Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
HarperOne (2000), Edition: Reprint, 454 pages
Description
"In this candid examination of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of America's leading religion journalists covers every aspect of this little-understood community of faith whose family values, business success, and evangelistic missions have helped it become one of the world's fastest growing religions." "In Mormon America, Richard Ostling picks up where his widely read 1997 Time magazine cover story, "Mormons, Inc.," left off, by illuminating the church's continuing surge in power and popularity. The Ostlings assemble through their reportage the complete story behind the most prosperous religious group in contemporary America."--Jacket.
Media reviews
Their work stands as about the most authoritative account we have of the Mormon church as an institution – and of the often troubled interactions between Mormon and non-Mormon America. Non-Mormon themselves, the Ostlings have worked hard to understand how Mormons think and feel.
User reviews
LibraryThing member cpg
Disappointing
In their preface, the authors express the hope that "insiders will see themselves portrayed fairly while learning some things they would not have known otherwise." For this insider, that hope was not realized.
I guess you could say that there were things I learned from Mormon America,
More irritating than inconsequential inaccuracies were what I perceived as misrepresentations through selective presentation of the truth. Eugene England's Abelardianism is presented as the Mormon theory of the Atonement, despite hundreds of statements by Church leaders to the effect that there was a metaphysical price to be paid for our sins, and Jesus paid it. A seriously-flawed critique of Mormon appreciation of C.S. Lewis that was written by a teenager is presented as authoritative, while opposing viewpoints by seasoned LDS religious and literary scholars are given short shrift. Perceived problems with the historicity of the Book of Mormon are mentioned, but the Ostlings falsely assert that defenders of the Book of Mormon "offer no explanation" to resolve them.
I believe that Mormon America was written without malice on the part of the authors, but their own theological predispositions have prevented them from presenting a fair and even-handed portrait of Mormonism.
In their preface, the authors express the hope that "insiders will see themselves portrayed fairly while learning some things they would not have known otherwise." For this insider, that hope was not realized.
I guess you could say that there were things I learned from Mormon America,
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but I suspect that many of these things are false. For example, I learned that on April 7, 1847, the lead company of pioneers at Winter Quarters, Nebraska, set out for . . . Iowa? I learned that (contra D&C 20) teachers can ordain deacons. I learned that Roger Reid resigned from BYU, but Brian Evenson was fired. I learned that the Book of Abraham introduces the doctrine of polygamy. (Where?) I learned that Stan Larson has been excommunicated. (If that's true, it was by far the quietest excommunication of a Mormon intellectual in recent years.) I learned that Thomas S. Monson, one of the most enthusiastic University of Utah supporters among Church leaders, actually did his undergraduate work at archrival BYU.More irritating than inconsequential inaccuracies were what I perceived as misrepresentations through selective presentation of the truth. Eugene England's Abelardianism is presented as the Mormon theory of the Atonement, despite hundreds of statements by Church leaders to the effect that there was a metaphysical price to be paid for our sins, and Jesus paid it. A seriously-flawed critique of Mormon appreciation of C.S. Lewis that was written by a teenager is presented as authoritative, while opposing viewpoints by seasoned LDS religious and literary scholars are given short shrift. Perceived problems with the historicity of the Book of Mormon are mentioned, but the Ostlings falsely assert that defenders of the Book of Mormon "offer no explanation" to resolve them.
I believe that Mormon America was written without malice on the part of the authors, but their own theological predispositions have prevented them from presenting a fair and even-handed portrait of Mormonism.
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LibraryThing member kukulaj
We moved to Utah a few years ago, so learning about Mormons is on our agenda. This book did a nice job of sketching out the facets of the religion, the institution, the followers, etc. It's 20+ years old, so certainly somewhat dated, but really the trends it outlines don't seem to have changed
There was very little discussion here on the right wing fringe, FLDS etc. Most of the discussion was on the liberal wing and its challenges with the institutional center. Nowadays, though, with folks like the Bundys and the whole shift of the country to the authoritarian right... that'd be some very interesting territory to explore.
I've just learned about #DezNat - Deseret Nationalism as a social networking thing. When we first moved here, I was talking with a political candidate and he brought up Utah Exceptionalism, a very new concept for me. The LDS Church is very big not just in Utah but also Idaho and Arizona. Hard to say what exactly a civil war could look like in the next few decades. But the #DezNat folks, and the huge and highly centralized and organized institution behind them... they seem well prepared to take over a major piece of the country.
Anyway this book doesn't go into great depth in any direction, but it's a great introduction to the LDS scene.
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much. There was very little discussion here on the right wing fringe, FLDS etc. Most of the discussion was on the liberal wing and its challenges with the institutional center. Nowadays, though, with folks like the Bundys and the whole shift of the country to the authoritarian right... that'd be some very interesting territory to explore.
I've just learned about #DezNat - Deseret Nationalism as a social networking thing. When we first moved here, I was talking with a political candidate and he brought up Utah Exceptionalism, a very new concept for me. The LDS Church is very big not just in Utah but also Idaho and Arizona. Hard to say what exactly a civil war could look like in the next few decades. But the #DezNat folks, and the huge and highly centralized and organized institution behind them... they seem well prepared to take over a major piece of the country.
Anyway this book doesn't go into great depth in any direction, but it's a great introduction to the LDS scene.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1999
Physical description
454 p.; 6.25 inches
ISBN
0060663723 / 9780060663728