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Light in Darkness: Embracing the Opportunity of Climate Change

March 16, 2018

Some readers of this article may know me as an environmental activist (my version of public and church service). A few may know me as an outdoor photographer (my day job). But here I’d like to put on another of my hats. Long before I took up cameras and activism, I was a student of the ancient Near East, with a special interest in Israel and the Bible. In this article, I propose to turn exegete once again and examine the biblical notion of Zion as a model for sustainable living in a world threatened on many fronts by the consequences of its own success.

An Excuse I’ve Been Working on for a While

March 16, 2018

I put bras in the dryer and forget to refill the toilet paper, and I left the milk on the counter this morning. Again. But I ask for directions and say “I love you,” and…

No Longer as Strangers

March 16, 2018

When I knelt down to pray with John, we were committing a crime. When we spoke about the Book of Mormon, we were cautious of who might be listening. We were brothers in the truest…

Creationism and Intelligent Design: Scientific and Theological Difficulties

March 16, 2018

Many religious believers today are comfortable with the notion of an evolutionary process over many millions of years as God’s means for achieving the creation. In other words, they believe that, while God governed the creation in some sense, it proceeded largely by natural laws and processes that can be uncovered by diligent research. An open-ended philosophy of this sort is entirely consistent with modern scientific knowledge, and for many (myself included), the “war” between science and religion ends here. 

“All Find What They Truly Seek”: C.S. Lewis, Latter-day Saints, and the Virtuous Unbeliever

March 16, 2018

The apologetic works of Clive Staples (“Jack”) Lewis have transcended denominational boundaries to reach an impressively diverse Christian audience. From the beginning of his apologetic career in the mid-1930s, Lewis received letters from Catholics, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, and other Christians thanking him for his inspiring words. Fans from various Christian traditions who felt a certain kinship with Lewis often expressed regret or bewilderment about his allegiance to the Anglican Church.

René Girard and Mormon Scripture: A Response

March 16, 2018

This short piece responds to Mack C. Stirling’s article, “Violence in the Scriptures: Mormonism and the Cultural Theory of René Girard,” 43, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 59–105. I offer a counter-interpretation of what I take to be (1) the thrust of Girard’s own work on scripture and (2) the implications of that thrust for Girardian interpretation of specifically Mormon scripture. 

Road Trip: The Strange Travels of Mark Sanford and Brigham Young

March 16, 2018

In the backwash from the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, scandals at virtually all levels of government have plagued the American political landscape. Governors have been especially prominent in the media-intensive cavalcade of investigations, confessions, promises of redemption, and resignations. Illinois faces the prospect of having consecutive governors occupying the state penitentiary simultaneously. In New York, peccadillos atop the executive branch have come with such stunning rapidity that as many as six people may end up serving as the Empire State’s governor and lieutenant governor in less than two years. 

El Problema del Dolor/The Problem of Pain

March 16, 2018

Buenos días, hermanos y hermanas. Para los que no me conocen, me llamo Cristian Anderson. Nací en el Lago Salado, Utah, y viví allí hasta los 18 años cuando fui a San Francisco para estudiar biología. Después de un año de estudios salí de misión a Houston Sur en el estado de Texas. Al regresar a la universidad conocí a mi esposa, Marina Capella. Ella nació en Los Ángeles y pasó la mayor parte de su vida en un suburbio que se llama Fontana, hasta que salió a estudiar en la misma universidad que yo. Nos conocimos en octubre y nos casamos en septiembre del siguiente año en el Templo de San Diego, hace 7 años. Todavía somos estudiantes, pero en menos de dos meses Marina recibirá su doctorado de médica pediatra y vamos a mudarnos a Boston, al otro lado del país donde ella estudiará medicina en Harvard y yo trabajaré en el Museo de Historia Natural.