The King Follett Sermon

Quotes:

"The sermon's hermeneutical history is a plain illustration of the fact that sufficiently robust religions (those that survive their creators)—form overdetermined systems—and therefore fail to exhibit completely consistent narratives. It is only by constructing—and reconstruction—meaning that a theology or body of religious teaching becomes a consistent arc of thought in any given moment."

Paradigm shift

This book is an extraordinary exploration of how a single sermon can have massive effects on an entire religion, both for better or worse. I thoroughly enjoyed the exquisite detail around how religious leaders, at different times over the last century, tried to both amplify and suppress the teachings from this sermon. 

This book is thick, make no doubt about it, but it is well worth the read if you find yourself drawn to post revolutionary war american religious beliefs. If that is you, this comes highly recommended.