"CHRIST AND ANTICHRIST: Reading Jacob 7," edited by Adam S. Miller and Joseph M. Spencer, Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, $15.95, 148 pages (nf)
In "Christ and Antichrist: Reading Jacob 7," eight contributors share deep insights from chapter seven of Jacob in the Book of Mormon.
Edited by Adam S. Miller, who is an author, professor of philosophy at Collin College, and director of the Mormon Theology Seminar, and Joseph M. Spencer, who is an author, professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and associate director of the Mormon Theology Seminar, "Christ and Antichrist" is divided into eight sections that explore the text of Jacob 7.
Each section focuses on various elements found in the scriptural account of Sherem and Jacob. These scholarly papers primarily use scriptural references from Royal Skousen's "The Book of Mormon: The Earliest Text." The papers mostly focus on the interaction between Sherem, who staunchly preaches the Mosaic law, and the prophet Jacob, brother of Nephi and son of Lehi, who has abandoned the Mosaic tradition for what he calls the "doctrine of Christ."
The collection of theological readings not only detail the nuances of details and meanings within the text, but also draw connections between the Book of Mormon chapter and how it relates to family, laws, prayer, messianic time and other scriptural stories and histories.
Besides Miller and Spencer, other contributors with expertise in various disciplines include Jana Riess, Kimberly M. Berkey, Jacob Rennaker, Jeremy Walker, Jenny Webb and Sharon J. Harris.
"Christ and Antichrist" is a philosophical exploration of Jacob 7 originally developed during a seminar in Mormon Theology in 2015 and presented at a subsequent symposium.