Cartographers of Faith

Restorationism as a theological movement is characterized by volatility, generating immense enthusiasm from its adherents and its critics, yet configuring new visions of religious identity that are often deemed heretical. Certain Restorationists appeal to divine revelation as central to their work in returning their faith to its origins. This revelatory approach is surprising, as it defies the reactionary tendency of Restorationism: to return to the prior, older, way of things, a revelation that is unprecedented, new, and a modification of the tradition as it stands, is provided. This peculiarity is explored via a model for Restorationism constructed using the two-map model of religious credence of Neil Van Leeuwen in his Religion as Make-Believe (2023). Two cases are explored: Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism’s Kedāranātha Datta (also known as Bhaktivinoda), and Mormonism’s Joseph Smith Jr. Both are analysed within Van Leeuwen’s framework, noting how they function as revelatory Restorationists, and how their respective projects can be understood this way.