Title: The viper on the hearth
First published: December 31, 1996
Description: The Viper on the Hearth is the first full-length study to look at representations of Mormonism in popular fiction, enhancing our understanding of the religion's vexed relationship to American society. The book reconsiders the nature of Mormonism's encounter with mainstream religion, and asks how a category like "heresy" can operate in a pluralistic society.

Examining the ways in which Mormons have been portrayed in popular culture, Givens's study demonstrates how fiction can respond to cultural conflicts and anxieties by refashioning heresy into a more appropriate target for moral and political crusades.
Subjects: American literature, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Controversial literature, History and criticism, Mormon Church, American literature, history and criticism, 19th century
Time periods: 19th century
LC classification: BX8645.5 .G58 1997