Uncategorized – Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU: Recent Episodes
Uncategorized – Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU
We are delighted to announce that the second printing of Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints has now arrived and is available at booksellers, including Amazon.com. The first print run was sold out within only a few weeks of arriving at booksellers. The kindle version of this book has also sold very well (available for only $9.99), but it seems clear that for many the gorgeous artwork makes this a book worth owning in print.
“Ancient Christians helps Latter-day Saint readers orient themselves in an early religious world that has remained mostly unknown to many of us. I am not surprised by the volume’s warm reception—we are excited to offer a second printing.” –Maxwell Institute executive director Spencer Fluhman
We are delighted at how well the book has been received, and how much media attention it has garnered. Here are some links to podcasts, reviews and media coverage for Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints:
Podcasts
Y Religion with Jason Combs (12.2022): https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion/70
Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson (12.15.2022): https://omny.fm/shows/inside-sources-with-boyd-matheson/exploring-the-world-of-ancient-christianity-with-m
Faith Matters with Kristian Heal (1.22.2023): https://faithmatters.org/how-are-we-like-the-ancient-christians-a-conversation-with-kristian-heal/
Wayfare Podcast with Jason Combs (3.12.2023): https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/meet-the-early-day-saints-episode#details
Wayfare Podcast with Kristian Heal (3.19.2023): https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/meet-the-early-day-saints-episode-fb0#details
Wayfare Podcast with Ariel Bybee Laughton (3.26.2023): https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/meet-the-early-day-saints-episode-d82#details
Reviews
Ben Spackman, “Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints— A Brief Review.”: https://benspackman.com/2022/11/ancientchristians/
Michael Austin, “Not Your Parents’ Apostasy and Restoration: A Review of Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints.” By Common Consent (11.19.2022): https://bycommonconsent.com/2022/11/19/not-your-parents-apostasy-and-restoration-a-review-of-iancient-christians-an-introduction-for-latter-day-saints-i/ ;
Chad Nielsen, Times and Seasons (11.28.2022): https://www.timesandseasons.org/index.php/2022/11/ancient-christians-an-introduction-for-latter-day-saints/
Conor Hilton, Association of Mormon Letters (12.11.2022): https://www.associationmormonletters.org/reviews/current-reviews/combs-et-al-ancient-christians-an-introduction-for-latter-day-saints-reviewed-by-conor-hilton/
Jana Riess, “6 Ideas for Mormons Studying the New Testament this Year.” Flunking Sainthood, Religious News Service (1.5.2023): https://religionnews.com/2023/01/05/6-ideas-for-mormons-studying-the-new-testament-this-year/
Heide Toth, “Ancient Christians—They’re Just Like Us.” Exponent II (1.13.2023): https://exponentii.org/blog/guest-post-ancient-christians/
Isaac Richards, “Review of Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints.” Humanities Center 2.6.2023: https://humanitiescenter.byu.edu/review-of-ancient-christians-an-introduction-for-latter-day-saints/
Chad Nielsen, “How Was the New Testament Canonized?” 2.16.2023 (Review of Thom Wayment’s chapter): https://www.fromthedesk.org/canonization-new-testament-thomas-wayment/ ; see also: https://www.timesandseasons.org/index.php/2023/02/thomas-wayment-on-new-testament-canonization/
Media Coverage
Jason Combs, “5 Things Latter-day Saints should know about ancient Christians.” LDSLiving 12.14.2022: https://www.ldsliving.com/5-things-latter-day-saints-should-know-about-ancient-christians/s/11211
Tennie Davis, “Introducing Early Christians to modern Latter-day Saints.” The Daily University 2.6.2023: https://universe.byu.edu/2023/02/06/introducing-early-christians-to-modern-latter-day-saints/
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BYU Green Week 2023 kicks off tonight with a sustainability-themed family home evening. Join BYU Sustainability and the Maxwell Institute at 7PM to learn about how two professors and disciple-scholars strive to be stewards. Ask questions during a Q+A session, and stay for pizza and greens.
The two speakers will be Dr. George Handley and Dr. Steven Peck.
Dr. George Handley is a professor of interdisciplinary humanities here at BYU, and has taught since 1998. He is the author of The Hope and Nature, and If Truth Were A Child. Dr. Handley’s research, creative writing, and civic engagement all explore the connections between literature, religion, and the environment.
Dr. Steven Peck is an associate professor of biology, and a visiting scholar at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He is the author of Evolving Faith and Science: the Key to Theology. Dr. Peck’s research focuses on evolutionary ecology, entomology, and in Philosophy of Science.
Both Dr. Handley and Dr. Peck are advocates for sustainability and stewardship over the earth.
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Jennifer Lane’s new book, Let’s Talk about Temples and Ritual, was released in February 2023. It is part of the Deseret Book, Let’s Talk about . . . series. This exploration of the meaning of temples follows her earlier work in Finding Christ in the Covenant Path: Ancient Insights for the Modern World, which also drew on her academic study to help clarify the ancient meaning of temple covenants and ordinances and to make them relevant for our lives today.
How long have you been working on this book?
There are several answers to that question. The simple one is that I was asked to write it in Fall 2021 and finished the final line edits to the publication proofs a year later. On another level, I have been researching and studying this topic, learning about the ancient world and ancient temples, since I was an undergraduate and I continued thinking about worship and ritual through my graduate studies and professional research.
What academic insights have been most helpful for you?
Early on I began working on the ancient meaning of covenant and saw how that created a family relationship that made redemption possible. Those connections run through the scriptures. In addition to those scriptural insights, my research during my graduate work in the history of Christianity focused on piety and pilgrimage. As I studied important thinkers about embodiment and ritual such as Pierre Bourdieu and Catherine Bell, I could see that they were describing a way of knowing through practice, lived religion, that tied back to the biblical Hebrew sense of knowing as a relationship and way of being within a covenant relationship. I have written on this elsewhere with more academic details, but the core concepts help me explain how learning through ritual is different than learning through a lecture or reading.
How do you feel about your book being released at the same time there have been changes to the presentation of the endowment?
This has been such a great joy for me. The central point of my book is that the covenants and ordinances of the temple are how we more fully come unto Christ. This is the doctrine that I tried to weave into my scripture courses as I taught for close to 25 years first at BYU then BYU–Hawai’i. It was always implicit in the ordinances, but it took a lot of background to make connections. So, to now see the doctrine of Christ so clearly taught all the way through, to have what was implicit become explicit, is one of the great joys of my life.
What are additional points that you cover in the book that might still be helpful for people who can see that connection more clearly?
I am hopeful that in combining points of historical and scriptural background into the ancient temple and the restoration of temples in our day, that people can appreciate more fully the blessings of worshiping in the temple. I also bring in insights from my own study and teaching that I hope may help people who have questions about topics that might be a source of concern, such as the relationship between Freemasonry practices and modern-day temple rituals, the significance of the temple garments, and why the administration of ordinances has changed over time.
How has your personal life been changed through your studies?
It is hard for me to separate what I have learned spiritually and what I have learned academically. The key to having them connected for me goes back to practice, embodied knowledge. As I’ve tried to live out the insights I’ve gained through my studies I am different. That is a large part of the book as well. I bring personal accounts into the book about what I have learned about the temple through my own temple worship and service as an ordinance worker. The good news of the gospel is that we can be changed by Jesus Christ and I have found that to be true, over and over again. Redemption is a process of spiritual healing and growing closer to God in taking on the divine nature. My writing summarizes what I have learned intellectually, but most importantly it is confessional. It is my witness of the redeeming power of Christ that is available through the covenants and ordinances of the temple.
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Senior research fellow Terryl Givens and his son, Nathaniel Givens, released a new book titled Into the Headwinds on October 18, 2022. Into the Headwinds offers a deeper look at how people individually and collectively form religious beliefs—and what that means for faith in an increasingly secular culture.
Secularism is increasingly a fact of life in Western society. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that faith is harder than it has been before. Even in the past when organized religion enjoyed more widespread cultural acceptance, there were still obstacles to true belief. Today, the obstacles are different, but faith is still viable.
Acclaimed author Terryl Givens and his son, Nathaniel Givens, combine their respective areas of expertise to offer a fresh take on religious belief through the lens of contemporary research on psychology, cognition, and human nature. They also address two of faith’s foremost modern-day antagonists: rationalism, the myth that humans can or should make the majority of their choices based on logical thought, and scientism, the myth that science is the only reliable means of discovering truth. After reckoning with the surprising fact that people often don’t even understand their own beliefs and are influenced in ways they seldom perceive, the authors go on to describe genuine faith as an act of will—an effortful response to the deepest yearnings of the mind and heart—that engenders moral responsibility, the ability to embrace uncertainty, the motivation and means to relate to others, and the capacity to apprehend reality through nonrational means.
Written for truth seekers who may or may not belong to religious communities, Into the Headwinds is less a work of apologetics than an inquiry into the role that faith can and does still play in a society where participation in institutional religion is declining precipitously. Terryl and Nathaniel Givens propose that to reclaim the power of genuine faith we need to first acknowledge the reality that religious belief is hard. It always has been, and it always will be. But perhaps, instead of a hindrance, that is its most important aspect.
Order Into the Headwinds here.
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Every Needful Thing is a new book published by the Maxwell Institute and Deseret Book, edited by Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye and Kate Holbrook. It is a collection of essays from accomplished Latter-day Saint academics and professionals who speak about discipleship not only with their minds but also from their hearts. Instead of pushing us to choose between faith and reason, love and law, truth within the restored gospel and truth in the wider world of God’s children, these writers urge us to seek “anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report” and learn to live in a world of complexity and abundance. With humility and openness that makes their specialized work accessible to a general reader, these authors model how to live life as a whole person. They relate the twists and turns of their intellectual and spiritual journeys, giving readers confidence to make their own ways and to pursue “every needful thing” (D&C 88:119).
“We hope readers will find gems of wisdom in these compelling essays, which are not only about what to learn but how,” the editors state in the introduction of the book. “With humility and candor that belie their significant accomplishments, these authors relate the twists and turns of their intellectual and spiritual journeys, giving readers confidence to make their own ways and pursue every needful thing.”
Marking a milestone of Latter-day Saint gospel scholarship, all twenty-five contributors to this volume are women. Each author relates her own personal experiences, challenges, and accomplishments through relatable and readable short stories based on overarching gospel themes that will inspire readers everywhere.
As shared in the introduction: “This accomplished group claims a diversity of cultural backgrounds, citizenships, native tongues, and personal circumstances. Voices from the Philippines, Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, Peru, Argentina, Nigeria, the People’s Republic of China, the Seneca and Navajo Nations, Hawaiʻi, and the continental United States speak of the Latter-day Saints as a global people.”
Every Needful Thing is now available in hard copy, eBook, and audiobook at Deseret Book.
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After seven years in the position, Hollie and I have decided that I will step down as Maxwell Institute executive director, effective May 1, 2023. We will always treasure our association with so many remarkable scholars, advisory board members, staff, students, university colleagues, and readers. It has been a profound honor to be associated, however indirectly, with the name and legacy of Elder Neal A. Maxwell. Please accept our gratitude for what has been a rich education and fruitful collaboration. We have felt your love and support. We feel blessed to have known and associated with you all and trust you know how much we love you. You have helped us understand, again, what it means to love God and neighbor with all one’s mind and heart.
–
Spencer and Hollie Fluhman
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We are pleased to announce that Ashley Pun Eveson has joined BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute as communications manager, effective January 9, 2023. Ashley is currently a student in the BYU journalism program, set to graduate in April. Her work at the Maxwell Institute will include social media and communications, graphic design, and campus and public outreach. Maxwell Institute executive director Spencer Fluhman considers Ashley’s appointment a successful example of BYU’s “Inspiring Learning” efforts: “Ashley has excelled as a student employee–so much so that she was uniquely prepared to make ongoing contributions to the Institute’s important mission. The university’s emphasis on centering students in research–and virtually every other university activity–has directly enriched the Maxwell Institute and Ashley is a great example.”
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In the nineteenth century, a fascination with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made Mormons and Mormonism a common trope in French journalism, art, literature, politics, and popular culture. Heather Belnap, Corry Cropper, and Daryl Lee bring to light French representations of Mormonism from the 1830s to 1914, arguing that these portrayals often critiqued and parodied French society. Mormonism became a pretext for reconsidering issues such as gender, colonialism, the family, and church-state relations while providing artists and authors with a means for working through the possibilities of their own evolving national identity.
The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #157: Latter-day Saints in the French Imagination, with Corry Cropper, Daryl Lee, and Heather Belnap appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
One of the most interesting days of my life took place a few years ago when I co-conducted a tour of the Jordan River Temple in Utah for non-Latter-day Saint specialists in American religion. As we walked from room to room, my co-tour guide, my second mission president, did his best to anticipate questions that my scholarly friends may have had. He did a great job! The most interesting part of the tour, though, came well after we left the temple’s doorways. My friend Bob asked “what does the temple DO for Latter-day Saints?” I answered about eternal kinship networks, the binding of families, and more. No, he said, pointedly, what does the temple DO for individuals like you? That questions took me back–as you can tell, I still reflect on it several years later. I think, if I were to think of how to describe what the temple does in the lives of everyday Latter-day Saints is flourishing. The flourishing of relationships, of personal peace and reflection, of revelatory capacity, and of my faith in Jesus Christ. As we discuss Haggai and Zechariah today, let’s keep that question in mind: what does the gospel DO for Latter-day Saints? Why are we so anxious to build temples and invite all we can to participate in their sacred rituals and spiritual splendor?
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Adam S. Miller, philosopher and professor at Collin College gave this year’s Maxwell Institute lecture. Adam S. Miller’s lecture, “The Necessity of God: First person, Present Tense, Imperative Mood” is now available for viewing on YouTube.
In his lecture, Miller talks about Tim Farnsworth, a man who cannot stop walking from the fictional book The Unnamed.
Miller said that everyone has different crosses to bear, and although we cannot change them, like Farnsworth cannot stop walking, we have to learn how to love and accept these challenges in order to connect to God.
Link to view the Annual Lecture here: https://youtu.be/N1L_ctSw2pk
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The Book of Mormon Art Catalog seeks to provide unprecedented access to visual imagery inspired by the Book of Mormon through a comprehensive, open access, and searchable digital database. In this role, the Book of Mormon Art Catalog supports research and education, aids scholarly and artistic work, promotes a greater knowledge of artists worldwide, provides […]
The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #153: The Book of Mormon Art Catalog with Jennifer Champoux appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
In the summer of 2023, the Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar, in partnership with the Laura F. Willes Center for
Book of Mormon Studies and the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University,
will sponsor a summer seminar for graduate students and faculty devoted to reading Alma 34.
The post Seeking Applicants for the Annual Summer Seminar on Latter-day Saint Theology, “The Demands of Justice: Reading Alma 34” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints is a historical and theological window on Christianity’s first six centuries and beyond. It invites Latter-day Saints to encounter ancient followers of Jesus Christ, to hear what they heard, see what they saw, understand how they worshipped, and learn what they believed. Readers will come to see early Christian women […]
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Isaac Richards, a research assistant at the Maxwell Institute recently won the George H. Brimhall contest with his essay "Parable of the Cane". Richards currently works for scholar Taunalyn Ford at the Institute.
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We are blessed to live in a time of prophets. I define this in two ways. The first is that we are fortunate to live in a time where the priesthood has been restored and that the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks for the Lord under priesthood authority. The […]
The post Abide: Ezekiel 1–3; 33–34; 36–37; 47 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
This post was written by Kylie Nielson Turley, a participant in the 2022 Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar. You know this story: Enos is a hunter who goes to the forest, remembers what his dad says, and then prays for himself, his friends, and his enemies. Read the whole story? Check. Understood the story? Check. Applied […]
The post Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar: “Behold! the beginnings of love” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints is a historical and theological window on Christianity’s first six centuries and beyond. It invites Latter-day Saints to encounter ancient followers of Jesus Christ, to hear what they heard, see what they saw, understand how they worshipped, and learn what they believed. Readers will come to see early Christian women […]
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This post was written by Benjamin Keogh, a participant in the 2022 Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar. Throughout the history of Christian theology theologians have repeatedly turned to a conception of God as conversation. Cashed out with Christoph Schwöbel one understands “the Father is the Speaker, the Son the spoken Word, and the Holy Spirit the […]
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We are excited to announce that the Book of Mormon Art Catalog is now live! This new freely available digital database provides unprecedented access to visual art inspired by the Book of Mormon, a range of powerful search tools, and a wealth of information and resources about the art.
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This post was written by Sharon Harris, a participant in the 2022 Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar. The format of the theology seminar produces the effects of a compactor and muse simultaneously. I lived in New York City for eight years and was thrilled to return to my old home. Even so, I told almost none […]
The post Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar: “the joy and rigor of wrestling before the Lord” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
This post was written by Mike Hansen, a participant in the 2022 Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar. By my count, the LDS Theology Seminar was roundly successful. As I have reflected on these successes, I think they must have stemmed from a few different factors. The seminar was smartly designed. In the first week, our frequent […]
The post Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar: a “mutual respect for the chosen text” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
This post was written by Rebekah Call, a participant in the 2022 Latter-day Saint theology seminar. Over a decade ago, I learned about favorite cafés of great thinkers in recent centuries. These thinkers, along with groups of intellectual friends, would gather and discuss in these cafés, often daily, for hours on end. This small-group discussion […]
The post Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar: “Enos came to life” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
This post is from Liz Brocious, a participant in the 2022 Latter-day Saint theology seminar. Intellectual work requires a certain “mind space” in which one can be immersed in particular texts and ideas. The 2022 LDS Theology Seminar, by carrying us away to New York City and away from the distractions of our regular lives, […]
The post Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar: “an approach that…can contribute in significant ways” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The Neal A. Maxwell Institute is excited to welcome Tim Farrant and Ryan Tobler as postdoctoral fellows. Maxwell Institute scholars work together to produce religious scholarship that inspires Latter-day Saints and engages the broader world of religious ideas. Dr. Farrant completed a D.Phil. at Pembroke College, Oxford, where he was mentored by Rev. Dr. Andrew […]
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This post was written by Adam Miller and Joseph Spencer, co-directors of the Latter-day Saint theology seminar. Thanks to the generous support of the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Studies, and the Institute’s Executive Director, Spencer Fluhman, we were again able to direct a […]
The post Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar: Directors’ Report appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Terryl L. Givens has won the 2022 Evans Biography Award from the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University for his book Stretching the Heavens: The Life of Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern Mormonism. Givens, Neal A. Maxwell Senior Research Fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, […]
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints. Co-edited by Jason R. Combs (BYU Religious Education), Mark D. Ellison (BYU Religious Education), Catherine Gines Taylor (Maxwell Institute), and Kristian S. Heal (Maxwell Institute), Ancient Christians is a […]
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We are thrilled to introduce Nicole Issac as a member of Research Staff at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship! She is a recent graduate from Brigham Young University with her BS in Public Health. She will be working with Dr. Taunalyn Ford and their work focuses on the history of Latter-day Saints […]
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute is excited to welcome Dr. Rachael G. Johnson as a postdoctoral fellow. Guided by the Institute’s mission, faculty and staff at the Maxwell Institute work to “inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints” and engage “the world of religious ideas.” Dr. Johnson studies the historical and theological foundations of embodiment in the […]
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BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is excited to welcome Dr. Kimberly Matheson as a research fellow. She joins a talented group of faculty who pursue the Maxwell Institute’s mission to “inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints” and engage “the world of religious ideas.” Dr. Matheson holds a Ph.D. in theology from Loyola University […]
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Dr. Rosalynde Frandsen Welch has accepted an appointment as a research fellow at Brigham Young University’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Dr. Welch will also serve as the Institute’s associate director, replacing Dr. Philip Barlow, who returns after years of dedicated administrative service to the Institute’s regular faculty. Welch’s tenure officially begins on […]
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is pleased to announce the 2022 slate of writing grant recipients of the Living Faith Women Authors Initiative (for previous winners, see here). The Initiative is designed to promote women’s voices and to support excellence in academic and religious writing. Andrea Lystrup is a licensed marriage and […]
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute is excited to welcome Dr. Joseph Stuart as our newest postdoctoral fellow. Guided by the Institute’s mission statement, faculty and staff at the Maxwell Institute work to “inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints in their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and [engage] the world of religious ideas.”Stuart joins […]
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God delivers us. That’s one of the central takeaways of Exodus’s story. But what do we do to ensure that we remember that takeaway? In this episode of Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast, we discuss what it means to hold on in the face of adversity, to remember the actions that ensure our temporal and […]
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Proclaim Peace Conference In June 2022, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and the David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding are hosting a conference based upon Patrick Mason’s and David Pulsipher’s new book Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict. You can learn more about the book HERE and […]
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The Maxwell Institute’s 2021 Annual Report is now available to read online. You can also request a free print copy HERE. IN THIS ISSUE: —Jennifer Reeder’s 2021 Annual Maxwell Lecture, “A Hair Wreath, A Bald Head, and a Usable Past: The Stuff of Discipleship” —Janiece Johnson’s Biennial Laura F. Willes Book of Mormon Lecture, “Documenting […]
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We are pleased to announce that Grace Soelberg has joined the Maxwell Institute as a member of our research staff! Grace Soelberg is a recent Honors graduate from Brigham Young University in History. Her work centers on race relations in the United States and the way these interactions and tensions are reflected in popular media. […]
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In October 1995 at the General Relief Society meeting of LDS General Conference, then President Gordon B. Hinckley presented “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” It was the 5th of 6 proclamations–we now have 7. the most recent being the Proclamation on the Restoration in 2020. Church communications come in a variety of modes. […]
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute’s Executive Director, Spencer Fluhman, spoke at the 2021 BYU Women’s Conference on loving and serving someone going through a crisis of faith. His message is entitled “Prodigals All.” You can watch the video at the Maxwell Institute’s YouTube channel HERE.
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Following the Latter-day Saints’ expulsion from Missouri and while they worked to make a new home in Nauvoo, IL, Joseph Smith received several revelations that brought divine insight into earthly problems. For instance, what to do for those who could not afford to live in Nauvoo, or who desired to live in small cities surrounding […]
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From acting as a scribe for the translation of the Book of Mormon to founding the Relief Society, Emma Hale Smith was a key figure in the Restoration. She was also her husband’s anchor and the love of his life. But how much do we really know about her role, teachings, and leadership? Drawing upon […]
The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #131: An Elect Lady, with Jennifer Reeder appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Eugene England was many things: a scholar, a theologian, an essayist, a husband, father, and teacher. But, above all, he defined himself as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, we speak with Terryl Givens, a Senior Research Fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell […]
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In early 1835 the first Quorum of the 12 of the Restored Church were called and that spring were tasked with travelling “through the Eastern States, to the Atlantic Ocean, and hold conferences in the vicinity of the several branches of the Church for the purpose of regulating all things necessary for their welfare.” As […]
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Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have taken the Lord’s call to “have a record kept among [them]” since the commandment was given in the first days of the Church. One of the ways that the Church accomplishes this is through the Joseph Smith Papers Project. In this episode, we will […]
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We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
The post Abide #10: Doctrine and Covenants 98-101 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute is excited to welcome Taunalyn Ford as a postdoctoral fellow. Guided by the Institute’s mission statement, each faculty and staff member at the Maxwell Institute work to “inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints in their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and [engage] the world of religious ideas.” Dr. […]
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Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal of Pembroke College, Oxford University, will join the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship as a Visiting Scholar for the Fall 2021 semester. Rev. Dr. Teal is an expert in theology and is a longtime, invested interfaith bridge-builder. In 2020, he published a book entitled, Inspiring Service: Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, […]
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We have partnered with Roble del Sur to present several firesides on The Book of Mormon: brief theological introductions for Spanish-speaking audiences. The presentation, made in English but presented with Spanish subtitles, is now available on the Maxwell Institute’s Spanish-language YouTube channel! You can find the link HERE.
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The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is thrilled that Dr. Mark Wrathall will join us as a short-term research grant recipient for August 2021. Dr. Wrathall received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. at Harvard Law School. He is now Professor of Philosophy at the University […]
The post Short-Term Grant Recipient: Mark Wrathall appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
The post Abide #6: Doctrine and Covenants 88 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
I’m thrilled to announce the 2021 issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, which constitutes the thirtieth volume of the Journal! I’m especially pleased to introduce this particular issue because it is the first of three successive special issues of the Journal. This issue is largely given to a roundtable discussion of what […]
The post 2021 Issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies now Available appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
The post Abide #5: Doctrine and Covenants 85-87 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
The post Abide #4: Doctrine and Covenants 84 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We are pleased to have three short-term research grant recipients join the Maxwell Institute this summer. Learn more about their backgrounds and research below. Rebekah Perkins Crawford has a Ph.D. in Health Communication and is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Social and Public Health at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Her research centers […]
The post 2021 Short-Term Research Grant Recipients appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
The post Abide #3: Doctrine and Covenants 81-83 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We will be discussing each week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block that we believe will help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to inspire and […]
The post Abide #2: Doctrine and Covenants 77-80 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
How did early Latter-day Saints read the Book of Mormon? And how did that book, which the Prophet Joseph Smith called “the most correct of any book on earth” and “the keystone of our religion,” help Latter-day Saints make sense of their lives? In this episode of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, Dr. Janiece Johnson, a Willes Center Research Fellow at […]
The post MI Podcast #126: Becoming a people of the Books appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is pleased to announce the first writing grant recipients of the Living Faith Women Authors Initiative. The Initiative is designed to promote women’s voices and to support excellence in academic and religious writing. Heather J. Chestnut is a civil rights attorney with the Utah Attorney General’s Office, […]
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AML Press Release The Association for Mormon Letters (AML) has awarded the Neal A. Maxwell Institute’s The Book of Mormon: brief theological introductions a “Special Award in Religious Nonfiction” at its 2021 conference. In the award’s citation, the jury noted that the brief theological introductions “provide accessible, thoughtful, and above all, incredibly engaging theological introductions […]
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The Maxwell Institute’s executive director, Spencer Fluhman, spoke to the Utah Valley University Institute of Religion on February 12, 2021. He spoke about “the Gospel of Abundant Hope,” encouraging students to recognize the evidences of God’s love and divine care in our daily lives. “It’s my conviction that reducing divine redemption to a ‘fix’ for […]
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BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is pleased to announce a new book series, The Doctrine and Covenants: brief theological introductions. The multi-volume series will highlight Restoration theology and will also be grounded in historical research. The volumes will be released in late 2024, just before the Doctrine & Covenants becomes the subject […]
The post Announcement: Brief Theological Introductions to the Doctrine and Covenants appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Brigham Young University has reappointed J. Spencer Fluhman as executive director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. This will be Fluhman’s second term. His original appointment began in May 2016 following stints in BYU’s Department of History (2011-16) and Religious Education (2004-11). According to Associate Academic Vice President Brad Neiger, “Dr. Fluhman […]
The post Announcement: Spencer Fluhman reappointed executive director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Building upon the disciple-scholarship found in The Book of Mormon: brief theological introductions, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is pleased to announce a collaborative research initiative and accompanying book series: “Seek This Jesus: The Maxwell Institute Christology Initiative.” The initiative brings together twelve scholars in a sustained, extended exploration of Christology, the […]
The post Announcement: “Seek This Jesus” The Maxwell Institute Christology Initiative appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The Maxwell Institute is excited to welcome four new disciple-scholars to its research community. Guided by the Institute’s mission statement, each faculty and staff member work to “inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints in their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and [engage] the world of religious ideas.” Maxwell Institute executive director Spencer Fluhman […]
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The post ‘It is I,’ says the Christ—An Ancient Easter Meditation appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Check out these Maxwell Institute bookshelves appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Our 2020 Annual Report is here appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Now you can pre-order a brief theological introduction to Moroni appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Do Latter-day Saints need to do theology? appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post James E. Faulconer’s ‘Thinking Otherwise’ bears testimony through philosophy, theology, and history appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Pre-order now: Brief theological introductions to Mormon, Ether appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Kindle editions of ‘3rd, 4th Nephi’ and ‘Mormon’ available now appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Latest ‘Journal of Book of Mormon Studies’ looks at the Liahona appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘3rd, 4th Nephi: a brief theological introduction’ now available for pre-order appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Helaman: a brief theological introduction’ now available for pre-order appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Institute scholars discuss the state of Book of Mormon scholarship at annual BoMSA conference appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Alma 30–63: a brief theological introduction’ now available for pre-order appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Alma 1–29: a brief theological introduction’ now available for pre-order appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Seeking applicants for visiting research associate at Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Our life together in, and as, the Church appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post A musicologist’s perspective on the power of speculative theology appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Darius Gray and Robert Daines join Institute’s advisory board appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post How reading a text theologically can be similar to reading historically appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Humility in the documentary record appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post More than a historian—a theologian appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post An Englishman in New York: A Metaphor for the Latter-day Saint Theologian appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post 2020 Neal A. Maxwell Lecture—Kate Holbrook, “The Weight of Legacy” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Joseph Spencer on reading the Doctrine and Covenants appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Finding treasures in Doctrine & Covenants 25 with the Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Dr. Ravi Gupta joins the Institute as affiliate faculty appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Christopher James Blythe’s ‘Terrible Revolution’ is now available from Oxford appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Announcing the Living Faith Author Initiative for Women appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Mosiah: a brief theological introduction’ available for preorder appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Enos, Jarom, Omni: a brief theological introduction’ available for preorder appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Jacob: a brief theological introduction’ available for preorder appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Why it’s time for a new book on Latter-day Saint views of the Apocalypse appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post In memoriam: M. Gerald Bradford appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Enrich your study of Mosiah with these great resources from the Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post An art historian’s perspective on Christ in triumph appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Why we’re called to view Christ’s death and suffer his cross appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post What’s up next for the ‘Journal of Book of Mormon Studies’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Announcing our new ‘Briefer Theological Introductions’ (April Fool’s Day) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post “Wonders in the Deep”—a reflection on our current health crisis from Psalms 107 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—George B. Handley, “Caring for Nature, Caring for Ourselves” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Second Nephi: a brief theological introduction’ available for preorder appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Una entrevista con Deidre Nicole Green sobre ‘Jacob, una breve introducción teológica’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Robert Alter, “The Challenge of Translating the Bible” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘First Nephi: a brief theological introduction’ available for preorder appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post James E. Faulconer named as Institute senior research fellow appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Terryl Givens, Melissa Inouye, Grant Hardy, and more in our 2019 Annual Report appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Explore the Book of Mormon with the Maxwell Institute Podcast appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Terryl Givens, “Worlds Without End” (Lecture 4 of 4) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Rosemary Thackeray and John R. Rosenberg join the Institute’s Advisory Board appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Maxwell Institute welcomes Claudia Jetter as visiting scholar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Una entrevista con Terryl Givens sobre ‘2 Nefi, una breve introducción teológica’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Fostering faith and religious literacy at the Maxwell Institute appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Margaret Bendroth, “New Life From Old Stories: Faith and Scholarship in Anxious Times” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Terryl Givens, “Great Plan of Happiness” (Lecture 3 of 4) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Una entrevista con Joseph M. Spencer sobre ‘1 Nefi, una breve introducción teológica’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Terryl L. Givens presents the 2019 Neal A. Maxwell Lecture appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Una entrevista con James E. Faulconer sobre ‘Mosíah, una breve introducción teológica’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Una entrevista con Sharon J. Harris sobre ‘Enos, Jarom, Omni, una breve introducción teológica’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—David A. Hollinger, “American Missionaries and the Struggle for Control of Christianity’s Symbolic Capital” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Spencer Fluhman named 2020 visiting professor at UC Santa Barbara appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Quincy D. Newell, “Afflicting the Comfortable” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Terryl Givens, “Awful Woundedness” (Lecture 2 of 4) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Janiece Johnson, “I Never Planned to Go to Divinity School” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post CALL FOR APPLICANTS—2020 Summer Seminar on Latter-day Saint Culture appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—“Women Making History” conference now available online appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post VIDEO—Terryl Givens, “The Doors of Faith” (Lecture 1 of 4) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post CALL FOR APPLICANTS—2020 Latter-day Saint Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post When gospel teaching includes the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Coming in 2020—‘The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions’ appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post David Gore’s book is “one of the finer ethical reflections I’ve read in a while” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Latest ‘Journal of Book of Mormon Studies’ re-envisions Ammonihah appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Morgan Davis presents on the Quran, Bible, and Book of Mormon in Morocco appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Watch Spencer Fluhman’s devotional address, “The University and the Kingdom of God” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Melissa Inouye’s Living Faith lecture is now available to watch online: “Making Zion: Insights on Living with Contradictions from a Latter-day Saint Scholar.” Watch Latter-day Saint scholar Melissa Inouye is a self-described bald Asian American Latter-day Saint woman scholar. In her professional life she researches Chinese history and global Christian history. In her personal life […]
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The post Dr. John Gee transferred to BYU’s Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Adam Miller to visit the Institute this summer as affiliate faculty appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Tisa Wenger’s MI Guest Lecture is now available to watch online: “Religious Freedom: The Contested History of an American Ideal.” Watch The ideal of religious freedom is rightly celebrated, but historian Tisa Wenger observes that the history of its uses is a “cautionary tale,” too. Religious freedom talk in America has tended to privilege the dominant […]
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As Latter-day Saints focus on the New Testament this year we’re bringing you insights to ponder from past episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast. This MIPodcast Moment is from James Martin, SJ. He wrote a book about the seven phrases Jesus uttered while hanging on the cross. Strikingly, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John don’t all […]
The post Why are there differences in the four gospels? appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
As Latter-day Saints focus this year on the New Testament we’ll bring you insights to ponder from past episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, hosted by Blair Hodges. This MIPodcast Moment is from Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish specialist of the New Testament. By reading the New Testament from a Jewish perspective she introduces Christian readers […]
The post How Jesus’s parables are more than children’s stories appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post ‘Until we have clearer knowledge’—On Book of Mormon geography in church history appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Beloved colleagues, if we do our work well today, we can make things better for those who will come in troubled times ahead, those prophesied times before that day when Christ Himself will rule and reign, that eschatological moment against which I increasingly measure both my own personal worthiness and that of the Church generally. […]
The post ‘These are our days’—2018 Annual Report now available appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
As Latter-day Saints focus this year on the New Testament we’ll bring you insights to ponder from past episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast. This MIPodcast Moment is from Julie Smith, from her interview about the New Testament gospels. Listen or read the transcript here. BLAIR HODGES: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John offer related but distinctive […]
The post When Jesus didn’t get it right on the first try appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
An excerpt from Grant Hardy’s interview with Stephen O. Smoot on the LDS Perspectives podcast. Download or read the transcript here. Read a sample chapter from the Maxwell Institute Study Edition of the Book of Mormon, which Hardy edited, below. Stephen O. Smoot (LDS Perspectives): You’ve been studying the Book of Mormon for a very long […]
The post Why Mosiah 18 is Grant Hardy’s favorite Book of Mormon chapter appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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The post Learn more about the Old Testament on the Maxwell Institute Podcast appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post Newly located Brigham Young revelation discusses United Order appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
For over ten years the Maxwell Institute has been happily nestled in its little building down the hill on the south side of campus, across from the duck pond on 8th North. We’re really going to miss those ducks. We’re thrilled to announce today that BYU’s Board of Trustees announced it is relocating the Institute to a […]
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The Maxwell Institute's recent conference, “40 Years: Commemorating the 1978 Priesthood & Temple Revelation,” is now available to watch online.
The post 40 Years: Commemorating the 1978 Priesthood & Temple Revelation [VIDEO] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The post “Ye Shall Call the Church in My Name” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Brigham Young University’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship eagerly announces the appointment of Dr. Laurie Maffly-Kipp as a visiting Neal A. Maxwell Fellow. She will join our vibrant research community beginning in January until June of 2019. Dr. Maffly-Kipp is the current Archer Alexander Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis’s John […]
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Latter-day Saint scholar Richard Lloyd Anderson has died. Dr. Anderson was a long-time contributor to FARMS and Maxwell Institute publications, specializing in historical research about the 19th-century witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Dr. Anderson’s research was so far-reaching that when the time came to publish a festschrift in his honor it was decided to create […]
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The Maxwell Institute is pleased to welcome Christopher James Blythe as a Research Associate at our Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies. He joins us after three years of documentary editing at the LDS Church History Department’s Joseph Smith Papers. Blythe obtained his PhD from Florida State University in American Religious History […]
The post Christopher Blythe—“to be rigorous and compassionate” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Believing Christ was published in 1992, though I first read it on my mission. It was not on the approved reading list, but my grandma sent it to me in Argentina. It was a critical time for me. No matter how early I got up and how hard I worked, I never felt like I had […]
The post In memoriam: Stephen E. Robinson, 1947-2018 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Cory Crawford is currently visiting the Maxwell Institute as recipient of a short-term research grant. He’s working on a book about the Jerusalem temple, dealing especially with something scholars in the field have long neglected—the role of gender in understanding the temple, and the role of the temple in understanding gender. Cory Crawford on Disciple-Scholarship […]
The post Cory Crawford—“exhaustive examination and detailed description” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We are pleased to welcome Fiona Givens as recipient of a short-term research grant this summer at the Maxwell Institute. She’s currently working on a chapter, titled “Heavenly Mother and Feminism,” for the theology section of the Handbook on Mormonism and Gender (Routledge, forthcoming), edited by Amy Hoyt and Taylor Petrey. Fiona Givens on Disciple-Scholarship “Joseph Smith once said that in order to come […]
The post Fiona Givens—“the pursuit of the good, the true, and the beautiful” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
We’re excited to announce that Terryl L. Givens has returned to the Institute as a Neal A. Maxwell Fellow to oversee the Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture, co-sponsored by the Mormon Scholars Foundation. Givens said he greatly values the opportunity to help the Institute gather and nurture disciple-scholars: “I believe that academic scholarship and the gospel […]
The post Terryl Givens—“an abundant life must engage the heart and mind together” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
John Alexander Tvedtnes (77) passed away on June 3, 2018. Tvedtnes served as Senior Resident Scholar and Senior Research Associate at the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Near Eastern Texts (ISPART) at BYU, which became the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship in 2006. He also served as associate director of […]
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A few years ago, in recognition of Holy Week (the seven days leading up to the celebration of Easter), the Institute’s own Carl Griffin presented excerpts from two early Christian homilies—one regarding Judas and the other, Peter—which pertain to important elements of Holy Week. Both selections exemplify the creative scriptural engagement of early Christianity. They also exemplify the […]
The post Throwback (Maundy) Thursday: Two ancient sermons on the washing of the feet appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
In case you missed it, the Maxwell Institute recently announced a new partnership with the University of Illinois Press to publish our two flagship periodicals, the Mormon Studies Review and Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. We’re pleased to announce subscriptions are now open. Digital subscriptions to each periodical are $20 annually. Print subscriptions, which include digital […]
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Download pdf→ (ideal for mobile devices) [pdf-embedder url=”http://mi.byu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/MI-2016-2017-annual-report-digital.pdf”] Past Annual Reports→
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February is Black History Month, a perfect time to revisit these episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast.
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Steven L. Peck has been selected to give the Eugene England Lecture at the 2018 Mormon Studies Conference at Utah Valley University. The conference theme is “Mormonism and the Challenges of Science, Revelation and Faith.” Peck is author of the Maxwell Institute’s Living Faith book Evolving Faith and an associate professor of biology at BYU. Peck […]
The post Peck, Green, and Barlow presenting on science and Mormonism at annual UVU conference appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Last year was the busiest year in the Maxwell Institute’s history. Keep an eye out for our annual report, coming very soon. Under the direction of our new executive director, Spencer Fluhman, the Institute strives to become a place that gathers and nurtures disciple-scholars. The Institute’s mission is reflected in our books and periodicals, but more […]
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NOTE: This post contains spoilers about the Netflix series Godless. Since the nineteenth century, a public battle has been waged about the citizenship of Mormons in “Christian America.” Entire books have been written about ways Mormons have been otherized while fighting for perceived respectability. This battle resurfaced recently in the new “must-see” Netflix series Godless. The world […]
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Historian Richard Bushman says he was reluctant to go along with it when Jerry Bradford, former Maxwell Institute executive director, suggested a festschrift in his honor. But when Spencer Fluhman, Kathleen Flake, and Jed Woodworth started planning one anyway, he began to see the possibilities. This would be an opportunity to gather scholars—Latter-day Saints as […]
The post When it comes to discipleship and scholarship, Richard Bushman says “we are in this together” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Catherine Taylor’s recent Maxwell Institute Scholar Lecture is now available online: “The Lady at the Gate: Women as Holy Gatekeepers in Early Christian Iconography.” Watch Early Christians spent a lot of time with their dead. They carefully curated rites and memorial images that not only commemorated their deceased loved ones, but also connected and legitimized them with […]
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Cross-posted from faithmatters.org. Has Mormonism unconsciously inherited ideas from western Christianity, particularly from Protestantism, that have kept us from fully realizing and embracing some essential truths of the restored gospel? In their inspiring and persuasive new book, The Christ Who Heals: How God Restored the Truth That Saves Us, Terryl and Fiona Givens explore that question […]
The post “The Christ Who Heals”: A conversation with Terryl & Fiona Givens appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Video of the Institute’s recent conference, The Living Reformation: 500 Years of Martin Luther, are now available here and on our YouTube channel. Interviews with several presenters are available in a special series of Maxwell Institute Podcast episodes here (with a few more to come). Half a millennium ago, Martin Luther changed the Christian world forever […]
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As 2018 approaches, we are pleased to announce the reappointment of two of the Maxwell Institute’s current visiting scholars. Deidre Green First, Deidre Green joins the Maxwell Institute for the 2017–18 academic year as a postdoctoral research fellow. New postdoctoral fellowships aim to allow promising early career scholars to better establish themselves in their academic […]
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Samuel M. Brown’s MI Guest Lecture is now available to watch online: “To Save the Bible, First You Must Kill It: A Book of Mormon Lecture.” Watch Some scholars have referred to Joseph Smith’s 1830 Book of Mormon as “America’s Bible,” as though it was intended to replace the Protestant Bible. What has not yet […]
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I am certainly not alone in remembering where I was sixteen years ago today. Roommates gone, I was working at home in the avenues of Salt Lake City reading nineteenth-century newspapers on the velvety green couch. The Today show on in the background suddenly became an inescapable foreground as I saw a plane collide with […]
The post Working to remember what Mormons worked to forget about 9/11 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Applying to the Mormon Theology Seminar was something of an exercise in confronting vulnerability for me. I have always been interested in theology, but my career path thus far has taken me in a decidedly non-academic direction, and I felt a bit fearful that I would be out of my depth in a project of […]
The post “It made theology relevant to my own lived experience again”—Michelle Lee on the 2017 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The symposium for the 2017 Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture wrapped up yesterday at Brigham Young University. Terryl Givens and Philip Barlow directed this year’s group of twelve scholars who focused on the subject, “Mormonism Engages the World.” The Maxwell Institute is thrilled that we have the opportunity to co-sponsor these seminars along with the […]
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The 2017 Mormon Theology Seminar recently wrapped up at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. We asked seminar participants to reflect on their experiences, offering a glimpse at what the Seminar’s all about. This post features Nate Oman, Rollins Professor of Law at the law school of the College of William and Mary. He is […]
The post “Abinadi was a soldier”—Nate Oman on the 2017 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Yesterday, June 10, marked another anniversary of Emma Smith’s 1804 birth. More than a year older than her husband and Latter-day Saint prophet Joseph Smith, she died at Nauvoo, Illinois in 1879. Renowned historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich took a moment in her recent lecture at Brigham Young University to reflect on Emma’s hands as seen in this captivating photograph […]
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Terryl Givens recently published Feeding the Flock: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Church and Practice. We were happy to see the gratitude he extended to—among others—the participants of the 2015 Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture, "Organizing the Kingdom: Priesthood, Church Government, and the Forms of LDS Worship," as well as the Neal A. Maxwell Institute, who hosted [...]
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Doctrine and Covenants section 42 draws Latter-day Saints to its message by many paths. Whether it is to study the meaning of consecration, to understand the revealed impetus behind the many attempts at LDS economic communalism in the nineteenth century, or to understand what the Lord called “the Law” given to his people in Kirkland, any reader who wants to understand the heart of the Restored gospel must come to terms with Doctrine and Covenants 42.
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The Mormon Studies Review and Maxwell Institute are pleased to announce the release of a new Study of Mormon Studies Bibliography (SOMS). All sources in the bibliography have the purpose, nature, value, or future of Mormon studies as a primary theme. The initial compilation, created by Heather J. Stone at the University of Utah, contains […]
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The post Pausing at the cross of Jesus appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The Doctrine and Covenants Made Harder is available again for sale on Amazon. The ebook has been available all along, of course, but in response to your requests we've issued another print run from the popular series. And this time we included a handy scripture index.
Place orders now, because it may take several weeks for books to appear in Amazon’s stock [...]
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The Institute’s Carl Griffin recently published two landmark books on the Christian poet Cyrillona. In this post he introduces us to one of his striking poems. Who was the poet? Cyrillona was an early Christian author who wrote around 400 AD. We know nothing about him except for what we can glean from his writings, […]
The post A 5th century Christian poet speaks from the dust appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s new book A House Full of Females retells the story of early Mormonism through the eyes of early Mormon women and other lesser-known figures. The Pulitzer Prize winning historian says women’s voices often “trouble the old stories” many Latter-day Saints are familiar with today. But believing it is worth the trouble, she writes: “Adding women to […]
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While Philip Barlow acknowledges strains of anti-intellectualism throughout the history of the Latter-day Saint movement, he also makes this arresting conclusion: “A true ‘Mormon anti-intellectual’ is a contradiction in terms.” ((Philip Barlow, “Mind and Spirit in Mormon Thought,” in Terryl L. Givens and Philip L. Barlow, The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism (New York: Oxford University Press, […]
The post Philip Barlow—“Bridging the life of the mind and spirit” (Visiting Scholar Spotlight) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
On behalf of the Maxwell Institute and Brigham Young University I’m pleased to announce a new visiting research associate position at our Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies. We’re thrilled at the chance to bring in a qualified scholar with a PhD in history, theology, religious studies, philosophy, or another related field […]
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Under the direction of J. Spencer Fluhman, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship seeks to be a hub for scholars interested in religion. We are pleased to announce the addition of the following visiting fellows and other affiliated scholars for 2017. Neal A. Maxwell Fellows The Institute welcomes two acclaimed senior scholars as […]
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David F. Holland’s 2017 Neal A. Maxwell lecture is now available on the Institute’s YouTube channel. The title of his remarks is “Latter-day Saints and the Problem of Pain.” A transcript of the lecture will also be available in the coming weeks. For more about our 10th anniversary celebration, which featured this lecture, see mi.byu.edu/10years.
The post WATCH—David F. Holland’s 2016 Maxwell lecture, “Latter-day Saints and the Problem of Pain” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
The following remarks were delivered by Maxwell Institute executive director Spencer Fluhman at Brigham Young University on October 29, 2016 during the Maxwell Institute’s 10th anniversary celebration banquet. Friends, we are honored by your presence here tonight. Thank you for helping us celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at […]
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As we approach our 10th anniversary celebration this week, we invite you to watch this trailer for the forthcoming film about the work of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute, “By Study and Also By Faith.” We hope to see you on Saturday, October 29th at the annual Neal A. Maxwell Lecture, to be delivered by […]
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This year the Maxwell Institute celebrates its tenth anniversary. What a decade it has been! The Institute has published more than a dozen dual-language translations of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian texts. It’s maintained three annual periodicals dedicated to scripture or Mormon studies: Mormon Studies Review, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, and Studies in the Bible [...]
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ROSALYNDE WELCH—I had an arresting start to my morning as I listened to historian Thomas Laqueur on the Maxwell Institute Podcast describe his experience scattering the ashes of his father—a German Jew forced to flee Nazi Germany never to return to his birthland—at the grave of his grandfather, a passionate German nationalist who died in 1927 before Hitler's atrocities.[...]
The post A unique effort to redeem the dead (MIPodcast Moments) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Welcome to our first Podcast Potluck, an occasional blog series featuring a collection of podcast episodes that together make a nice meal for the mind. BYOE (bring your own ears). Here are a few episodes with food for thought about race and religion. Is race a social construct? What does that even mean? What is it like for […]
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As a long-time “inside-outsider” to Mormon culture and studies, I’m always deeply impressed when I meet Mormons who actually believe in Mormonism. By that I do not mean Mormons who profess belief in Mormonism, because obviously plenty of people do that. In C. S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces, the protagonist describes a priest of the […]
The post “A nurturing environment for new ideas”—Bridget Jack Jeffries on the 2016 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Yesterday morning, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke at BYU’s weekly devotional on being “Bound by Loving Ties.” His remarks focused on the idea of religion itself, a word which many scholars believe refers to being tied or bound to something, (Latin: religare), like a ligament. ((The full text and video of […]
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One of the last things I heard Linda Adams say was “I just love the smell of a freshly printed book!” It was a little over a month ago when I delivered a copy of the book she’d recently co-edited for the Living Faith series, Let Your Hearts and Minds Expand by Thomas F. Rogers. I watched with satisfaction […]
The post With gratitude, in memoriam of Linda Hunter Adams appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Lauren F. Winner's MIPodcast episode focused on the metaphors and images we use to think about God. This post includes an excerpt from that interview and a link to the full interview transcript.
The post Different metaphors and images for God (MIPodcast Moments) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
For immediate release. From Y News. President Kevin J Worthen has announced the appointment of J. Spencer Fluhman as executive director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Professor Fluhman’s selection comes after a national search for the replacement of M. Gerald Bradford, who has served as the executive director of the Institute […]
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During 2015 Brigham Young University’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship continued to make significant contributions in the broad field of religious studies and in the emerging area of Mormon studies. In doing so, it furthered its mission of deepening understanding and nurturing discipleship among Latter-day Saints while promoting mutual respect and goodwill among […]
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This guest post is from Joseph M. Spencer, author of the newly released book An Other Testament: On Typology. The book is the second volume in the Maxwell Institute's series Groundwork: Studies in theory and Scripture. [...]
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For those who don’t have time to listen to hour-long episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast I’m posting interesting moments for you to read. This excerpt comes courtesy of Lauren F. Winner, author of Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire, and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins [...]
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If I can be pardoned for likening the Maxwell Institute unto a celebrity, I know a little of what it must feel like to be Justin Timberlake standing in a grocery checkout line, looking over the colorful magazines telling the world all about his private life, mostly all of them getting it wrong. Last week's panel discussion on apologetics at Utah Valley University [...]
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The Book of Mormon is the focus of next year's general Sunday school classes for adults. The Book of Mormon Made Harder is the perfect study aid for people who teach or attend Gospel Doctrine class. That's because James E. Faulconer organized[...]
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For those who don't have time to listen to hour-long episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast we bring you “MIPodcast Bites”—transcribed excerpts of interesting extracts for your quick consideration. In this one, Robin Scott Jensen talks about the impact one man continues to have on readers of the Book of Mormon despite never believing it was a revelation from God.
The post Lesser-known heroes of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (MIPodcast Moments) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Pentecostalism is one of the fastest-growing Christian faiths in the world today. How might the Book of Mormon be viewed within that context? Professor John Christopher Thomas is coming back to Brigham Young University to talk about the Book of Mormon’s reception among—and relevance to—Pentecostals past and present. Thomas’s lecture will consist of three parts. First, he will examine Pentecostal […]
The post October 8, Lecture: Chris Thomas, “Pentecostals Meet the Book of Mormon” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
One of the lesser-known Maxwell Institute projects is WordCruncher, free software which assists with close comparative studies of texts. This guest post is by Colby Townsend, a student at the University of Utah who is completing two honors bachelor’s degrees in Comparative Literature and in Religious Studies. He discovered WordCruncher is an invaluable tool for people doing research like his. —BHodges […]
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When I moved to New York City five years ago I quickly learned that in New York the introductory social question is, “What do you do in New York?” The question is not “Where do you work?” or “Are you a student?” New Yorkers do all kinds of things, often that defy neat identity categorization […]
The post “Foraging, plumbing, dissecting, unfolding…” —Sharon Harris on the 2015 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Collaboration is a sort of magic. In the world of our minds, we’re typically isolated from one another. We get most of our information by reading to ourselves the written words of others, and when (or if) we do respond to that information, we usually do so much later. This type of delayed response has its advantages—
The post “Collaboration is a sort of magic”—Jacob Rennaker on the 2015 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
Download a free copy of the Scripture Index for James E. Faulconer's The New Testament Made Harder here.
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The post “Searching together”—Jenny Webb on the 2015 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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In June, I had the privilege of spending many hours a day studying and talking about a single chapter of the Book of Mormon. Every day for two weeks, eight scholars researched and wrote five-page papers about a few verses of Jacob 7, this summer’s chosen text. Then we gathered for four or five hours to read our papers aloud and talk about them.
It was absolutely exhilarating,[...]
The post “The Book of Mormon stands up to close scrutiny”—Jana Riess on the 2015 Mormon Theology Seminar appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.