Jesus The Christ, The Fifth Standard Work?

[WalkerW]

It's a great devotional book, and highly important for its role in systematizing Mormon beliefs about Christ. Unfortunately, the scholarship is very dated. Elder McConkie tried his own hand at a "doctrinal update" (according to his own, at times, differing opinions) in his multi-volume Messiah Series (just as he tried his own update of Talmage's Articles of Faith with his final work, 'A New Witness For the Articles of Faith') - neither were published by the Church, and neither caught on nearly as much as did Talmage's (although they certainly did become the darling of CES Manuals, and in that backdoor way, worked themself into the institution). It's clear that McConklie viewed himself as Talmage's successor. And in a way, many did view him in that light.

Unfortunately, with JtC's use as one of only a handful of books Missionaries can read, new generations are being raised with that as their de-facto standard in Biblical Scholarship, with Talmage's interpertations of 1st Century Jewish life and doctrinal practice being ingrained as the only way to thing about it. While not canonized, because it is published by the Church and is a specific part of Missionary Curriculum, its highly dated scholarship remains as 21st Century "doctrine".

I think it's a fascinating and important artifact, and very fun to read. Plowing through it is still considered a bit of a Rite of Passage, and a respectable feat. I wish it would be understood more in its historical context than still being viewed as the final word on biblical scholarship among the general membership.

Great link. I would also suggest the following from Dialogue: https://dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V41N04_108.pdf

[Joseph Antley]

Thanks for the links! I'm already putting together a helpful bibliography.

[volgadon]

Bruce R. McConkie may have tried to update "Jesus the Christ" which used mid to late Victorian sources, but at least one of McConkie's frequently used sources was Edwardian, so not much of an improvement.

[Brant Gardner]

Plowing through it is still considered a bit of a Rite of Passage, and a respectable feat.

As a note on this comment only, when I was in Spain (early 70's) it was one of the few church books available in Spanish. One investigator read it and applauded it as much better than the other translated texts. I suspect it was because so much of Talmage's vocabulary had Latin roots! It makes if tougher on English speakers but translates better to a Romance language.