Book Series
Contemporary Studies in Scripture
Contemporary Studies in Scripture is an exciting new series from Greg Kofford Books featuring authors whose works engage in rigorous textual analyses of the Bible and other LDS scripture. Written by Latter-day Saints for a Latter-day Saint audience, these books utilize the tools of historical criticism, literature, philosophy, and the sciences to celebrate the richness and complexity found in the standard works. This series will provide readers with new and fascinating ways to read, study, and re-read these sacred texts.
Exploring Mormon Thought
The first book ever published by Greg Kofford Books, Blake Ostler's Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 1: The Attributes of God, was a groundbreaking work in Mormon theology. In this volume Ostler critiqued and contrasted classical theism against Mormon theisim, with a special emphasis on the challenges and opportunities offered by Mormon theology in dealing with the problem of divine foreknowledge and human free will. In later volumes, Ostler extends his use of philosophical argumentation and scriptural exegesis to further explore and understand Mormon theology in relation to topics such as the problem of evil, the Atonement, and the nature of God in relation to His creation.
Joseph Smith's Polygamy
Few areas of Mormon history are as contested, scandalized, and misunderstood than Joseph Smith's marriages to multiple women. In Brian Hales's exhaustive 3-volume series, he closely examines every known document and account of this practice to not only offer a more accurate account of this aspect of Mormonism, but to also place the practice within the broader theological world that Joseph Smith was revealing. In Toward a Better Understanding Brian and Laura Hales present the findings of their research in a more accessible manner, providing both a easy to read chronology of how the practice developed and a collection of brief biographies of each of the known wives of the Prophet.
The Mormon Image in Literature
The Mormon Image in Literature reprints important literary works by and about Mormons—from the sensational anti-polygamy books and dime novels of the Civil War era to the first attempts of Mormon writers to craft a regional literature in their Great Basin kingdom. Each volume contains a critical introduction, helpful annotations, and multiple appendices that enlighten and enliven the text. These volumes have been designed for both Mormon and non-Mormon readers who want to understand the cultural importance of Mormonism during the first Latter-day Saint century.
Perspectives on Mormon Theology
Perspectives on Mormon Theology is designed to facilitate and advance the academic study of Latter-day Saint thought. As Mormon Studies continues to develop as an academic field, there is increasing demand for scholarship that engages theological studies and the philosophy of religion. This series is a response to this need and is designed to provide interested readers additional resources in understanding this rich and intriguing religious tradition. Each volume engages a specific theological topic and exhibits a variety of perspectives in the topic area. The series is not intended to defend any particular position, but rather to provide a forum within which a range of approaches and methodologies are given voice.
Second Witness / Gift and Power / Traditions of the Fathers
Heralded as "the most comprehensive commentary on the Book of Mormon to date," Brant Gardner's 6-volume Second Witness: Analytical & Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon has been widely praised for his detailed and responsible readings of the text in light of contemporary scholarship on the ancient world. Gardner followed up the series with Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon, where he formulates a theory of how Joseph Smith produced his translation of the Book of Mormon, and Traditions of the Fathers: The Book of Mormon as History, where he examines events in the Book of Mormon in the context of Mesomamerican culture.