Here are my theses statements:
1. [Policy Claim] The Book of Mormon should be allowed to be taught as literature, so as to understand how it was written, and to understand the structure of the writings throughout the book.
2. [Definition Claim] Many only hold the Book of Mormon for its religious/theological purposes, and is also a book esteemed as scripture by Mormons.
3. [Comparison Claim] To teach the Book of Mormon as literature is like teaching the Bible as literature.
4. [Evaluation Claim] To teach the Book of Mormon as literature is good because understanding the text will help the student put things into context.
5. [Cause/Effect Claim] If the Book of Mormon were to be taught as literature in school (grade school or college), it could help better shape society.
This is what I've got for now. Which thesis statement should I use? And for the thesis statement you like, how could it be improved?
You may need to specify which schools or types of schools that this would be appropriate for. Your claim is related to the general issue of teaching scripture as literature. It would be interesting to read arguments for reading the Bible of literature (or even the Koran as literature). It is not uncommon. What types of studies or courses would this be relevant for? Or are you interested in advocating that people read it privately as literature? That raises some other questions.
ReplyDeleteI think you need to narrow this topic down more. Teaching the Book of Mormon qua book opens the floodgate to interpretations you yourself may not be comfortable with: to a secular scholar, they'll focus on its nineteenth-century authorship and the personalities of Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon as people.
ReplyDeleteI was able to see the manuscript of the 63rd section of the Doctrine and Covenants. Nothing about it, per se, necessitates my believing it is inspired scripture. (The Bible perhaps has the advantage of being cloaked in centuries of mythology and uncertainty; the Book of Mormon, being a nineteenth century text, has none of these advantages.)
What you propose is not unheard of, though concentrated at the university level. Claremont's graduate program specialty in Mormon studies is widely regarded as one of the best: I'd highly recommend looking at these conference proceedings to see faculty members (some here at BYU) interested in the BoM as literature. But keep in mind, their scholarship is not meant to be faith-promoting, any more than taking a history of Islam means you'll come out a converted Muslim at the end.
Dr. Burton and Charly have some good points. Why would people be studying the Book of Mormon at any level that would increase spiritual understanding if it wasn't an inherently religion (and thus not literature) course?
ReplyDeleteMy religion professors have brought aspects of literature in as the were relevant to the chapters they were studying. To have a course go more in depth on the literary aspects would be fascinating, but might only be relevant to BYU, and just one course at that one university at that.
Not that I'm saying people haven't studied the BoM solely for it's literary aspects, like the Bible, but is that anything that anybody outside of the Church is going to take seriously for its own merit?
I don't know what Dr. Burton would think about this, but perhaps you could alter your thesis statement to be instead arguing that the Book of Mormon has literary merit, rather than taking that as a given and arguing people should read it that way.
I like Leah's proposed revision of your thesis statement. If you go that route, choose specific Book of Mormon passages to use your rhetorical toolbox on. And keep in mind a pet peeve in mind: when people go instantly for the Bible-quotation passages. All that's arguing (from a literary standpoint) is that, say, the book of Isaiah has literary merit (which no one was arguing).
DeleteIf you can respond to Mark Twain's allegation that the Book of Mormon is boring ... "chloroform in print," in fact, that could be a worthwhile starting point.
Dude, this class has ALREADY made me read the Book of Mormon privately as literature. Just today, I read about the Nephite's division of labor in Mosiah 10, and I thought, "Hey that could also be a symbolic reference to The Fall." So instead of reading Mosiah 10:4-5, I read Mosiah 10:4, Genesis 3:17-19, Mosiah 10:5, Genesis 3:6-7.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I read 2 Nephi chapter 9 as literature last week, as well as Chapter 10 of the said book. Isaiah follows after.
Delete