AN INTELLECTUAL EVENING ON RELIGION

The School of Religion at Claremont Graduate University
and the
Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies
Presented a Lecture on
AN EVANGELICAL PERSPECTIVE OF JOSEPH SMITH
by

Richard J. Mouw & Robert Millet

Dad and grandpa went out to the Claremont School of Theology last evening for this lecture and "response" by these two distinguished and highly intelligent professors. They were introduced by Richard Bushman (the Howard W. Hunter Visiting Professor in Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University and author of the best selling book Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling). It was very interesting, and very, very intellectual. Dad came away feeling one of the main themes of the lecture was that Christianity must consider that there is more to Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon than the two alternative views ascribed to him historically by the rest of Christianity as lunatic or liar.

Dr. Richard J. Mouw is president of Fuller Theological Seminary, the largest evangelical seminary in the country, (and just down the street from dad's office in Pasadena coincidentally) . He is the author of 17 books, including the recently released Praying at Burger King (2007). He was a founder with Robert Millett of the ongoing Mormon-Evangelical discussion group and is a contributor to a forthcoming book of essays on Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith: Reappraisals after Two Centuries.

Robert Millet is Professor of Ancient Scripture, at BYU, former Dean of the College of Religious Education and now Abraham O. Smoot University professor at BYU, has worked for twelve years to build bridges of understanding with other religious traditions. Recent pertinent books (among the over 50 he has written) include Holding Fast: Dealing with Doubt in the Latter Days (2008); What Happened to the Cross? (2007), and Claiming Christ: A Mormon and Evangelical Debate (2007).