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Anti-Trinitarians commonly cross-reference John 10:30 and John 17:20-23 to try to prove that Jesus and the Father are only “one in purpose,” since, as they point out, we cannot be considered one divine being with each other, yet Jesus prayed that we would be one as they are one. This may be the most common objection to the Trinitarian understanding of John 10:30. Let’s look at it.

Jesus, before he became a human being, existed without beginning as God. This is what John 1:1-2 tells us, for example. When creation began, the Word (Jesus) already existed, and he was God. As God, the Word or Son was “one” with the Father in a way that no human being is or ever can be. Even some anti-Trinitarians acknowledge this point, at least to some extent. For example, Mormons agree that Jesus Christ is part of the “one” Godhead, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, and most Mormons agree that we will never be part of that Godhead. So, in this sense at least, the Son is “one” with the Father in a way that we are not and never will be. Continue Reading »

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One of the many, many New Testament texts that orthodox Christians historically have regarded as testifying to the deity of Jesus Christ is John 10:30, in which Jesus famously says, “I and the Father are one” (Greek, ego kai ho pater hen esmen). But in what sense does Jesus mean that he and the Father are “one”? We may identify at least three main views: Continue Reading »

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FOXNews.com today published 21 questions that it says represent “some widely held beliefs and misconceptions about Mormonism” and answers provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since some (not all) of the Church’s answers were less than forthright, I will offer straight answers to the same questions. Fox’s questions appear first in bold type, followed by the Church’s responses in italics, and then followed by my answers.

Q: Why do some call the Church a cult?
A: For the most part, this seems to stem from a lack of understanding about the Church and its core doctrines and beliefs. Under those circumstances it is too easy to label a religion or other organization that is not well-known with an inflammatory term like ‘cult.’ Famed scholar of religion Martin Marty has said a cult means a church you don’t personally happen to like. We don’t believe any organization should be subjected to a label that has come to be as pejorative as that one.
The above answer makes no attempt to understand why some people call the LDS Church a cult. Continue Reading »

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Someone recently asked Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and an apparent supporter of Mitt Romney’s run for U.S. president, if he believed that Mormons were Christians. He answered, “No, I do not.”

For some people—including many Mormons, of course—such a statement is an instance of religious bigotry. Who does he think he is, saying that Mormons are not Christians? Mormons certainly profess to be Christians; wouldn’t they know?

In almost every discussion I have with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this question comes up. If I’m trying to have a conversation about whether Jesus really did deliver the Sermon on the Mount to the Nephites almost verbatim as it appears in the Gospel of Matthew, I’m likely to hear, “You think we’re not Christians, don’t you?” I encounter many Mormons who bitterly resent anyone who denies that Mormons are Christians.

What I propose to do here is to take a fresh look at this question. I wish to bring some clarity and focus to the issue. My purpose is not to denigrate Mormons but to help them to understand what evangelicals typically mean when they assert that Mormonism is not Christian. I would also like to make some suggestions to my fellow evangelicals that may help us to present our point of view on this subject in a clearer way. Continue Reading »

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Perhaps the greatest obstacle to effective discussion between orthodox Christians and Latter-day Saints concerning their theological differences is the difficulty of defining LDS doctrine. Even scholars who have been studying Mormonism for years often express such difficulty. The problem exists for the simple reason that LDS doctrine changed radically in the fifteen years (1829-1844) that its founder, Joseph Smith, was writing and speaking as the Prophet of the Restoration, and continued to change after his death.

Contemporary discussions of Mormon theology often degenerate into disputes over what is and is not “official” LDS doctrine. These disputes are usually blamed entirely on the critics of Mormonism who are charged with fallaciously assuming that every opinion expressed by every Mormon during the past two centuries carries the same authority for LDS doctrine as scripture. In his book Are Mormons Christians? Stephen Robinson asks, “If my LDS grandmother believed that frogs caused warts, or that the earth is flat, does that make these ideas LDS doctrine?” (13). Behind this hyperbolic or straw man argument (take your pick) is the serious complaint that critics of Mormonism treat any statement by any LDS leader as grist for the mill of defining and then refuting Mormon doctrine. Continue Reading »

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In my previous post to this blog, I presented my review of Robert Millet and Gerald McDermott’s book Claiming Christ: A Mormon—Evangelical Debate. As I noted, this was a review originally written for Christianity Today, which rejected the review. The history behind this event is perhaps even more interesting—and troubling—than the book itself. Continue Reading »

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I am honored that Reclaiming the Mind Ministries has asked me to join its list of bloggers here at the Parchment and Pen.

On October 8, I submitted to Christianity Today a review article on Robert Millet and Gerald McDermott’s new book, Claiming Christ: A Mormon—Evangelical Debate (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2007). On November 20, the magazine informed me that they were not accepting the article. According to the book review editor, an unnamed editor at the magazine “decided that some of [my] opinions weren’t accurately based on what the book actually says.” The editor gave no specific examples and offered no further elaboration.

There is a history behind this decision, which I will review in a subsequent blog entry. Here I will simply present the review that Christianity Today rejected. I have made only formatting changes to the review. The three asterisks after the title of the book indicate that the review rates the book as deserving three stars out of five. Continue Reading »

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