It's not often that you find a senior American politician engaging in theological cut-and-thrust in print. But Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Utah has got a new book coming out next month in which he does exactly that.
I don't yet have my copy of An American, A Mormon, and a Christian: What I Believe, but according to Doug Gibson, the opinion editor of the Ogdon Standard-Examiner, here's how Hatch goes about it.
The book does a thorough job of including chapters on Mormon theology. It starts with “Our Life Before Birth” and ends with “Eternal Marriage” and a last, personal testimony from the author. Hatch has accumulated a vast amount of scriptures from the Bible, and other LDS scriptures, to back more controversial LDS beliefs, such as the pre-existence, a distinct Godhead, Joseph Smith, latter-day prophets, the need for priesthood authority, eternal marriage, etc. I was impressed by Hatch’s “scripture-chasing” abilities. He’s found more biblical quotes than I can muster on defending many elements of my faith’s doctrines. The book would be an ideal help for missionaries who regularly encounter skeptics.
Occasionally there will be a more combative tone. Hatch is contemptuous of the traditional belief that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three different ingredients of the same substance. He writes, “Some churches teach that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are one being, essence, or substance, like water steam, and ice — three different aspects of the same thing. They also teach that God is a spirit without body, parts, or passions. Are these teachings biblically correct? No!”
"Some churches" refers, of course, to every Christian church that follows the Nicene Creed's doctrine of the Trinity, which is probably about 99 percent of them. Early Christians did fight over the doctrine, with the Arians (including the Emperor Constantine and his family) preferring to believe that Christ was only of a similar substance as God the Father. But the Arians lost out by an iota.
I imagine that the 78-year-old Sen. Hatch, who's a shoe-in for reelection this year after beating back a Tea Party challenger for the Republican nomination, wrote the book simply in order to share his testimony with his co-religionists. Published by Cedar Fort, a small Mormon publishing company located just south of Provo, the book would not ordinarily be destined for circulation beyond the confines of the LDS world.
But in the midst of this year's Mormon Run for the White House, interest in the doctrinal convictions of the dean of American Mormon politicians may be of wider interest. Mitt Romney is, so far as anyone can tell, every bit the good Mormon Hatch is, and it is hardly to be doubted that he shares Hatch's orthodox LDS beliefs. I'm guessing that, in the Romney camp, they're praying that the book gets as little attention as possible.
Michael | Aug 16, 2012 | 8:08pm
I’ve just recently started reading your blog here at RNS, so that’s why several comments are showing up all around the same time.
I think you’re right about the Romney campaign wishing this book away. But I have to wonder what Hatch’s thoughts were on publishing this book now. Surely he knows the effect this would have on Romney if the book achieves popularity (or notoriety), and Hatch is a little long in the tooth to scuttle Romney’s campaign for his own benefit. Who stands to benefit the most from this situation? Or am I being too cynical, and Hatch really just wants to share his faith?
Mark Silk | Aug 16, 2012 | 8:20pm
Your guess is as good as mine. Mormons do love to give testimony, and this book may have been in the works for a long time. On the other hand, perhaps Hatch is harboring (maybe even subconsciously) a longstanding annoyance that Romney is so persistently evansive about the doctrines of their common faith.
Michael | Aug 16, 2012 | 8:52pm
Of course I should probably admit to an omnipresent distrust of politicians and their motives, whatever side of the aisle they happen to occupy. Added to that the fact that most politicians have at least some rapport with each other (for better or worse), and I can’t help but see something else going on here. I hope I’m just being a bit too cynical.
EJBrown | Aug 16, 2012 | 11:41pm
It’s unfortunate that Hatch decided to be the least bit combative rather than simply share what he believes.
Raymond Takashi Swenson | Aug 23, 2012 | 1:35pm
Being a Senator, it surely took Hatch a while to write the book. He likely started it well before it was clear that MItt Romney would be the Republican nominee for the presidency. If Hatch was thinking of it in any connection with politics, it may have been in supporting his own reelection by affirming his identity to his predominantly Mormon constituents in Utah. Just seeing the cover for the book would carry that message.
As for being “combative”, it should be remembered that Hatch had a longstanding positive and supportive personal relationship with Teddy Kennedy. They shared very personal moments with each other’s families, while respecting the religious and political differences between them even as they sought places of agreement to advance their common interest in legislation to help society.
Hatch also is known for writing poems and song lyrics, many of them that reach out to other religious traditions, including a Hannukah song that was produced and sold as a recording.
My guess is that Hatch, as both an attroney and a long-standing member of a body that operates through debate, is willing to be forceful in stating his opinion, but that does not mean that he has personal animosity to anyone who disagrees with him. My guess is that he would respect anyone who was willing to express such disagreement honestly and forthrightly, and ask only the same respect in return.