Wayfare drops a provocative thesis that upends centuries of theological hierarchy: Mormonism isn't a fringe offshoot, but the most significant Christian innovation since the Protestant Reformation. This isn't a devotional plea from within the faith, but a rigorous, scholarly challenge from the outside looking in, arguing that the movement has inadvertently preserved ancient philosophical truths that mainstream orthodoxy discarded. For the busy intellectual tracking the evolution of religious thought, this piece offers a rare synthesis of history, philosophy, and sociology that demands a re-evaluation of where "heresy" ends and "innovation" begins.
The Heretical Lineage
The piece centers on a conversation between scholar Samuel Loncar and theologian Terryl Givens, who argue that Mormonism's distinctiveness lies in its recovery of early Christian ideas deemed dangerous by later councils. Loncar, a philosopher who treats history with unusual seriousness, suggests that Joseph Smith's revelations align with ancient schools of thought that modern scholarship has only recently begun to take seriously. "As we become more aware of the complexity and the internal contradictions in so-called orthodox Christian history, I see less and less room on any legitimate scholarly grounds for not taking Mormonism as really the most important innovation in Christianity since the Protestant Reformation," Loncar states.
The argument gains depth by tracing specific theological threads that were severed in the fourth and fifth centuries. Givens points to Marcion of Sinope, an early thinker who struggled to reconcile the wrathful God of the Old Testament with the loving God of Jesus. While Marcion was condemned for suggesting the Old Testament deity was evil, Givens notes that Mormonism "recaptures that belief when Joseph Smith moves increasingly in the direction of a much more inclusive, universalistic faith." This connection is particularly striking given that Adolf von Harnack, a towering figure in historical theology, once argued that Christianity is essentially an extended response to Marcion. By embracing a more inclusive deity, the piece suggests Mormonism resolves a tension that has plagued the church for two millennia.
"Heresy is a positive term in our culture... Joseph Smith seemed to have uncovered aspects of what I came to see, on my own as a scholar, as essentially important parts of what we would call ancient Christianity."
The dialogue then moves to Origen, whose teachings on the pre-existence of the soul and universal salvation (apokatastasis) were condemned by Emperor Justinian in the sixth century. Givens identifies these as core tenets of Mormon theology, noting that the movement teaches "the eternal nature of the human soul—its premortal existence—which seems to be, again, a modern reenactment of that Origenist heresy." This historical framing is powerful because it reframes Mormonism not as a modern invention, but as a resurrection of a lost, Platonic-infused Christianity that once dominated the intellectual landscape. Critics might argue that equating modern theology with ancient heresies risks oversimplifying the nuanced reasons those doctrines were rejected, but the piece uses this parallel to highlight a deep, unresolved contradiction in orthodox history.
The Academic Blind Spot
Beyond theology, the commentary tackles the sociology of academic acceptance. Givens offers a sobering critique of the current state of Mormon studies, suggesting that despite a surge in publications, the field remains isolated. "The growth and success of Mormon studies... has led many people to believe, 'Oh, that means Latter-day Saints finally have a place at the table,'" Givens observes, before dismantling that assumption. He argues that university presses publish these works largely because there is a ready market among believers, not because the broader academy has granted them legitimacy.
The piece draws a sharp contrast with other marginalized fields. "If you look, for example, at Black studies or women's studies, there was a time when it was clear their voices were being excluded from the canon... But we're now at a point where one would expect to find women and minorities represented in the canon," Givens notes. In contrast, Mormon studies remains "stuck" in a corner, where scholars are still "red-flagged" as sectarian voices rather than participants in the general dialogue. This is a crucial insight for anyone tracking the boundaries of academic discourse: the barrier isn't just intellectual disagreement, but a structural refusal to integrate Mormon thought into the broader narrative of Christian history.
Loncar reinforces this by highlighting the unique social cohesion of the movement. He points out that while other Christian denominations have splintered, Mormonism has created "an amazingly well-ordered social way of life" that functions with the cohesion of an Orthodox Jewish community. "It's obviously very rocky and complicated in one deep sense... but it creates, to this day, an amazingly well-ordered social way of life," Loncar says. This sociological success, achieved under the pressures of modernity, is presented as a phenomenon that mainstream scholarship has failed to adequately explain.
"The problem with primitivism, historically, is that it always ends up being false. Once you actually study the first- and second-century church... this is why church history in the German tradition ended up being so subversive."
The editors of Wayfare wisely avoid the trap of romanticizing the past. Instead, they lean into the idea that Christianity is a "growing tradition" that must evolve. Givens warns against a "nostalgic" attempt to simply recover a second-century ecclesiology, citing David Bentley Hart's view that traditions must "keep evolving new ways of engaging modern challenges." This moves the argument from mere historical comparison to a forward-looking diagnosis of the faith's future viability.
Bottom Line
The strongest element of this piece is its refusal to treat Mormonism as a theological anomaly, instead positioning it as a necessary corrective to the internal contradictions of orthodox history. By weaving together the suppressed ideas of Marcion, Origen, and Pelagius, the editors construct a compelling case that the movement's "heresies" are actually recoveries of lost Christian depth. The argument's vulnerability lies in its reliance on the assumption that ancient theological debates are directly transferable to modern sociological realities, but the piece's insistence on rigorous historical context largely mitigates this risk. The verdict is clear: ignoring Mormonism in the study of Christian evolution is no longer a defensible scholarly position.
"As we become more aware of the complexity and the internal contradictions in so-called orthodox Christian history, I see less and less room on any legitimate scholarly grounds for not taking Mormonism as really the most important innovation in Christianity since the Protestant Reformation."
For the reader seeking to understand the shifting tides of religious thought, this is essential listening. It challenges the assumption that orthodoxy is the default and suggests that the most vibrant future for Christianity may lie in the very traditions it once cast aside.