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Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon: Difference between revisions
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==Response==  
==Response==  
The response should be brief and summary in nature.
 
===What is chiasmus?===
 
Chiasmus is a poetical or rhetorical form used by many ancient peoples, including the Hebrews, Babylonians, ''insert others''.{{ref|welch1}}
 
Chiasmus is a form of ''parallelism,'' in which related or contrasting ideas are placed in juxtaposition for emphasis.  Chiasmus uses "inverted parallelism," and takes its name from the Greek letter ''chi'' (χ) which looks like an English "X".  This name was chosen to reflect the pattern of chiasmus:
 
{| border="2" cellpadding="1"
|+''Chiasmus pattern''
|-
|Idea A
:Idea B
::Idea C
::: Central idea D (the 'turning point' or 'cross' of the chi)
::Idea C repeated
: Idea B repeated
Idea A repeated
|}
Because chiasmus relies, to an extent, on relationships between ideas or concepts, rather than between words (e.g. such as rhymes or meter) it can survive translation.  John W. Welch was the first to notice chiastic structures in the Book of Mormon.{{ref|welch2}}  Little was known of this poetic form in Joseph Smith's era.{{ref|joseph1}}


==Conclusion==  
==Conclusion==  

Revision as of 18:57, 13 November 2005

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Criticism

Critics claim that the presence of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the Doctrine and Covenants or other 19th century writing.

Source(s) of the Criticism

Response

What is chiasmus?

Chiasmus is a poetical or rhetorical form used by many ancient peoples, including the Hebrews, Babylonians, insert others.[1]

Chiasmus is a form of parallelism, in which related or contrasting ideas are placed in juxtaposition for emphasis. Chiasmus uses "inverted parallelism," and takes its name from the Greek letter chi (χ) which looks like an English "X". This name was chosen to reflect the pattern of chiasmus:

Chiasmus pattern
Idea A
Idea B
Idea C
Central idea D (the 'turning point' or 'cross' of the chi)
Idea C repeated
Idea B repeated

Idea A repeated

Because chiasmus relies, to an extent, on relationships between ideas or concepts, rather than between words (e.g. such as rhymes or meter) it can survive translation. John W. Welch was the first to notice chiastic structures in the Book of Mormon.[2] Little was known of this poetic form in Joseph Smith's era.[3]

Conclusion

A summary of the argument against the criticism.

Further reading

FAIR wiki articles

  • Links to related articles in the wiki

FAIR web site

  • FAIR Topical Guide:

External links

Printed material

  • Noel B. Reynolds, "Nephi's Outline," BYU Studies 20:2 (1980): 131–49, reprinted in Noel B. Reynolds and Charles D. Tate (eds.), Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins (Provo, Utah : Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University ; Salt Lake City, Utah : Distributed by Bookcraft, 1996 [1982]), 53–74.
  • John W. Welch, "A Masterpiece: Alma 36," in John L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (eds.), ‘'Rediscovering the Book of Mormon’' (Salt Lake City, Utah : Deseret Book Co. ; Provo, Utah : Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991), 114–31. ISBN 0875793878.[4]
  • John W. Welch, "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon," BYU Studies 10:1 (1969): 69–84; revised slightly for Noel B. Reynolds and Charles D. Tate (eds.), Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins (Provo, Utah : Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University ; Salt Lake City, Utah : Distributed by Bookcraft, 1996 [1982]) 33–52.
  • John W. Welch, "Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon," in Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures, Analyses, Exegesis, edited by John W. Welch, (Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1981).
  • John W. Welch, "Chiasmus in Hel. 6:7-13" (Provo: FARMS, 1987).
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