Reviews 219 discuss the ever-present discrepancy be- graph series and in publishing views tween church leaders' pronouncements (concerning and plural and church members' beliefs and prac- marriage) which are not those of many tices in all churches. It also demonstrates RLDS church members or their church. the commitment to scholarship of the Both historian Marjorie Newton and the John Whitmer Historical Association in John Whitmer Historical Association inviting Newton to initiate its mono- deserve praise for this biography.

Non-traditional Christianity

Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. this is not the main purpose of Peterson Ricks. Offenders for a Word: How Anti- and Ricks's book. However, both the Mormons Play Word Games to Attack the text and footnotes are extremely inter- Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Aspen esting for students of the anti-Mormon Books, 1992. movement. The authors appear to be aware of the recent scholarship on this Reviewed by Massimo Introvigne, subject and of the difference between a Center for Studies on New Religions, secular anti-Mormon and a sectarian Torino, Italy. counter-Mormon movement, the latter being divided into the classical camp ALTHOUGH HUGH NIBLEY HAS OF- ten argued that there is no such a thing chiefly represented by the late Walter as a Mormon theology (theology being Martin and by Jerald and Sandra Tanner intrinsically incompatible with continu- (which regards Mormonism as a heresy) ous revelation), a number of Nibley's and a more recent fringe, at times seem- followers have produced what in any ingly lunatic (including Ed Decker and other religious tradition would be clas- William Schnoebelen), which prefers to sified as theological . Many see Mormonism as a product of the defenses of the LDS faith have chal- Devil, the "true" author of Mormon lenged the core thesis of Evangelical revelations. counter-Mormonism that Mormons are Offenders for a Word consists of two not Christians. Some may think that the sections. In the second (195-212) the Mormon argument has been summa- authors survey the use of the derogatory rized astutely enough in Stephen E. Ro- word "cult" and deny that Mormonism binson's Are Mormons Christians? (Salt is a "cult" in the common sense of the Lake City: , 1991) and little re- term. They persuasively show that the mained to be said. Robinson's book, term "cult" has become almost mean- however, is primarily theoretical, while ingless, a weapon against one's enemies Peterson and Ricks's Offenders for a Word rather than a scholarly concept, and that guide us into the underworld of contem- the term is no longer used by serious porary anti-Mormonism. academics on religious movements. A history of twentieth-century anti- They could have added that some main- Mormonism remains to be written, and line churches are now joining scholars in 220 Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought

urging members to avoid using the groups would be. word "cult" altogether. The Roman The authors' most serious problem Catholic church devoted its Consistory lies with the Mormon concept of God of 1991 (the largest gathering of cardi- and godhood. They deny that the theory nals in the history of the church) to the that "As God is, man may become" is two issues of abortion and new religious not Christian by quoting the Eastern Or- movements, regarded by the Pope as the thodox doctrine of theopoiesis (76), "pastoral priorities of the 1990s." The where it is often repeated that the ulti- general report of the Consistory, mate aim of the human beings is indeed authored by the Nigerian cardinal Fran- to become God. The authors may have cis Arinze, suggested that the word added that this theory is of increasing "cult" has no scholarly meaning and interest to some Roman Catholic theolo- should be abandoned in favor of "new gians (see Frangois Brune's book whose religious movement." significant title is Pour que I'homme devi- The largest portion of Peterson and enne Dieu, 2d ed., St-Jean-de-Braye: Dan- Ricks's book (55-191) is devoted to list- gles, 1992). The problem is, however, ing and refuting reasons normally given that in these theologies theopoiesis is in- by Evangelical counter-cultists why terpreted through the Greek philosophi- Mormons should not be regarded as cal categories of participation and Christians. Some of these reasons— analogy, while—as Peterson and Ricks coming from the lunatic fringe of point out—Joseph Smith had little use counter-Mormonism—are easily re- for Greek metaphysics. If the Mormon futed, and the authors have no problem "As God is, man may become" is re- in showing that—should these argu- duced to the classical theopoiesis of the ments be accepted—not only the LDS Eastern fathers of the church, it clearly church but older, traditional, and well becomes a variation of an accepted established denominations could also theme in a respected Christian tradition. be regarded as "non-Christian." At least Although interesting, this would be- a dozen of the arguments reviewed and come a non-literal interpretation of dei- refuted are simple variations of the gen- fication as taught by Joseph Smith. eral theme that Mormons are not Chris- Peterson and Ricks admit that it is still tian because they do not subscribe to the more difficult to reconcile with tradi- doctrine of justification by faith alone. tional Christianity the idea that "As man Although ecumenical dialogue has is, God once was": "it is quite true," they clarified that Catholics and Protestants write, "that... no ancient Christian text are less distinct from one another on this seems to teach that God the Father was point than many may believe, Peterson once a man, or that he advanced from and Ricks are right when they argue that that condition to his current status"; it by counter-Mormon standards Roman was left to Joseph Smith to reveal this Catholics would probably be branded "wonderful mystery" (89). They add as "non-Christian" as well. And indeed that "for all practical purposes" God is they are: in the most extreme fringe most "ungenerated" from the point of view of anti-Mormon authors are also fanati- humans, and is revealed as "once a man" cally anti-Catholic. Even if Roman only if considered on a greater cosmic Catholics were not excluded, other scale. Some readers may find the treat- members of Eastern pre-Calcedonian ment of this crucial issue as too short, churches or other obviously Christian and many non-Mormons will probably