Harold bloom book of mormon

Harold bloom considers himself a religious critic and the american religion a work of religious criticism. B bloom is positively enamored with joseph smith, whom he cordially refers to as an authentic. Several questions crucial to modern gnostic studies are raised by this emerging dialogue. I just happen to have blooms book on my shelf at the moment and want to do something with it before it starts generating fines at the ridiculous rate of 25 cents per day which vastly overstates the daily harm i might inflict on the local reading. The title doesnt seem terribly ominous, bloom has famously written a book on american religion, and hes known for having a fascination with mormons. Mar 02, 20 mormons, members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints often mistakenly called the mormon church, have more about enoch, found in the book of moses in the pearl of great price. Jun 30, 2019 harold bloom, who is jewish, is arguably the foremost living scholar on american literature. Robert lopez is an american songwriter of musicals, best known for cocreating the book of mormon and avenue q, and for cowriting the songs featured in the 3d disney computer animated films frozen and its sequel, frozen ii and coco.

Quite simply put, modern mormonism guardian of the prophets story has no idea what to do with the rediscovered, historical, and rather occult joseph smith. Bloom is an internationally recognized literary critic. He is often cited as the most influential critic of the late 20th century. Which nonmormon observers praise the book of mormon for its.

Gerald bradford every now and then a book is written about mormonism which by all accounts is fascinating, meaning that it both attracts. Harold bloom is arguably the foremost living scholar of american literature. Harold bloom, the celebrated yale literary critic, has offered a recent. Harold bloom, the selfproclaimed unbelieving jew and distinguished scholar, recently characterized joseph smith as a religious genius, stating that the religion smith founded is truly a biblical religion. Harold bloom biography, life, interesting facts childhood and early life. First a bigoted baptist pastor, then a lapsed catholic columnist, and now a gnostic jewish professor have felt the need to publicly unburden themselves of anti mormon. Mormons are somewhat fond of quoting yale professor harold bloom when he refers to the founding prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints as an authentic religious genius. In both of them, his contribution is a sneering, patronizing attack on tolkien, tolkien readers, and the writers of the essays included in his book. I think it is a spectacular book, one of the most important written by an important scholar. Oct 14, 2019 harold bloom was born on july 11, 1930, in the east bronx, into an orthodox jewish household. May 23, 2003 today, 200 years after his birth, his views on power, rejection of old europe and belief in a personal god are even more influential, pervading american culture and politics, argues harold bloom.

Harold bloom on the mormon breakthrough fairmormon. The poem is by a mormon and appeared in an anthology of mormon poetry and was labelled by a mormon scholar of literature as a mormon poem. Harold bloom july 11, 1930 october 14, 2019 was an american literary critic and the sterling professor of humanities at yale university. Harold bloom, the mormons documentarythese past few weeks havebeen open season on the lds church. Nov 14, 2011 harold bloom, americas greatest living literary scholar, wrote an essay for the new york times over the weekend titled will this election be the mormon breakthrough. Aug 03, 2008 harold bloom is one of my personal heroes.

I find his religious ideas fascinating, even when i disagree with them. The book of moses was received by revelation to joseph smith as he was working on a new translation of the book of genesis. The emergence of the postchristian nation 1992, by harold bloom. A fascinating book about the mormons and other religious groups in the united states is harold blooms the american religion. He may be josephs best reader from a purely literary point of view. And his significant claim in the book of mormon that america had experienced a thousand years of a hebraic culture creates a strong tie of mormon cosmology to america bloom, p.

One odd feature of this bizarre republican primary season is what we havent seen yet. Harold bloom born july 11, 1930 is an american literary critic and sterling professor of humanities at yale university. He was the youngest of five children of william and paula lev bloom, struggling immigrants from. Nov 14, 2011 harold bloom, the celebrated yale literary critic, has offered a recent opinion piece with the new york times. All religion, western and eastern, is founded upon miracle. Why the book of mormon the musical is awesomely lame. Mar 02, 2018 attacks against the book of mormon have experienced a kind of mission creep since its publication in 1830. Critics began by labeling the book bungling and stupid, joe smith a perfect ignoramus, and they claimed any blunderhead, with the bible at his side, might have written it.

The emergence of the postchristian nation new york, ny. Joseph smiths many histories joseph smiths many histories. The use of harold blooms description of joseph smith as a religious genius in this video may mislead viewers into thinking bloom was referring directly to the book of mormon. Is the authentic religious genius that harold bloom ascribes to joseph smith related to his book of mormon.

It no longer contains current data and will be sunset by april 30, 2020. I think at one time or another, i have read every sentence of it, but i have never been able to read it consecutively. Harold blooms mormons alan goff follow this and additional works at. What he says about the lds tradition, joseph smith, and the future of the church, has engendered a wide range of responses. I just happen to have bloom s book on my shelf at the moment and want to do something with it before it starts generating fines at the ridiculous rate of 25 cents per day which vastly overstates the daily harm i. I get this same feeling when i read bloom on romantic poetry. Bloom is fascinated by the mormons, which is my family background. Harold bloom s coupling of joseph smith to the gnostic tradition has aroused animated disagreement among students of mormonism and gnosticism alike. Givens examines the book of mormon in terms of the claims that its narrators make for its historical genesis, its purpose as a sacred text, and its meaning for an audience which shifts over the course of the history it unfolds. The atheist controversialist richard dawkins has, on a few occasions, centered joseph smith and the book of mormon in his polemical crosshairs. First a bigoted baptist pastor, hadeeth a lapsed catholic columnist, and now a gnostic jewish professor have felt the need to publicly unburden them selves of anti mormon. Bloom isnt merely criticizing religion in a superficial way, which is often done by academics with little thought or care for the subject of their criticism.

A fascinating book about the mormons and other religious groups in the united states is harold bloom s the american religion. His handling of all of the evidence surrounding the original discovery and translation of the plates is as clear, judicious, and balanced as one could wish. Now he weighs in on possibility of electing a mormon for president. The eminent yale professor and jewish literary scholar harold bloom called the book of moses and the book of abraham two of the more surprising and neglected works of latterday saint scripture. These distinct perceptions of smiths plants a lasting impression of the connection between the religion of mormonism and the country of america. And in popular culture, high and low, right and left, the past ten years in america has been something of a mormon moment. Is the authentic religious genius that harold bloom ascribes to. Since the publication of his first book in 1959, bloom has written more than 20 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and a novel. Nov 14, 2011 yesterday came a more surprising entrant in the small camp of 2011 mormon skeptics. Bloom dismisses the book of mormon, claiming that the current. Harold bloom, the mormons documentary these past few weeks have been open season on the lds church. As such, he has studied all of the main works attributed to joseph smith, since the book of mormon is one of the most influential works of american literature.

Id recommend that everybody read philosopher harold blooms book the american religion. Givens treatment of the history of scholarship on the book of mormon is simply the best, most judicious and engaging survey available. Its everything his astounding body of revelations, the church he founded, the theology he created, the innovations he made to christian thinking, the extraordinary explanatory power of his contributions to philosophy and religious thinking, the. Dec 22, 2010 for those of you interested enough to by this video please visit cspan book tv, harold bloom. He is a gnostic with a lowercase g jew and has a lot of insights about how both mormonism and to a lesser extent evangelicalism is gnostic. Nov, 2017 harold bloom is arguably the foremost living scholar of american literature. Gnosticism and mormonism general discussions mormon. Is the authentic religious genius that harold bloom. Have any nonmormon scholars seriously analyzed the book of. Bloom, harold manuscript collection descriptions hbll.

The author traces five governing themes in particularrevelation, christ, zion, scripture, and familyand analyzes the. Famed literary critic harold bloom called joseph smith a religious genius in his acclaimed the american religion. Dawkins typically brings up the jacobean english of the book of mormon as evidence against its authenticity. Bloom considers the 1842 wentworth letter ending with the articles of faith to be one of josephs most characteristic texts, and examines it carefully p. Its important to understand what he means by criticism, however. Harold bloom s anxiety of mormon influence the new republic nov.

About 180 years later, the book of mormon made its broadway debut at the eugene oneill theatre. Harold bloom, the legendary shakespeare scholar at yale best known for anxiety of influence, 1973, which. Harold blooms anxiety of mormon influence the new republic. Even some of the book of mormon s most skeptical critics have felt compelled to change their tune.

Omens of millennium key passages epigraph introduction prelude. Harold bloom, the legendary shakespeare scholar at yale best known for anxiety of influence, 1973, which argued that poets and writers are engaged above all in a struggle with their great precursors. Have any nonmormon scholars seriously analyzed the book. In the november th nytimes, he addresses the significance of our first mormon presidential nominee. Highbrow appreciation of mormon esoterica began in 1993 with harold bloom s the american religion and tony kushners angels in america. Harold bloom, the legendary shakespeare scholar at. Joseph smith, richard dawkins, and the language of.

By way of introduction, harold bloom has previously written on mormonism, to which he gives the crowning title the american religion. Two years ago, harold blooms boldly original work, the american religion, offered introduction to this unknown prophet. It makes little sense to present arguments against joseph smith and early mormonism that would. Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 volume 5number 1 article 29 1993 reduction and enlargement. The use of harold bloom s description of joseph smith as a religious genius in this video may mislead viewers into thinking bloom was referring directly to the book of mormon. Opinion will this election be the mormon breakthrough.

Angels visions of angles their current debasement metatron, who was enoch the. I dont, however, have any more substantive argument as to why this is a mormon poem, although i can imagine that one might be made. Bloom, himself a jew of sorts, seems suitably flattered by josephs preference for ancient israelite themes over pauline christian doctrines p. There are enigmatic splendors in the book of mormon, whether it was revealed to joseph smith or whether it emerged from his indubitable religious genius. To bloom, the religion of europes puritans had grown wild and unrestrained in the liberated soil of america. Harold bloom project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Journal of the book of mormon and restoration scripture volume 18 issue 1 journal of the book of mormon and restoration scripture volume 18 issue 1. Harold bloom, humanities professor the book of mormon is not easy reading. I read his wonderful 1992 book the american religion shortly after my trip to utah and just reread it recently with great pleasure.

His fascination is similar to mine, and his references to sterling mcmurrin and brigham roberts immediately captured my images of them not to mention joseph smith, brigham young and john taylor. Omens of millennium harold blooms gnostic sermon the. The gnosticism of harold bloom or, what does the daemon. Every christian in america should read this book and anyone outside of america who want some serious help in. Nov 14, 2011 at the same time bloom is saying the lds church has become just another protestant denomination with a taste for money and power, he also trots out readings, misreadings and near misreadings of lds beliefs that he could have gotten from his former student who helped create broadways book of mormon musical. Enoch is one of the most fascinating people in the old testament, and there is a mythology which has understandably grown up around him.

What is the relationship of later gnostic movements to classical gnosticism. Yale professor harold bloom warns of romney and mormon. Find thousands of lds books, movies, music and more. The original and the belated testaments, notebooks in cultural. His parents were orthodox jews, and he grew up in a yiddish household. Critics, and even friendlier outside observers like harold bloom, have sometimes come away from reading the book of mormonin blooms case not reading it very muchbut theyve sometimes come away thinking that there isnt much mormonism in the book. Another equally fascinating book about the mormons and other religious groups in the united states is harold blooms the. It seems ive read more about bloom than by him, though there is a copy of the western canon on a bookshelf somewhere in the house. You may purchase it there or watch the full product. Bloom himself was raised an orthodox jew, and he is a scholar of hebrew and jewish religion and tradition as well. But the critical objections to the lord of the rings arent merely stylistic. Sometimes, reading tolkien, i am reminded of the book of mormon, writes bloom.

There is little about him in the bible mormons, members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints often mistakenly called the mormon church, have more about enoch, found in the book of moses in the pearl of great. For a consideration of blooms work, see alan goff, reduction and enlargement. This is how harold bloom ends one of the best essays ive read in a long time, found here. Harold bloom is an academic slut who will put his name on anything for six bits. His two possibly three anthologies of tolkien criticism are classic examples of that. Highbrow appreciation of mormon esoterica began in 1993 with harold blooms the american religion and tony kushners angels in america. Joseph smith and his visions came out of what religious historians have called the burnedover district burned over by endless revivals the 1830s in the western reserve of new york state. When i first met bloom in person, i spotted little, big, a 1981 novel by john crowley, on his diningroom table. Yesterday came a more surprising entrant in the small camp of 2011 mormon skeptics.

He regards joseph smith as a genius specifically because he believes smith was a fraud. An americanborn religion american experience official. Terryl givens has written an important work that increases our understanding of both the book of mormon and of mormonism generally. The faithfulness of ammon the faithfulness of ammon. What he says about the lds tradition, joseph smith, and the future of the church, has engendered a. Taglined as gods favorite musical, the hysterical satire is unsurprisingly offensive and appalling, but. Yale professor harold bloom warns of romney and mormon theocracy. The original and the belated testaments, notebooks in cultural analysis 1 1984. Jul 18, 2018 ive known about harold bloom since i first read the american religion 1992, 20 in 2015, but about two months ago i discovered for the first time what may be called despite blooms own wishes the spiritual successor to that previous book. The emergence of the postchristian nation this is an exceptional study. I wonder though which is more dangerous, a knowledgehungry religious zealotry or a proudly stupid.

Tolkiens versewhich litters the text of the lord of the rings is generally accepted to be even worse. Sep 16, 2012 the heretical vistas of mormonism, particularly the idea of something uncreated within the human being, excited the selfdescribed gnostic jew, harold bloom. American literary critic harold bloom was born in new york city on the 11 july 1930 to immigrants paula lev and william bloom. He is also a respected scholar of jewish culture and religion. For instance, josephs famous biographer fun, brody saw him as a myth maker of prodigious talent and harold bloom, a welltrained literary scholar considered joseph smith to be a religious genius. Since then he has been quoted in general conference, and has been quoted in the pages of the new era and ensign. Harold bloom, mormons and spleenventing getreligion. Harold bloom, the sterling professor of the humanities at yale, who has written about mormonism in his book the american religion, observes that mormons have repeated in a deep sense the.