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Series:   Elements in New Religious Movements

Mormonism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2024

Matthew Bowman
Matthew Bowman
Affiliation:
Claremont Graduate University

Summary

This Element will focus on the various denominations in the Mormon tradition, collectively sometimes referred to as 'Mormonism.' They include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the several sects of Mormon fundamentalism and multiple other denominations. Often described as the quintessential new religious movement, Mormonism is useful for studying the dynamics of new religious formation, evolution, schism, and adaptation to American culture more broadly. It emerged in the heat of the Second Great Awakening, the flourishing of religious creativity and innovation that followed American disestablishment, inspired by the visionary ideas of Joseph Smith, Jr., a New York farmer who adopted a particular style of restorationism, a form of Christianity popular in the period. Since that time, the various branches of Mormonism have embraced different relationships with the broader stream of American culture. Some have sought integration with America's Protestant majority; others have emphasized sectarian distinctiveness.
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Keywords

MormonismJoseph SmithChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsFundamentalismModernism
Type
Element
Information
Series: Elements in New Religious Movements
Online ISBN: 9781009537650
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 16 January 2025

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Mormonism
  • Matthew Bowman, Claremont Graduate University
  • Online ISBN: 9781009537650
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Mormonism
  • Matthew Bowman, Claremont Graduate University
  • Online ISBN: 9781009537650
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Mormonism
  • Matthew Bowman, Claremont Graduate University
  • Online ISBN: 9781009537650
Available formats
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