Writing in the First Things blog site, Stephen H. Webb, a professor of religion and philosophy at Wabash College, says that “what gives Christianity its identity is its commitment to the divinity of Jesus Christ. And on that ground Mormons are more Christian than many mainstream Christians who do not take seriously the astounding claim that Jesus is the Son of God.”

“Mormonism is obsessed with Christ,” Webb continues, “and everything that it teaches is meant to awaken, encourage and expand faith in him. It adds to the plural but coherent portrait of Jesus that emerges from the four gospels in a way, I am convinced, that does not significantly damage or deface that portrait.”

Webb, who has studied Mormonism extensively as part of his academic study of theology, says that he came to this conclusion after reading the Book of Mormon.

“I was utterly surprised,” Webb writes. “I was not moved, mind you. The Book of Mormon has to be one of the most lackluster of all the great works of literature to have inspired enduring religious movements. Yet it is dull precisely because it is all about Jesus.”

This guy is an idiot, and so is the writer of the article in Deseret News.  DN is clinging to the story - about a professor who not only says Mormons are Christians, but are too much so - without regard to the silliness of his claim.

I had to chuckle when I read that Webb "studied Mormonism extensively as part of his academic study of theology."

No, I'm afraid he didn't.  He couldn't have.  It's not even remotely possible.

Mormonism is its own field of expertise.  You can't do some reading about it "as part of [your] academic study of theology."  There's not enough time.  There aren't enough resources.  You don't have the faculty or the experts in residence.  While the average missionary leaving the MTC only barely knows his own faith - let alone its history - even the slowest wagon on that train is filled with information not likely to have been available to somebody grabbing extra helpings of "Mormon studies" as part of his or her theology degree.

A semester of Mormonism does not make you an expert on the topic.  A year on it doesn't either.  There's too much to read, too much to understand and navigate.

This guy is a moron.