Wrestling the Angel

The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity

By: Terryl L. Givens

Narrated by: B.J. Harrison

In this first volume of his magisterial study of the foundations of Mormon thought and practice, Terryl L. Givens offers a sweeping account of Mormon belief from its founding to the present day. Situating the relatively new movement in the context of the Christian tradition, he reveals that Mormonism continues to change and grow. Givens shows that despite Mormonism's origins in a biblical culture strongly influenced by 19th-century Restorationist thought, which advocated a return to the Christianity of the early Church, the new movement diverges radically from the Christianity of the creeds.

Mormonism proposes its own cosmology and metaphysics, in which human identity is rooted in a premortal world as eternal as God. Mormons view mortal life as an enlightening ascent rather than a catastrophic fall, and reject traditional Christian concepts of human depravity and destiny. Popular fascination with Mormonism's social innovations, such as polygamy and communalism, and its supernatural and esoteric elements - angels, gold plates, seer stones, a New World Garden of Eden, and sacred undergarments - have long overshadowed the fact that it is the most enduring and even thriving product of the 19th century's religious upheavals and innovations.

Wrestling the Angel traces the essential contours of Mormon thought from the time of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young to the contemporary LDS church, illuminating both the seminal influence of the founding generation of Mormon thinkers and the significant developments in the church over almost 200 years. The most comprehensive account of the development of Mormon thought ever written, Wrestling the Angel will be essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the Mormon faith.

©2015 Oxford University Press (P)2014 Audible Inc.

great research on ideas before the restoration

although I'm no longer LDS, I still believe in the restoration and the BoM, so we have some different beliefs about JS and what I believe he actually taught, as I bring out some here https://seekingyhwh.com/resources/lds/ . But I think you did a fantastic job at researching what others believed before the restoration showing these ideas and beliefs are not new.

Good overview of LDS doctrine

Doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in context of history and theology. Some of the author's assumptions, conclusions and suggestions are, well, his theories - could be true, but necessarily. But most of the text are just facts. Very valuable and enjoyable to listen to (great voice!).

A detailed scholarly study of Mormon thought

This is an excellent, in depth study of the foundations of Mormon thought, and how the doctrines of the church have evolved over time. It is extremely detailed and requires a decent amount of effort on the part of the listener, but it is worth the effort to more fully understand the material presented.

Great Overview of Mormon Theology

Any additional comments?

This was the best book on Mormon theology I've ever read. By providing a historical overview for each topic, Givens avoids the problem of merely providing his personal views on Mormon theology. This book has enough depth to be interesting for those already familiar with Mormonism, but I believe he has also succeeded at creating an overview that is accessible for the novice.

excellent effort to validate a chaotic theology

a very well written book , Terryl uses his vast knowledge and insight into all things Mormon to try and link together some of the more vague and chaotic aspects of Mormonism, no small feat given the often seemingly incoherent and discordinated nature of both the original prophecies and their subsequent evolutions into Mormon canonical form.
I really appreciated Givens access to historical literature concerning the various aspects of his religion, these sources are invaluable when when it comes to fleshing out the lines of thought that went into shaping the theology. This is important when it comes to understanding the difference between it's parent religion Christianity and its own ideas, especially since Mormonism prefers to hold on to many of the traditional words though significantly altering the definitions.
I would suggest this book for anyone who believes that Mormonism is essentially the same as Christianity...on either side of that equation, would even suggest this as a must read for pastors and missionaries who operate in heavily LDS influenced locals. A lot of previously written Christian literature written on Mormonism is either plain wrong or is right for the wrong reasons. it shows a deeper respect for both groups if we can show well researched understand of mutual conclusions.