
Latter-Day Saint Theology Among Christian Theologies
Craig Blomberg
(Foreword by)This title will be released on
March 13, 2025
Description
Grant Underwood provides answers to this question that are clear, detailed, and thoughtful. Writing for a broad and interested Christian audience, he systematically brings Mormon thought into conversation with main currents of Christian theology. He focuses on major topics that have engaged Christian thinkers over the years: who God is, who Jesus Christ is, who we are, how we are saved, what the church is, and what the future holds for human history as well as for individual human lives. Most chapters follow a format in which relevant themes are introduced with an overview of significant Christian reflection on the topic followed by an exploration of Latter-day Saint thought on the subject.
Throughout the book, Underwood's goal is to analyze, not catechize. While the author is a practicing Latter-day Saint, that reality only enhances his appreciation for the theology produced by centuries of fellow Christians of faith who in Anselm's words have diligently and devoutly "sought understanding." Underwood seeks to facilitate mutual understanding among Christians who may worship differently, who conceive of God and God's relations with humanity differently, and who articulate their religious beliefs in terms and concepts that are unfamiliar to each other. Readers of this book are invited to approach its sympathetic presentation of such Christian theologies, including that of the Latter-day Saints, with an openness and curiosity that can lead to a more accurate, nuanced understanding of the doctrines discussed.
Product Details
Publisher | William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company |
Publish Date | March 13, 2025 |
Pages | 640 |
Language | English |
Type | |
EAN/UPC | 9780802884404 |
Dimensions | N/A |
About the Author
Reviews
--Richard J. Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary
"In this monumental work, Grant Underwood, drawing on decades of ecumenical experience, produces a good-faith effort that assists interested readers in understanding the similarities and differences between Christian theology broadly defined and Latter-day Saint theology. Using the former to set the theological agenda for the latter, Underwood's work exhibits a genuine appreciation for the individual scholars and traditions that he engages. Eschewing the kinds of polemical approaches often found in theological comparisons between the Latter-day Saint tradition and other religious traditions, Underwood succeeds in producing a landmark publication that facilitates a better understanding of Latter-day Saint theology for those outside the tradition, as well as theological students located within it. Both the author and the publisher are to be commended for producing this fine volume."
--John Christopher Thomas, Pentecostal Theological Seminary
"Underwood provides readers a comprehensive tour de force of Latter-day Saint beliefs. With consummate care, he details where Mormonism parallels and departs from core elements of Christian theology. This is an indispensable analysis by a scholar who knows his tradition inside and out."
--Colleen McDannell, University of Utah
"Knowing that in the past his church was a marginalized minority, often portrayed as a cult with little or nothing in common with orthodox Christian faith, Grant Underwood has spent a lifetime exploring how the Latter-day Saints fit into the history and theology of the larger Christian world. In this remarkable book, he addresses that question with scholarship of the highest order--well-informed, balanced, and gracious. This book embodies the insights of both the world-class scholar and the gentle and generous Christian that I have known Grant Underwood to be for many, many years."
--Richard T. Hughes, Lipscomb University
Earn by promoting books