Digging in Cumorah: Reclaiming Book of Mormon Narrative

Rating:
Summary: Breaks new ground
Review: I enjoyed this book because it breaks new ground in terms of Book of Mormon scholarship. Most scholarly works pertaining to the Book of Mormon fall into two categories (1)those which support its historicity as an ancient document, versus (2)those which relegate it to religious fiction. This work focuses on the meaning of Book of Mormon passages by intrepeting the rhetorical forms and narratives found within the book. Skeptics who read this book may find themselves intrigued by the sophisticated narrative styles of the Book of Mormon as elucidated by Mr. Thomas. Believers, on the other hand, may find the resemblence of many of the narratives to King James Version counterparts unsettling. For those seeking a confirmation of their belief of disbelief, look elsewhere. This work shows that the Book of Mormon itself, whether historical or not, is a "good read". The Book of Mormon, like its originator, Joseph Smith, is difficult to "pigeon-hole" and those who read this book will understand why.

Rating:
Summary: A solid form-critical analysis of the Book of Mormon
Review: Thomas makes a solid case that the Book of Mormon (BoM) can be viewed as a document made of several complementary genres. Using this as his key to appreciating the BoM's complexity and "literary-ness". Reading the BoM according to its varying underlying generic structures opens up new ways of interacting with the work. "True believers" in the BoM could be disturbed by the work's deep structural dependence on early 19th-century narrative forms. "True skeptics" could be disturbed by the true narrative complexity of the BoM and may have to reappraise their presuppositions of its authorship. That being said, I would highly recommend this as a work of serious literary (form) criticism examining the BoM on its own terms as a message, as a work of (inspired) literature, written to an early 19th-century audience in early 19-century language and structures.