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I have heard this name many times in the LDS circles . Can someone please tell me who Terryl Givens is and what he does ??? Thank You. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terryl_Givenshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terryl_Givens” class=”bbcode_url”> He is a professor of religion and literature (don’t know off hand if he has retired).
I would say he attempts to frame things in a way to stay in the faith. Not so much an apologist like FARMS/FAIR, but more “if you look at things a bit different, it isn’t so odd.”
He has written several books and is doing lots of firesides addressing people with doubts. His wife is also very involved an co-authored some books with him and I think she is also a professor (with a wonderful British accent).
I have met Terryl and Fiona Givens and I will say they are charming people (in a very good way). They are intelligent and articulate. They understand faith crisis/transition and, as LH says, frame things from a different point of view than the average active and believing orthodox Mormon. They are indeed believers and defenders of the faith. It seems their most popular books are The God Who Weeps, which is popular even among the more orthodox, and Crucible of Doubtwhich is popular among the less orthodox. Of the two, I like Crucible much more than Weeps, mostly because it is a more readable book. Terryl has studied LDS history, particularly early history, in ways similar to Richard Bushman, and has written some historical books as well – I am currently reading one of them ( Wrestling the Angel). I own another book he wrote about LDS culture which I have not yet read. Godfather of New Mormonism. http://www.churchistrue.com/blog/new-mormonism/ haha, this post got me in a little bit of hot water with conservative LDS types.I have put together some links. The first is to a podcast interview on Mormon Discussion.
The remaining 4 links are threads on StayLDS where we discuss some of the book and interviews of Terryl and Fiona Givens.
http://www.mormondiscussionpodcast.org/2014/10/fiona-terryl-givens-crucible-of-doubt/ http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5946&p=81598&hilit=weeps#p81598 http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5882&p=80653&hilit=weeps#p80653 http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5860&p=80354&hilit=weeps#p80354 http://forum.staylds.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3776&p=56407&hilit=weeps#p56407 I wish I could just see things the way they do or that Dan Weatherspoon does as there is so much of Mormonism that I love, but try as I might I have not been able to do that. I do have on my late summer reading list both the crucible of doubt and the god that weeps. LookingHard wrote:I wish I could just see things the way they do or that Dan Weatherspoon does as there is so much of Mormonism that I love, but try as I might I have not been able to do that.
I also wish I could see Mormonism as Terryl and Fiona Givens, Dan Wotherspoon, Patrick Mason, Richard & Claudia Bushman, and many of you do. I can’t say that there is so much of Mormonism that I love, but it is very much a part of my identity and the culture I live in every day. As much as I want to avoid it, I’m afraid I see Mormonism now more like Jeremy Runnells, John Dehlin, Marisa and Carson Calderwood, Lindsay Hansen-Park and others do.
Lord, I want to believe. Help thou mine unbelief!
“Crucible of Doubt” and “The God Who Weeps” are wonderful books. I recommend them highly. I think they and the Bushman’s are kind of like Nibley was in my early life: believers who were open about issues in the LDS Church and who are respected by the leadership. It is critical to have that sort of people in the Church.
Faithful and LH – Take heart. This journey is a process. I have met with Dan Wotherspoon a couple of times. His place where he is now has taken his entire life. He has been in and out, searching and questioning. If his objective is yours it will happen, but he is a light because he has experienced dark. As for feeling like the cut off branch, that may be a gift. Our theology implies the idea that God experienced all things to become who he is. If that is the case then who knows what deep agonies he went through. Maybe he too questioned deeply, felt cut off, shook his fist at his maker. We don’t know, and I am not stating it is a fact – but I find comfort that maybe this experience is one he looks down and smiles at me with. I anchor my hope there. Maybe embracing our pain is the best answer.
On the Givens and Bushman’s I find myself drawn to the wives most. Not because of our gender connection, but because I sense that Fiona understands religious loss more deeply and Claudio Bushman is so comfortable in her own skin, church doesn’t frighten her. Both of those characteristics shape my yearnings.
Thanks Mom for the reminder. I do have to look at how much my anger towards “being lied to” only 2+ years ago has dissipated to realize that I can change. LH – I didn’t mean to come off rude. The anger takes years, and just when you think you’ve got it settled something shoots is back or adds a new twist. The point I meant to make was more me centric. As I walk through this I keep picking up people who I feel really get the pain and find a place of peace. I tuck them in my pocket like a lucky penny. Dan Wotherspoon is one of them. I liked him before I met him, but the one on one chat we had really solidified my admiration of him. Like you I look forward to the time I might be half that peaceful and hopeful.
And of the Givens’ I hold Fiona closer. She left a faith, she has family who don’t understand her new views. She said one time the pain and awkwardness still exists. I feel like she gets us, the lost hurting, the strained. I believe Terryl means to as well. I think he is heart is sincere, he just will likely never know the full pain. From a woman who has born children, Terryl is the woman whose labor was only 2 hours long and all the breathing training was perfect.
So LH take your time. It appears to take a decade or more to fully process the experience. And lucky us, the church seems to have a 6 week agitation update to help. I think you’re doing great.
Thanks and you did not “come off as rude”.
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