Category Archives: Apologetics

Dehlin, Peterson, and Unsubstantiated Myths

On June 14, 2012, Daniel Peterson was unceremoniously removed from his position as editor of Mormon Studies Review, published by the Maxwell Institute at BYU. Peterson had held the position since the founding of the scholarly journal a quarter-century earlier.

Poignant Bumper Sticker Memes

I enjoyed general conference earlier this month, and in fact wrote a good deal about it and the goings-on by other groups at conference time. One of those groups is Ordain Women, which sponsored an event designed to heighten awareness of those who would like to see women be ordained to the priesthood.

Worthwhile Causes and Double Standards

This past weekend I spent what I considered an enjoyable time at general conference. As I noted in an earlier post, there were two major events planned in conjunction with the conference—one by Ordain Women and the other by American Atheists. In observing the Ordain Women event and considering the way that their efforts have… Read More »

Smart Seeking

In one of my previous posts about the world of online apologetics, I compared apologetics to choosing a restaurant (apologetics is not homogenous in approach, tone, or tenor) and the participation of others to the soccer rowdies. If we are talking about choosing meals or rooting for a soccer team, the decisions ultimately reached are… Read More »

Observing the Observers

In yesterday’s installment about apologetics, I introduced three designations for people involved in online apologetics: apologists, seekers, and observers. As I stated, my purpose in doing so was for “convenience in understanding the interactions that take place in the field of online apologetics.” I’ve received a couple of comments (via e-mail) from friends who said… Read More »

The Woolly World of Online Apologetics

In the previous installment about apologetics I addressed some of the core issues related to understanding apologetics. In this installment I want to spend a bit of time discussing issues related to apologetics on the Internet. The rise of the Internet has affected how apologetics is practiced. In days gone by, apologetics was typically low-key… Read More »

The Value of Apologetics

There has been much discussion over the last several years about the approach that should be used in apologetics. Some have extended this discussion, using it as a springboard to discuss the value of apologetics in general. I touched briefly on the topic of approaches to apologetics in a post back in November. I understand… Read More »

Is It Really Style?

In a different post I addressed what I see as limitations (failings, if you will) in a proposal for apologetics put forward by Bill Reel and ostensibly agreed to by Richard Bushman. In this post I thought it productive to address a related issue which has to do more with how apologists address the doubts… Read More »

Non-Ideal Apologetic Ideals

This morning while doing my daily work, I listened to a podcast interview with Richard Bushman. The interviewer is Bill Reel, a volunteer with FAIRMormon, the rebranded successor to FAIR. Bill’s purpose in interviewing Richard, at least in part, is to discern how one can and should treat doubt, doubters, criticisms, and critics.