Thursday, November 11, 2004
Reading
I'm reading a really interesting book, and I thought I'd tell y'all what it is: It's the latest by Jon Krakauer, of Into Thin Air fame, and it's called Under the Banner of Heaven. It's a bit of a departure for him, as his previous books have been about obsessive pursuits under extreme conditions, but in a way it's not such a departure. The book is about Mormonism, its history and some of the main tenets, but really it's about fundamentalist Mormonism, and some of its rather terrifying ramifications when it is practiced. He seems to be making the case that certain aspects of Mormonism, polygamy or "celestial marriage" (no longer practiced in mainstream Mormonism) and the anti-woman patriarchal structure in particular, make it a dangerous religion when practiced in its most extreme forms. Of course, what religion is not dangerous when practiced in its extreme (fundamentalist) form? He seems to be building a case against religious belief in general, but hasn't gone that far yet, sticking to the fascinating study of this entirely American religion. And what a religion it is! Wow. The history and dogma of Mormonism are so convoluted and so seemingly outrageous that it's hard to believe that it is on its way to becoming one of the world's major religions. Of course if you look closely at religious history any faith will seem completely outrageous and untenable. The power of human belief is such that we can hang gigantic structures upon its gossamer web and they not only stand, they grow.
I recommend this book if you have any interest in religion, American history (with some Canadian content) or true-crime stories. It's got it all. And Krakauer's a bitchin' writer. Big bias, but it's obvious, so we know what we're reading.
I'm reading a really interesting book, and I thought I'd tell y'all what it is: It's the latest by Jon Krakauer, of Into Thin Air fame, and it's called Under the Banner of Heaven. It's a bit of a departure for him, as his previous books have been about obsessive pursuits under extreme conditions, but in a way it's not such a departure. The book is about Mormonism, its history and some of the main tenets, but really it's about fundamentalist Mormonism, and some of its rather terrifying ramifications when it is practiced. He seems to be making the case that certain aspects of Mormonism, polygamy or "celestial marriage" (no longer practiced in mainstream Mormonism) and the anti-woman patriarchal structure in particular, make it a dangerous religion when practiced in its most extreme forms. Of course, what religion is not dangerous when practiced in its extreme (fundamentalist) form? He seems to be building a case against religious belief in general, but hasn't gone that far yet, sticking to the fascinating study of this entirely American religion. And what a religion it is! Wow. The history and dogma of Mormonism are so convoluted and so seemingly outrageous that it's hard to believe that it is on its way to becoming one of the world's major religions. Of course if you look closely at religious history any faith will seem completely outrageous and untenable. The power of human belief is such that we can hang gigantic structures upon its gossamer web and they not only stand, they grow.
I recommend this book if you have any interest in religion, American history (with some Canadian content) or true-crime stories. It's got it all. And Krakauer's a bitchin' writer. Big bias, but it's obvious, so we know what we're reading.
# posted by becca : 9:40 AM
