Visiting author's new book 'clearing fog' about LDS church
(BYU) Daily Universe 22Jun99 L2
By Amber Blair: NewsNet Staff Writer

Legal scholar Chris Gellenick has been a visiting professor at BYU for the past ten months, and in addition to teaching, Gellenick has written a book while at BYU covering the history of the LDS Church. Gellenick, who is German, published the book "Christ in Amerika?" mainly to answer his own questions about the Church. He is not a member of the LDS Church.

"All my life I have pursued the question: 'What of the truth of religion?'" he says. And Gellenick thinks that the book clears up a lot of the questions that Germans have about the Church. He has come to the conclusion that Mormons are indeed Christian, "I can put readers to rest, in case they have any doubt, that it undoubtedly is a full-fledged Christian church rather than a mere sect," he said.

The book includes years of reading and research as well as material that he has collected from LDS colleagues. But Gellenick is not certain how the book will be received. "In Germany you don't really lightly or easily talk about religion," he said. "Religion is private. You don't talk to missionaries on the street. You might treat them to coffee, but we are not as open as people are here."

In addition, the book was published by a German publisher located in Munster, which has several traditional religious schools and institutions. They don't look kindly on other "sects." "At first, the book will raise a stink," Gellenick said, but he hopes it will eventually be accepted.