TL;DR

  • The Refiner’s Fire explores how early Mormon cosmology was shaped by hermetic–alchemical traditions.
  • Authored by historian John L. Brooke, Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor at OSU1.
  • Published by Cambridge University Press in 1994; won the 1995 Bancroft Prize23.
  • Praised by mainstream historians; sharply critiqued by LDS apologists45.
  • Holds a Goodreads rating of ~3.9/5 from 100+ readers6.
  • Brooke’s scholarship spans early American intellectual history, climate history, and democratic culture.

Book Details

Metadata#

DetailInformation
AuthorJohn L. Brooke (b. 1953), Arts & Sciences Distinguished Professor of History & Warner Woodring Chair at Ohio State University1
Publication dataCambridge University Press, 1994 (hardback); paperback re-issue 19962
Core thesisBrooke traces a “hermetic–alchemical” current—from Radical Reformation sects, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, folk magic, and Christian Kabbalah—into the Burned-over District, arguing that Joseph Smith fused these esoteric strands with Bible primitivism to create distinct Mormon cosmology.
Major awardsBancroft Prize in American History (1995)—one of the discipline’s top honors—awarded for originality and breadth3

Reception#

CommunityTypical ResponseKey Points & Examples
Mainstream historians / American studiesLargely positive; hailed as bold, interdisciplinary, and path-breakingCambridge promo calls it “important and daring.” Dialogue reviewer Owens: “seminal work… every scholar must now reckon with.”4
LDS-aligned scholars & apologists (FARMS, BYU)Often sharply critical; accuse Brooke of parallel-omania, factual slips, and ignoring ancient Christian sourcesFARMS Review of Books ran a 70-page rebuttal (Hamblin, 1996) disputing Hermetic/Kabbalah links as “unsubstantiated.”5
Independent Mormon studies & ex-Mormon readersMixed-to-welcoming; credit it with opening serious discussion of Smith’s magical milieuJuvenile Instructor blog: suggests a more nuanced reception if published today.7
General readershipModest sales; Goodreads rating ~3.9/5 from 100+ readersEnthusiasts find it dense but rewarding for its esoteric history.6

Common accolades

  • “Brilliant synthesis of occult, social, and religious history” (academic panels after the Bancroft)
  • Praised for unearthing forgotten Hermetic/Pietist enclaves (Ephrata Cloister, Rosicrucian-tinged Masonry)

Typical criticisms

  • Overstates direct transmission: lacks a “smoking-gun” showing Smith read specific hermetic texts.
  • Conflates Christian Platonism with occultism; factual missteps flagged by FARMS reviewers.

About John L. Brooke#

  • Scholarship breadth: Early America (The Heart of the Commonwealth, Merle Curti Award), climate history (Climate Change and the Course of Global History), democratic culture (Columbia Rising).
  • Methodological bent: Blends social, intellectual, and cultural history—comfortable crossing disciplinary lines (including an anthropology appointment at OSU).
  • Current roles: Director (2011–22) of OSU’s Center for Historical Research; holds joint positions in History and Environmental Science departments.

FAQ#

Q 1. Who is John L. Brooke? A. An eminent historian born in 1953, Brooke is Distinguished Professor of History at Ohio State University and won the 1995 Bancroft Prize for The Refiner’s Fire for its groundbreaking analysis of Mormon cosmology1.

Q 2. What is the core argument of The Refiner’s Fire? A. That early Mormon cosmology emerged from a hermetic–alchemical tradition—via Radical Reformation sects, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, folk magic, and Christian Kabbalah—and was fused with biblical primitivism by Joseph Smith.

Footnotes#

Sources#

  1. John Brooke – School of History, Ohio State University. https://history.osu.edu/people/brooke
  2. The Refiner’s Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644–1844, Cambridge University Press, 1994. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/refiners-fire/53936E821BC016151625D1F646728610
  3. Bancroft Prize winners, Columbia University Libraries. https://library.columbia.edu/libraries/butler/about/awards/bancroft.html
  4. Owens, Lance S. “Review of The Refiner’s Fire.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 29, no. 2 (1996). http://www.dialoguejournal.com/…
  5. Hamblin, William J. “Everything is Everything: Was Joseph Smith Influenced by Kabbalah?” FARMS Review 8/2 (1996). https://publications.mi.byu.edu/…
  6. Goodreads. “The Refiner’s Fire.” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1161615
  7. Juvenile Instructor blog post on The Refiner’s Fire. http://juvenileinstructor.org/…

  1. Profile of John L. Brooke, Ohio State University History Department. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. The Refiner’s Fire, Cambridge University Press (1994). ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. Bancroft Prize listing, Columbia University Libraries. ↩︎ ↩︎

  4. Owens, Lance S. Review of The Refiner’s Fire in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 29, no. 2 (1996): 125–28. ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. Hamblin, William J. “Everything is Everything: Was Joseph Smith Influenced by Kabbalah?” FARMS Review 8/2 (1996): 251–325. ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. Goodreads user ratings for The Refiner’s Fire. ↩︎ ↩︎

  7. Juvenile Instructor blog commentary on The Refiner’s Fire. ↩︎