302: James McLachlan: Compelling Mormonism Pt. 1

Mormon Stories Podcast

Dr. John Dehlin

Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 5.2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2011

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

James McLachlan is a professor of philosophy and religion at Western Carolina University, and is actively involved in academic discussions of Mormonism as a co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Mormon Studies Group and a board member and past president of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology. But to overplay his academic bona fides is possibly a mistake, because, as this interview with longtime friend and Mormon Stories contributor Dan Wotherspoon reveals, Jim is the opposite of the stuffy scholar stereotype. In this two-part interview, his incredibly quick and inquisitive mind is on full display, but it’s his good humor and ability to use observations from everyday life, great literature, and important films to elucidate powerful philosophical and religious questions that will surely captivate listeners. Among other discussions, through Jim's lenses Mormonism’s fully engaged God—as Sterling McMurrin described: a God with his"own problems"—comes alive and becomes a highly compelling alternative to traditional Christian views that borrow so heavily from Greek ideas about the nature of perfection. Hear, too, Jim's wonderful take on why those of us who experience many of Mormonism’s theological ideas differently from many in the mainstream might still feel confident in answering temple recommend questions affirmatively.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Mormon Stories Podcast is a production of the Open Stories Foundation.
0:12.0	All donations to Mormon Stories are fully tax deductible and go directly towards keeping
0:16.4	the podcast alive and towards building a community of support for Mormons like you.
0:21.3	To support the podcast or to join the community, please become a monthly subscriber today
0:26.6	at MormonStories.org.
0:30.2	Hello Mormon Stories listeners, this is Dan Weatherspoon.
0:33.4	I am excited to host another one of these conversations for the Mormon Stories Podcast
0:38.7	in addition to the Mormon Matters ones that I do.
0:41.6	And I am with a very good friend of mine today.
0:44.5	He is the kind of guy that I just think far more letter day Saints need to meet.
0:51.4	He is extremely bright, he is so energetic.
0:55.6	He is so likable and he is incredibly smart and just one of those cool Mormons that
1:01.4	everyone deserves to know and his name is Jim McLaughlin.
1:05.6	Jim is a professor at Western Carolina University back in North Carolina and we will get a
1:12.0	feel for his philosophy and the things that he does as we go along here.
1:15.5	But Jim, welcome to the Mormon Stories Podcast.
1:18.9	Hi Dan.
1:21.1	We kind of came to deciding to do this and I ran it by John Delin as an episode for this
1:27.8	and he was really excited about it.
1:29.4	John is known you off and on through sunstone contacts and things as well and finds you fascinating.
1:35.8	So we think our listeners will really enjoy it.
1:38.2	By the time this releases, many of you listeners will have heard Jim already on the Mormon
	...

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