Although Mormons and Evangelicals share many “Christian” values, a theological divide separates them. Despite a mutual conviction and compassion for society and its condition, the divide has continued, unfortunately, to separate both faith communities. Debates, ambush evangelism and “stealth” techniques have not helped the two communities answer life’s most fundamental questions.
But in 1992, a “conversation” began to bridge the divide. Since then, and despite opposition from critics and personal support from several Senior Mormon leaders, thousands of Mormons and Evangelical Christians have engaged in a diplomatic dialogue serving to understand each other’s viewpoints, differences and commonalities. THE BRIDGE represents this conversation, which has brought together some of today’s most honored academics and theologians to investigate this inter-faith relationship with “convicted civility” rather than “confrontational apologetics.”
Rev. Johnson knows the whole history. Not only is Rev. Johnson blessed with significant memory bandwidth, he spearheaded the precedent-setting panel discussion in May 1992 that challenged faculty at the Denver Seminary to read and address the book “Are Mormons Christians?” by Dr. Stephen Robinson of BYU. In THE BRIDGE, you will read the incredible journey that led to the written conversation “How Wide the Divide” in 1997 by Bible scholar, Craig Blomberg, and Mormon Professor of Ancient Scripture, Stephen Robinson. Ten years later, after crisscrossing the country for audiences to join the discussion, Rev. Johnson and Dr. Robert Millet, now-retired Mormon Professor of Ancient Scripture and former Dean of Religion at Brigham Young University, penned “Bridging the Divide” in 2007. Rev. Johnson and Dr. Millet have since engaged in this dialogue for public audiences 65 times.
Today, THE BRIDGE book continues the conversation that started 25 years ago, to inspire readers hailing from both Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity to approach the divide between them with conviction and civility. By examining the differences that divide both faiths, the reader can learn more about their own faith, and where it came from, as well as become comfortable looking at each other eye-to-eye, and engaging in a dialogue with grace and truth. THE BRIDGE serves as an example of how Mormons and Christians can engage people from other faiths to discuss what they believe and why without combative debates that only increase the divide.
OBJECTIVES
We bring you The BRIDGE in order to:
- Broaden our influence (message, reach) and engage more people in a conversation about Christ.
- Leaves a lasting imprint, documenting the incredible 25-year dialogue between Mormons and Evangelicals
- Casts a vision for where this conversation is going.
Rev. Johnson plans to include a companion Six-Week Bible Companion Study for Evangelical churches that emphasizes the foundations of the Christian faith, guidelines for hosting a Mormon / Evangelical conversation event, along with guidelines for building THE BRIDGE with convicted civility.
The BRIDGE: Sample Chapters:
- The 25-Year History of Bridging the Mormon-Evangelical Divide
- A Vision For Greater Christian Unity
- Defeating Division Principles
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The Bridge Book 