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Rating: 
Summary: A Unique Approach to the Book of Mormon
Review: Although the "Book of Mormon" is a fascinating and important piece of 19th century literature which has had a place in American history that should not be dismissed, it seems that very little serious work has been done on the book itself. Certainly, rivers of ink have been spilled on the question "Is the book truly an ancient document?" -- a proposition that is not really in question for anyone except certain devout followers of those Mormon churches which take the book as holy writ. "New Approaches to the Book of Mormon" moves beyond this question. This is no "Anti-Mormon" tract which is attempting to "disprove" the "Book of Mormon" -- this is a series of articles by scholars who want to look more deeply into the book and pull out the implications. As with any book that is a compilation of articles, some have more appeal to me than others and so I'm giving the book only 4 stars. I especially recommend the articles: (1) "Multiply Exceedingly..." -- which is a thoughtful analysis of the population figures given in the "Book of Mormon"; (2) "Anti-Universalist Rhetoric..." which puts some of the theology in the "Book of Mormon" -- which now seems obscure -- back into the context of the theological controversies of the early 19th century; (3) "A Record in the Language of my Father..." which discusses the "Book of Mormon" and its (non-)relationship with ancient languages; (4) "The Priority of Mosiah..." which brings up some compelling points about the order in which the "Book of Mormon" was written; and (5) "Does the Shoe Fit?" which handily rips to shreds the preposterous theory advocated by FARMS (the Utah Mormon apologetic group) that the ancient Mayan culture generally fits the "Book of Mormon" Nephite people. If you're interested in the "Book of Mormon", this book will surely be very thought provoking for you. As each article is rather specialized, this probably shouldn't be your first introduction to the "Book of Mormon" -- but for those who already have some familiarity with the "Book of Mormon", I heartily recommend "New Approaches..."
Rating:
Summary: A Unique Approach to the Book of Mormon
Review: Although the "Book of Mormon" is a fascinating and important piece of 19th century literature which has had a place in American history that should not be dismissed, it seems that very little serious work has been done on the book itself. Certainly, rivers of ink have been spilled on the question "Is the book truly an ancient document?" -- a proposition that is not really in question for anyone except certain devout followers of those Mormon churches which take the book as holy writ. "New Approaches to the Book of Mormon" moves beyond this question. This is no "Anti-Mormon" tract which is attempting to "disprove" the "Book of Mormon" -- this is a series of articles by scholars who want to look more deeply into the book and pull out the implications. As with any book that is a compilation of articles, some have more appeal to me than others and so I'm giving the book only 4 stars. I especially recommend the articles: (1) "Multiply Exceedingly..." -- which is a thoughtful analysis of the population figures given in the "Book of Mormon"; (2) "Anti-Universalist Rhetoric..." which puts some of the theology in the "Book of Mormon" -- which now seems obscure -- back into the context of the theological controversies of the early 19th century; (3) "A Record in the Language of my Father..." which discusses the "Book of Mormon" and its (non-)relationship with ancient languages; (4) "The Priority of Mosiah..." which brings up some compelling points about the order in which the "Book of Mormon" was written; and (5) "Does the Shoe Fit?" which handily rips to shreds the preposterous theory advocated by FARMS (the Utah Mormon apologetic group) that the ancient Mayan culture generally fits the "Book of Mormon" Nephite people. If you're interested in the "Book of Mormon", this book will surely be very thought provoking for you. As each article is rather specialized, this probably shouldn't be your first introduction to the "Book of Mormon" -- but for those who already have some familiarity with the "Book of Mormon", I heartily recommend "New Approaches..."
Rating: 
Summary: Remarkabal book for Mormnites
Review: I love this book wotten for monites. It is an umbiased approach to the Book Of Mormon, froma natural point of view. We need the oft-ignored and negelected persopective. Brain Metclaff is well known among scholars, and is quit elike Ayn Rand. He is really schoolarship's answer to Elvis. It is that good.
Rating:
Summary: Remarkabal book for Mormnites
Review: I love this book wotten for monites. It is an umbiased approach to the Book Of Mormon, froma natural point of view. We need the oft-ignored and negelected persopective. Brain Metclaff is well known among scholars, and is quit elike Ayn Rand. He is really schoolarship's answer to Elvis. It is that good.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Naturalistic Critique of the Book of Mormon
Review: This book really changed my views about the Book of Mormon. The writers (mostly LDS) contend that the Book of Mormon looks more like a 19th century work of "inspired fiction" than like a genuine ancient document. Some writers argue that it isn't important for the Book of Mormon to be historical; most focus their energies on the archaeological, linguistic, and historical questions raised by the book. Since I'd read a lot of Hugh Nibley and John Sorensen's writings, and was exposed to a lot of mainstream LDS apologetics at Brigham Young University, I had some idea of what the arguments in favor of historicity were. This collection took solid swipes at many of them. I'm sure that future research will modify many of the conclusions presented here, but this work is the best collection that I know of bringing together well-researched liberal Book of Mormon scholarship.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Naturalistic Critique of the Book of Mormon
Review: This is probably the most sophisticated attack on the historicity of the Book of Mormon ever mounted. However, I don't think it succeeds. The various reviews of the book published by FARMS (the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies), coupled with other scholarship that FARMS continues to publish, seems to me to effectively counter much of what Metcalfe et al. put together here. And I don't really see any critics dealing successfully with the testimony of the various witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates. That is a serious gap in their critique.
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