Kerry Muhlestein Does Video Response to Robert Ritner

[_consiglieri]

It appears the Dr. Ritner interviews have caused quite a stir.

In addition to the essay Dr. Muhlestein put out in the virtual pages of The Interpreter: a Journal of Latter-day Saint Thought, last week, he has only bare hours ago put up an 18-minute video at Pearl of Great Price Central.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gie2y16 ... 1tVZSBfSPc

This video is, however, most decidedly NOT a response to Dr. Ritner.

We know this because Dr. Muhlestein studiously avoids mentioning his name.

Give it a listen and let me know how well you think Dr. Muhlestein does!

All the Best!

RFM

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

“I start out with an assumption that the Book of Abraham and the Book of Mormon, and anything else that we get from the restored gospel, is true. Therefore, any evidence I find, I will try to fit into that paradigm." Kerry Muhlestein

https://www.deseret.com/2014/8/12/20546 ... d-in-egypt

This isn't scholarship, this is confirmation bias. How can anyone take Muhlestein seriously when he readily admits that any and all evidence he finds, he is going to cram into the paradigm that the Book of Abraham is true?

Kerry?

[_Stem]

He does fine in that little vid. Isn't he trying to promote his defenses found on various sites, and trying to get the message to members that the Book of Abraham has many smart people claiming it to be scripture, so everything's cool? Seemed to be his goal. Anyway means to get there, I guess.

[_consiglieri]

"You have to say that Joseph Smith was hundreds of times luckier than any other person that has ever lived on Earth to have gotten all of these things so right."15.35

Hundreds? Sounds like an exaggeration.

The same kind of "millions of mummies" exaggeration that got Dr. Muhlestein's permit to dig in Egypt revoked.

[_consiglieri]

An interesting exercise is to count how many times he says, "I don't know" when talking about what he can conclude academically about the Book of Abraham. I am pretty sure the only time he says, "I know" is when talking about a spiritual witness.

Unofficial Tally--Dr. Muhlestein says "I don't know" or its variants 15 times during this 18-minute video.

[_consiglieri]

Strangely, Dr. Muhlestein states that "the Book of Abraham is not based on Egyptology in any way." 11.20

[_consiglieri]

In his only oblique reference to Dr. Ritner, Dr. Muhlestein states that "the Book of Abraham doesn't rise or fall on my opinion or reputation, or on another scholar's opinion or reputation." 13.03

[_Stem]

Still...it'd be nice if he'd just agree to discuss with Ritner "all of these things" he got "so right".

"what specifically"

"Well, I mean he said that the crocodile was a god, didn't he?"

[_Dr Moore]

In his only oblique reference to Dr. Ritner, Dr. Muhlestein states that "the Book of Abraham doesn't rise or fall on my opinion or reputation, or on another scholar's opinion or reputation." 13.03

Correct. So Kerry’s Egyptology PhD has no relevance either way. I believe this defense against Ritner is nothing other than the Kamikaze method, the suicidal last resort.

And thus Kerry and John have reduced themselves to average devotional teachers, who happen to have irrelevant side hobbies in Egyptology.

[_consiglieri]

Mic drop!

BOOM!!!