous—if it were much read, that is, which, as I said, I think it will not be. In a metatextual way now, I'll confess that this last comment is intended to goad many to prove me wrong, to entice some to read the book who wouldn't otherwise do it. I wish my review could accomplish that much. But I can't promise a quick read. The book requires a hard look at definitions every step of the way. Halfway through I had to stop and ask myself, what, really, is a paradox, and are the Toscanos dealing in every instance with genuine paradoxes? If a paradox is an assertion that is seemingly self-contradictory, then some of the issues the authors treat are not paradoxes at all, but only questions or dilemmas. If a paradox, on the other hand, may be considered simply a belief contrary to received opinion, then the Toscanos are consistently within the paradoxical realm. For instance, the view of God as at once a God of flesh and of glory; a being of immanence and of transcendence, and the Father incarnate as Son—those seem to me to be paradoxes of the first order, but speculations about a Divine Mother seem not paradoxical in the same way. Where is the seeming contradiction? While a prayer in a public meeting begun with "Our Mother in Heaven" might raise eyelids and bowed heads in the congregation, it contains in its utterance no self-contradiction. Even in suggesting the paradox itself—that "God is not a single male person but a duality: God the Female and God the Male," the Toscanos present such tenuous scriptural and logical support that the issue seems more speculative than paradoxical. Likewise, slim Biblical evidence that the early priesthood was matrilineally transmitted and that women also received the priesthood by ordination, investiture and anointing as well as by oath and covenant from God does not seem paradoxical to me—only highly speculative and, perhaps, wistful. It appears that the authors consider paradox both in the terms of formal logic, and as is more often the case, in the sense of beliefs that run counter to received opinion. Furthermore, though the Toscanos examine many paradoxes that they see in modern-day LDS doctrinal interpretations, in truth, each paradox they consider is but a variant of one central paradox—the paradox that two underlying distinct and contradictory world views exist in LDS theology. The Toscanos predictably align themselves with the individual, the unseen, direct, inner, sacral world view, as opposed to what they classify as the organizational, managerial, institutional, observable, secular world view. Again, definitions and illustrations are in order. Take the chapter titled "The Case for Grace," for instance. In an unlikely alignment, say the Toscanos, Mormon "progressives" (Unidentified in the text; I wonder who they are) have wrongly interpreted Joseph Smith's teachings about grace, seeing in them endorsement of salvation primarily by works. These progressives, advocates of self-improvement and social progress, while fashioning themselves as advocates for personal freedom, have, according to the authors, tended to "promote rigidity." Go back, say the Toscanos, to the teachings of Prophet Joseph Smith, finding in them a case for the grace through Jesus Christ. Christ's grace has nothing to do with the rules and regulations. Such measurement of works, the Toscanos suggest, tends to lend power and importance to the ecclesiastical structure. It reinforces the church's role as a definer of good and bad attitudes and behavior in every department of life, "from sex to parenting, diet, doctrine, economics, politics and social attitudes." In, short, salvation by works feeds the church machine, empowering it to reward the "faithful" and disenfranchise the "rebellious." This is a frontal attack on modern LDS orthodoxy, but where is the paradox? And in this case I would have to further ask, where are the proofs strong enough to support such a bold, challenging question? The chapter "Women, Ordination, and Hierarchy" presents more proposal than paradox, and may, in fact, contradict the Toscanos' own espousal of the sacred inner over organizational outer forms. The authors propose, for instance, that presiding church offices be held dually by husband and wife. That women are denied access to, and activity in the church's power structure ought not to matter if the Toscanos' emphasis on inner spiritual power and authority is indeed prime. By contrast, a chapter like "Rending the Veil" beautifully illustrates how ancient symbols can encompass conflicting ideas and lend themselves to complex interpretation. The veil worn by Mormon women during parts of the temple service potentially can evoke both positive and negative associations. Ms. Toscano (I happen to know that Margaret deserves major credit for this chapter) makes an informal, convincing case for the veil, not as a symbol of subordination and second-class status as it often has been viewed, but as a positive, multileveled symbol for women as keepers of the mystery, as figures of hidden power and goodness. The woman's veil in this perspective, rather than being a symbol of inferiority (as in, say, Islamic culture) might also be viewed as a symbol of passage or of rebirth to a higher state of righteousness, just as the temple veil itself symbolizes passage to grace and power and knowledge. Calling on mythic, scriptural, logical and intuitive sources, Toscano presents her case—an argument rich and informed; an enhancing consideration of a symbol that some have tended to view only as negative or demeaning. The beauty of paradox shines here. The penultimate chapter alone makes the book well worth the difficult go. Moreover, the last chapter, "The Mormon Endowment," has potential for healing certain sore points regarding temple ritual that have recently become inflamed. The Toscanos elucidate without betraying sacred symbols. They write with genuine faith and insight. Who cares whether or not the chapter examines formal paradox? That may be the guiding paradox for the reader afterall. Christianity Today, Richard J. Mouw O. Kendall White, a Mormon sociologist, worries that some of his fellow Saints are becoming Calvinistic. In his 1987 book Mormon New-Orthodoxy: A Crisis Theology (Signature), White chronicles a growing fascination among some Mormon scholars with the notions of divine sovereignty, human depravity, and salvation by grace alone. These developments are, White insists, a regrettable departure from the genius of early Mormonism. Like the Protestant liberalism of his time, Joseph Smith's theology featured a finite God, a perfectible humanity and an emphasis on works righteousness. But just as Protestant neo-orthodoxy came to reject liberal theology in favor of the older themes of Pauline-Reformation thought, so a "Mormon neo-orthodoxy" threatens to undermine the distinctive of Joseph Smith's message. White provides much evidence for the trend he finds so troubling. Here, for example, is how Mormon writer Glenn Pearson sketched the requirements for a proper relationship with God in a popular book published in the 1960s: "There has to be down payment of a broken heart and contrite spirit. Who has a broken heart and contrite spirit: One who is stripped of pride and selfishness. One who has come down in the depth of humility and prostrated himself before the Lord in mighty prayer and supplication. He has realized the awful guilt of his sins and has pled for the blood of Christ to be made a covering to shield him from the fact of a just God. Such a one has made the down payment. The neo-orthodox case has now been given an extensive systematic presentation in Paul and Margaret Toscano's recent signature book, Strangers in Paradox: Explorations in Mormon Theology. While the Toscanos complain that Mormon church leaders have often ignored the apostolic writings of the New Testament, they insist that properly understood, the Mormon religion "does not teach a different Gospel" from that of Pauline doctrine; rather, it proclaims a "restored Gospel." They are blunt in their own formulation of what the essence of that gospel message is: "Salvation is by grace alone. It is brought about by Christ's free, sacrificial act through which he assumed our sins and imperfections and imputed to us his won righteousness. The heart of the gospel is Christ in our hearts." |
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