As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture

by Julie M. Smith (Editor)

Our scripture study and reading often assume that the prophetic figures within the texts are in complete agreement with each other. Because of this we can fail to recognize that those authors and personalities frequently have different—and sometimes competing—views on some of the most important doctrines of the Gospel, including the nature of God, the roles of scripture and prophecy, and the Atonement.

In this unique volume, fictionalized dialogues between the various voices of scripture illustrate how these differences and disagreements are not flaws of the texts but are rather essential features of the canon. These creative dialogues include Abraham and Job debating the utility of suffering and our submission to God, Alma and Abinidi disagreeing on the place of justice in the Atonement, and the authors Mark and Luke discussing the role of women in Jesus’s ministry. It is by examining and embracing the different perspectives within the canon that readers are able to discover just how rich and invigorating the scriptures can be. The dialogues within this volume show how just as “iron sharpeneth iron,” so can we sharpen our own thoughts and beliefs as we engage not just the various voices in the scriptures but also the various voices within our community (Proverbs 27:17).

Genres: Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Mormonism, Philosophy, Theology

188 pages, Paperback

Published August 2, 2016

About the author

Julie M. Smith graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in English and from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, with an MA in Biblical Studies. She is on the executive board of the Mormon Theology Seminar and the steering committee for the BYU New Testament Commentary. She is the author of Search, Ponder, and Pray: A Guide to the Gospels and the editor of and contributor to As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture and Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21–22. Julie is married to Derrick Smith; they live near Austin, Texas, where she homeschools their children.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant concept brilliantly executed. Kudos to Julie Smith for the excellent idea and for recruiting so many writers with the depth and skill to pull it off. These fictional conversations between scriptural characters highlight the wide variety of understandings of and approaches to different aspects of the gospel and exemplify the wrestle we should all have with our scriptures. Rather than trying to force all the myriad voices into a single, consistent, non-contradictory message, beauty and truth is to be found in exploring the differences.

All of the pieces were thought-provoking and some will likely speak more to certain individuals than others. Personally, I found the dialogues between Abraham and Job on suffering, between Tamar and David on personal morality, between Mark and Luke on women's roles, and between Hannah and Sariah on complaint particularly intriguing. And the one on polygamy between Jacob and Joseph Smith. And Moses and Paul discussing the law was fascinating. And Job again, this time with John, about the Satans. And Mormon and Israel talking about wealth seemed especially contemporary in its concerns.

Ok, so that's basically the whole book. Truly, one of the more engaging and accessible books I've read on religious topics in a long time.

[Sharman Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this collection of essays: invite several different Mormon scholars to each take two characters from different times and places in scripture, find a topic on which they have opposing views, and invent a dialogue between them respectfully disagreeing with each other. Some of the essays were better-written or closer to my own level of understanding than others, but I loved partaking of this exercise in thinking out of the box.

For those who insist that there are no real contradictions in holy writ--even though these books were penned by often inspired but flawed human beings from different cultures over thousands of years, then chosen as canon by other flawed human beings from among other similar writings--I entreat you to take even just the four Gospels and try to make them match, detail for detail. And you know what? It's perfectly fine--in fact, it's wonderful that they don't fit harmoniously together! For these writers, historical or ideological accuracy was an alien concept. They had a perspective to share--a story to tell--that helped them make sense of the culturally meaningful stories that had been passed down (mostly by word of mouth) to them.

This collection of essays shows the richness and complexity of the scriptures--as rich and as complex as every human life. Coming to terms with paradox--two opposing ideas that are equally true, like two sides of a coin--is what challenges us to grow up to maturity. Stephen Peck's dialogue between Abraham and St. Thomas about faith and doubt is a particularly effective example. Julie Smith brings Mark and Luke together to express how Jesus honored women in ways that seem to oppose each other. Each of the essays brings out a different paradox for their scriptural characters--and us--to grapple and grow with.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of seventeen fictional dialogues between various characters in scripture. They explore a topic where each character brings a unique and often contradicting viewpoint. They meet, discuss, sometimes resolve their difference and sometimes not. This "illustrate how these differences and disagreements are not flaws of the texts but are rather essential features of the canon.”

Among my favorites is Abraham and Thomas discussing doubt by Stephen Peck. It was the best prose. Additionally Peck's Midrash of Isaac's sacrifice was enlightening and thought provoking. In Peck's take the angel is Sarah, who was sent by God as an act of mercy to counter Abraham's lack of doubt. In another, Job and Abraham discuss suffering. Abraham never complained, Job did nothing but complain, yet both were accepted by God. Mark and Luke discuss Women's Roles.

Quite thought provoking was when Tamar and David discuss personal morality. Both committed sexual sin, but for very different reasons and with very different consequences. Tamar, the wise grandmother, schools David a little, and we all learn. Balaam and Daniel compare prophet-hood.

And there is more. Each story submitted by a different author.

[Jenny Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie M. Smith invited authors to contribute a fictionalized dialogue on a specific topic between any two people in that appear in the Mormon scriptural canon. The result is a fascinating set of dialogues that range far and wide over topics such as doubt, morality, suffering, the atonement, satan, wealth, the Law, etc. The point behind this approach is to demonstrate how the various people that populate the scriptures themselves held somewhat varying approaches to and understanding of these doctrinal and theological topics. While the various viewpoints are grounded in and consistent with the evidence in the scripture texts we have for their beliefs and arguments, these imaginative discussions allow us as readers to approach theses figures as humans—brothers and sisters who, like us, are doing their best to find truth and cultivate faith. The collection is well worth reading!

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great model for dialogue on scripture. Each essay was significant in its own way, and their compilation in a single volume is yet another example of how productivity of discourse is enabled by perspective and stylistic diversity.

[Laura Housley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please keep writing and editing books Julie M. Smith.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting pieces and some less so. Also a great of example of how scholarly authors don't necessarily make good writers of fictional dialogue.

[Sally]

Described in Julie M Smith's "As honey for sweetness: wrestling with the various voices of scriptures" in Sunstone's Winter 2016 issue.