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Dialogue between Evangelicals and Mormons is being encouraged on a number of fronts.
Grace Baptist Church in Bountiful played host to a presentation and panel discussion, "Looking for Love Between Evangelical Christians & Mormons," on Friday night. The featured speaker was David Rowe, a professor and dean of spiritual life at the Salt Lake Theological Seminary, who authored and author of the book, I [heart] Mormons: A New Way to Share Christ with Latter-day Saints, released in August.
Sitting in a seminary conference room earlier this week, Rowe explained that because both religious communities "have strong convictions at the core" and are committed to evangelism, they're "set up to butt heads."
Historically, the two groups have dismissed, even offended, one another - at worst with Evangelicals viewing the LDS Church as a "cult" and Mormons seeing Evangelicals as "apostate," he said.
Rather than fall into this trap, Rowe and others in the seminary think-tank have realized it's better to listen, respect and "learn to speak Mormonese."
"Dialogue's not an end in itself. However, friendship is," Rowe said.
Other leaders in the movement to foster relationships are Craig Blomberg, a Denver seminary professor, and Stephen Robinson, a Brigham Young University professor who co-authored wrote How Wide the Divide? A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation. Robert Millet, of BYU, and Greg Johnson, a Baptist minister, also have led the way - promoting bridge building by speaking together to live audiences across the country and on television.
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