Reviews -- Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion



	The Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion

Journal of Latter Day Saint History
Two significant works of Sterling M. McMurrin (1914-96) are republished in this Signature Mormon Classics Edition. These include: The Theological Foundations of the Mormon Religion and The Philosophical Foundations of Mormon Theology. Both were published previously by The University of Utah during his years there as a professor of Philosophy.

The Theological Foundations text presents critiques of Mormon Theology, many of which have gone unchallenged since this text was published in 1965.

McMurrin focuses on the very nature of Mormon theology in this text and notes that it embraces a liberal doctrine of man and a unique, radical doctrine of the nature of God and presents these within the history and background of traditional Christianity. These concepts are detailed in this work and mark Mormonism as a distinctive breed of thought. God is seen to be finite and salvation is not connected with traditional beliefs in the fall of Adam and original sin. McMurrin's intention in speaking on these subjects and ultimately presenting them in writing is not to comment on the merits of the doctrines, but to show them as distinctive from traditional Christianity. McMurrin notes that the whole structure of Mormon theology becomes more rational once the teaching of original sin is deleted. Consequently, with the burdens of original sin and an omnipotent God removed, Mormon theologians have less explaining to do, freeing faithful believers to be able to travel toward a higher level of spiritual awareness. McMurrin saw Mormon theology as significant in trying to reconcile reason and religion. One example he points out is the teaching on The Atonement. Traditional Christianity sees this as a miraculous excape from sin and Mormonism sees this as a glorious uniting of the individual believer with God. Mormon theology further sees evil and the fall as good elements in the natural world and human experience.

McMurrin presents this work in five parts which include: Part One: The Concept of reality ... analyzing naturalism and supernaturalism, necessity and contingency, materialism, monism and plurism, being and becoming, and universals and particulars.

Part Two: The Concept of God ... analyzing creation, God as absolute or finite, time and eternity, nominalism and materialism, and natural theology.

Part Three: The Concept of Man ... analyzing the self as a necessary existent, original sin, salvation by grace, the freedom of the will, and the atonement.

Part Four: Mormon Theology and the problem of evil ... analyzing evil in the Christian tradition, evil and Mormon Finitism, and the task of Mormon Theology.

Part Five: Theses on the idea that God is a person ... analyzing God as philosophical explanation, God as moral ground and sanction, and the Living God of Religion.

In writing this text, McMurrin saw a challenge and a task to theology to be the reconciliation of religion and revelation to culture and to make what is taken of faith to be meaningful in the light of accepted science and philosophy. The impact of this reconciliation, McMurrin sees as the development of courage and strength in defending this system of belief.

In his role as philosopher, McMurrin delivered an address entitled: The Philosophical Foundations of Mormon Theology, during the 1957-58 academic year. This address was delivered at The University of Utah, Utah State University, Brigham Young University, Ohio State University, and Weber College. The University of Utah Press published this address in 1959 in paperback form. This writing became a standard reference for researchers analyzing the philolsophical underpinnings of the Mormon faith system.

In this address, presented in the back section of this Signature Mormon Classics text, McMurrin invites the reader to join him on a search as he analyzes The Mormon Church and its philosophy and purpose. McMurrin sees an interesting combination of both heresy and orthodoxy in His church. McMurrin also notes similarities that he sees between teachings of Plato and Mormonism.

McMurrin presents this address in seven sections which include: metaphysics, the existence of a mystery, the question of the quantitative structure of reality compared to its nature considered qualitatively, analysis of materialism and idealism, the nature of the universe as static or dynamic, analysis of being versus becoming, analysis of the conjunction of logic with metaphysics when considering universal values, and an analysis of another basic metaphysical issue (the problem of "necessary" and "contingent" being.)

Since The Philosophical Foundations of Mormon Theology served as the precursor to the later publication, Theological Foundations, it is ideal to have them both in hand, and this publication serves this purpose.

Both of these writings should enhance the study of any researcher seeking to make sense out of what and why The Latter Day Saints believe what they do.