The Analyst and the Fool: Brandon Wilson – Mormonism, Theurgy, and the Theurgic
On this episode of American Scripture’s “The Analyst and the Fool”, we interview Brandon Wilson, a PhD student at Claremont Graduate University and his approach to Mormon Studies. Brandon details a bit about his intellectual biography as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, getting introduced to the writings of Hugh Nibley, learning to think critically and ask penetrating questions about his faith, and how that led him to study esoteric subjects such as Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, and theosophy under Jeffrey Kripal and Claire Fanger at Rice University. Now, Brandon is bringing these approaches to Mormon Studies in how Latter-day Saints experience their temple ordinances, in their ritual and mystical elements, through comparing them with Neoplatonic theurgy. Invoking the comparative hermeneutics of Algis Uzdavinys in his work Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity, Brandon explores how Mormonism’s temple practices can be categorized as “theurgic” in nature, ritual actions that aid initiates to bring themselves into higher states of consciousness and align their actions with the actions of God.
For further information on theurgy and Mormonism, please check out the following titles:
“Philosophy and Theurgy in Late Antiquity” by Algis Uzdavynis
“Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus” by Gregory Shaw
“Temple and Cosmos: Beyond This Ignorant Present” by Hugh Nibley
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