Studio et Quoque Fide

The “Letter to a CES Director,” written by Jeremy T. Runnells, has been making its rounds online and growing in popularity for some time now. Runnells lays out his laundry list of issues that caused him to lose his faith.

The “Letter to a CES Director,” written by Jeremy T. Runnells, has been making its rounds online and growing in popularity for some time now. Runnells lays out his laundry list of issues that caused him to lose his faith.

In a recent Facebook discussion on the Book of Abraham, I asked the question, “Why should I trust Ritner over Muhlestein?” I posed this question after reading both Kerry Muhlestein’s arguments for human sacrifice during the Middle Kingdom period of Egypt (Abraham’s era), as published in the Journal of Economic and Social History of the Orient 51/2 (2008): 181–208, and Robert Ritner’s counter-argument in response to the Church’s new Gospel Topics essay. I offer an evaluation of Ritner’s critique and gave my reasons for finding Muhlestein’s argument more persuasive. After a little prodding, I got a couple of great answers that give me some additional perspectives to consider on this question.