DCP Invokes Orwell

[_Doctor Scratch]

Seems to me like one of our MDB friends has decided to comment at Sic et Non.

Someone ought to post the relevant excerpts from his email to Gerald Bradford. That will more or less lay the matter to rest w/r/t to his "resignation."

[_Kishkumen]

Seems to me like one of our MDB friends has decided to comment at Sic et Non.

Someone ought to post the relevant excerpts from his email to Gerald Bradford. That will more or less lay the matter to rest w/r/t to his "resignation."

Yes, someone should.

That someone will not be I, since I do not post on Daniel's blog.

I notice Young Smoot is proclaiming that Grant Palmer took a drubbing from the excellent scholars of FARMS fame. They were so effective, in fact, that they did in a handful of reviews what most scholars can achieve in one.

You know the old joke: How many Mopologists does it take to screw up an Institute?

Answer: None. They were all sent packing before they could finish the job.

[_Gadianton]

Good eye, Reverend.

Palmer’s book was a travesty, and he rightly deserved to be humbled by these excellent scholars.

At least he's honest. It had little less to do with reviewing Palmer and more with five dudes banding together and "humbling" him [kicking his ass].

[_Doctor Scratch]

Good eye, Reverend.

Palmer’s book was a travesty, and he rightly deserved to be humbled by these excellent scholars.

At least he's honest. It had little less to do with reviewing Palmer and more with five dudes banding together and "humbling" him [kicking his ass].

It's interesting to see the up-and-comers coming out of the woodwork. A while back, MsJack and Aristotlle and others were making persuasive predictions about how Mopologetics would wither away and die because there were no youngsters waiting in the wings. Well, we can now see that there are at least a few young acolytes who are willing to carry on the cause. It remains to be seen whether or not they will get marginalized and/or pressured away from their worst impulses by the Mormon Studies movement.

[_Kishkumen]

It's interesting to see the up-and-comers coming out of the woodwork. A while back, MsJack and Aristotlle and others were making persuasive predictions about how Mopologetics would wither away and die because there were no youngsters waiting in the wings. Well, we can now see that there are at least a few young acolytes who are willing to carry on the cause. It remains to be seen whether or not they will get marginalized and/or pressured away from their worst impulses by the Mormon Studies movement.

As long as there are dweebs who have high IQs, poor social skills, emotional problems, and lots of resentment, there will be a great store of potential candidates for a life of Mopologetics.

The healthy ones tend not to last but a few years. That is the reassuring thing.

[_Doctor Scratch]

Boy, the "Comments" section over there has really exploded. I believe this blog entry has garnered more "Comments" than any other of Dr. Peterson's postings. What's interesting is that they are in near-meltdown mode now that Bob Jones has suggested that he has "intel" concerning orders for DCP's dismissal being given by the Brethren. DCP has said, in response, that he "knows for a fact" that this isn't true, and yet he's demanding that Jones provide his "intel." Well, if Jones is going to cough up the goods, isn't it reasonable to ask also that Prof. P. also tell us about this supposed "context" that would change our minds about this whole MI kerfuffle?

[_Kishkumen]

Boy, the "Comments" section over there has really exploded. I believe this blog entry has garnered more "Comments" than any other of Dr. Peterson's postings. What's interesting is that they are in near-meltdown mode now that Bob Jones has suggested that he has "intel" concerning orders for DCP's dismissal being given by the Brethren. DCP has said, in response, that he "knows for a fact" that this isn't true, and yet he's demanding that Jones provide his "intel." Well, if Jones is going to cough up the goods, isn't it reasonable to ask also that Prof. P. also tell us about this supposed "context" that would change our minds about this whole MI kerfuffle?

Interesting development. I am doubtful that there was such an order from the Brethren. I should think that ill-advised emails would be enough to seal his fate with the MI, but what do I know, eh?

[_3sheets2thewind]

Can it be rightly stated that the Brethren approve of Bradfords action, though they may not have ordered it.

Is refusal of a superior to reverse a subordinate's action, approval of the subordinate's action?

[_Kishkumen]

Can it be rightly stated that the Brethren approve of Bradfords action, though they may not have ordered it.

Is refusal of a superior to reverse a subordinate's action, approval of the subordinate's action?

You know, I don't think it matters. All I can say is that, to my view, Bradford's decision to remove Daniel Peterson as editor of the Mormon Studies Review was just a good managerial decision. It was also entirely consistent with the tenets of the Gospel.

Maybe it was not undertaken in the most ideal way, but then how could it have been?

I don't know, and since only one person is discussing it on the internetz for the whole world to see, while the other party, Bradford, remains appropriately silent about the inner workings of institute and the university, well, we probably will never get the whole story.

Because I can tell you one thing, I would not go to a Ford dealer to learn the virtues of a Chevy, and I won't go to Daniel Peterson or one of his cronies to get a fair assessment of Bradford's decision and its timing. Furthermore, I doubt Daniel or his friends have the full story. Without Bradford's side, it could not hope to be complete.

Let Daniel add what he may, but he has already impugned his own credibility with his post-dismissal behavior so many times that I doubt anyone can fully trust that he is being objective or fair.

[_Gadianton]

Can it be rightly stated that the Brethren approve of Bradfords action, though they may not have ordered it.

my personal speculation here is the statement makes the false assumption that the Brethren are a coherent group calling these shots. My guess is that one faction approves of taking the MI in a new direction but didn't order it, this is the more powerful faction, and the weaker but younger, and more ambitious faction, is generally supportive of Mopologetics and did not willingly green-light this. They would rather have had it the other way, but not to the extent that they'd take up the cross for it against the rival faction.