Binding Earth and Heaven by Gary Shepherd
Focuses on Mormonism as a case study of how unpopular new religions may survive and even flourish in spite of unrelenting opposition. Examines early patriarchal blessings bestowed upon early converts to Mormonism from 1834-1845, and their function as a commitment mechanism for converts.“This is a truly original workIt draws upon both primary and secondary sources to demonstrate the importance of the Mormon ritual institution of patriarchal blessings, which is widespread among Mormons at the grassroots but little known outside the church.”
—Armand L. Mauss, Washington State University
“From the perspective of historical sociology, Gary Shepherd and Gordon Shepherd have written one of the most important studies of gender in Mormon history. They expected to find ‘extreme male bias’ in the ‘patriarchal blessings’ of pastoral counsel and prediction given to women and to men by Mormon patriarchs from the mid-1830s to mid-1840s. Instead, their content analysis of these carefully recorded documents provides statistical evidence of surprising gender egalitarianism in a patriarchal church’s first decade.”
—D. Michael Quinn
“Gary Shepherd and Gordon Shepherd have provided a welcome and successful case study of early Mormonism. Binding Earth and Heaven is generally focused on the tumultuous decades before the martyrdom of founder Joseph Smith, and specifically focused on the function of patriarchal blessings. . . . This is a strong and valuable work, especially in its core statistical analysis.”
—Christopher W. Chase Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions
Gary Shepherd is Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Anthropology at Oakland University.
Gordon Shepherd is Professor of Sociology at the University of Central Arkansas.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780271056340 |
| ISBN 10 | 0271056347 |
| Title | Binding Earth and Heaven |
| Author | Gary Shepherd |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Pennsylvania State University Press |
| Year published | 2016-03-15 |
| Number of pages | 184 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |