Strangers in Paradox: Explorations in Mormon Theology

Rating:
Summary: A Deep and Spirited Examination of Mormonism's Paradoxes
Review: God and Goddess. Grace and Justice. Priest and Priestess. Right or Wrong? Mormonism, perhaps more than any other Christian sect, is replete with paradox and seeming contradictions. These paradoxes lead to inevitable questioning by those Latter-day Saints who study their religion deeply and passionately. Margaret and Paul Toscano endeavor to examine these paradoxes and provide some "religious ideas" along the seeker's path to exaltation that may help them find the dynamic median between spiritual extremes. Their book not only endeavors to discuss questions that have perplexed theologians for centuries, but applies this study to our modern experiences as Mormons and asks powerful questions about what these paradoxes mean for us as individuals and as a Church. This book is absolutely the most profound text I have ever read on Mormonism outside of the scriptures themselves, and has helped me find my own answers to the many problems I've encountered in my experience as a Latter-day Saint. It asks such questions as "What is the role of Heavenly Mother in the Godhead?" and "Do Mormon women hold the priesthood?" without glossing them over with pat answers as many in the Church do, or taking an argumentative, polarized stance on the issue as many outside the Church have done. Count on this book to present a thorough, profound examination of the issues which concern all faithful members of the LDS Church, and many that concern theologians and feminists in the greater Christian community.

Contents:

Introduction
Part I: First Principles
Chapter 1: Cornerstones
Chapter 2: Keystones
Part II: Godhead
Chapter 3: Holiness to the Lord
Chapter 4: The God of Flesh and Glory
Chapter 5: The Divine Mother
Chapter 6: Jesus Christ and the Mormon Pantheon
Chapter 7: Beyond Matriarchy, Beyond Patriarchy
Chapter 8: The Marriage of Time and Eternity
Part III: Redemption
Chapter 9: Divinity and Humanity
Chapter 10: Bringing Good Out of Evil

Chapter 11: The Case for Grace
Chapter 12: Metaphors of Salvation
Part IV: Priesthood
Chapter 13: The Nature and Purpose of Priesthood
Chapter 14: Priesthood in the Book of Mormon
Chapter 15: Women and Priesthood in the Bible
Chapter 16: A Kingdom of Priestesses
Chapter 17: The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood
Chapter 18: Women, Ordination, and Hierarchy
Chapter 19: Zion: Vision or Mirage
Part V: Sex Roles, Marriage Patterns, and the Temple
Chapter 20: Sex Roles
Chapter 21: Monogamy, Polygamy, and Humility
Chapter 22: Rending the Veil
Chapter 23: The Mormon Endowment
Bibliography