Greg Kofford Books

Here is the UofU's most recent Mormon Studies newsletter http://www.humis.utah.edu/humis/docs/organization_295_1336752039.pdf

UVU's Mormon Studies page: http://www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies/mormonstudies/

A bit on GTU's Mormon Studies classes http://www.gtu.edu/news-events/currents/fall-2011/news

How about some links to the specifics of these programs, faculty lists, classes offered, etc. so we can see what they really entail. From my experienc such programs are often quite thin.

Note too the difference between a religious studies program where Mormonism might be one of many things taught, and an actual Mormon studies program. The two are by no means the same.

A quick google search, and actually inquiring from those involved in Mormon Studies, would have revealed much to you Dr. Hamblin.

Info on CGU's MS program can be found here and through related links. http://www.cgu.edu/pages/5932.asp

However, CGU's website is notoriously weak and fails to adequately show what is going on. Because GGU only offers graduate courses, the courses (usually taught seminar style) vary each semester with little repetition (as is the case with most courses in CGU's school of religion), and only a fraction of previous courses taught are listed. In the past few years, courses in MS have been taught by Richard Bushman, Claudia Bushman, Brian Birch, Armand Mauss, and now Patrick Mason. Generally, two courses in MS are offered each semester, none of which are an 'intro to Mormonism.'

Now, one could argue that it is not a real field because "Mormon Studies" denotes an object of study rather than a method or discipline, but that would also reject largely accepted fields such as Islamic, Jewish, Hindu, etc, studies. I would tend to side with highly respected religious studies programs such as at CGU and UVA, and scholars such as Stephen Prothero, who recognize MS as legit.

In my experience, it is virtually only Mormons who completely question the reality of Mormon Studies, and it is usually someone who has felt or been excluded from it for one reason or another.

I certainly agree that there remain some strong questions about what exactly Mormon Studies is and what it involves, as we explored quite a bit in a conference at CGU that I (Loyd) organized there ( http://www.claremont...onferences.html).

Personally, I'm a big tent MS guy, who thinks that both apologetics and critical voices should be present--though they must play by the rules of academia (which should ideally be played by all, but are unfortunately too often set aside) to recognize the validity of multiple perspectives and avoid appeals to subjective experiences and claims (ie., as soon as one appeals to their own testimony, spiritual experience, or the asurety that the others' experience did not occur or is prima facie false, then all chance for discussion is over).

Joseph, there are graduate programs? Where? I know Claremont has some kind of program, but not sure how extensive.

Claremont does not offer a specific degree in "Mormon Studies." However, Mormon Studies is offered as a specialization for the general masters degree in religion (one of the eight), and is one of the 3 'tracks of study' (along with Coptic studies and Zoroastrian studies) for other degrees in religion.

With that said, most universities have multiple "X Studies" programs for which degrees are not given.

Some nonLDS universities which explicitly have Mormon Studies programs, centers, and/or chairs include Clarement Graduate University, Utah Valley University, Graduate Theological Union, Utah State University, the University of Utah, and the soon-to-be-announced MS program at the University of Virginia (which has one of the--if not THE--largest religious studies programs in the country).

Also, if a university was required to have at least a dozen professors specifically doing 'X Studies' for them to be considered doing X Studies (as Hamblin states), then hundreds of programs in universities all over the world would suddenly be discredited.

We have to read the book(s)!

Haha! We have a book with Maxine's exit, but I doubt there will be anything on either of their returns--some things shouldn't be sold for $.

Is it possible that that book is published by Kofford books?

Very very possible

Charles Harrell spends a good deal of time discussing the complicated and evolving conception of God/El/Yahweh/Father/Lord/Jesus/etc in his This Is My Doctrine.

Because I have been reading the tripe from LDS writings out of BYU (MI and BYU Studies under the tutelage and care of Jack Welch are the two serious exceptions) now for decades, and compared to the scholarship on scriptures it's a mouse to an elephant. Biblical scholarship is simply lightyears ahead of Mormons who continue quoting Bruce R. McConkie and Joseph Fielding Smith as if they were Bible scholars and have something to say that is accurate from today's understanding and scholarship. We SORELY need to update our LDS scholarship. We are losing by default and don't even know it. And why don't we? Because all we read is the LDS faith promoting junk without any recourse to the really quality scholarship and we have myopically been hypnotized into thinking what we are reading IS the good stuff.

Kerry, I'm going to shamelessly plug one of our books. If you haven't read Charles Harrell's "This Is My Doctrine" I highly suggest you check it out. It is the only monograph I am aware of that strongly engages contemporary Biblical criticism.

http://www.gregkofford.com/products/this-is-my-doctrine

BYU is the only place where one can do non-secular Mormon Studies.

What exactly is "non-secular Mormon Studies"?

A major concern among some at BYU is that their students are very under-prepared for graduate religious studies programs (a challenge I witnessed on more than a few occasions, where BYU-grads faced existential crises when being thrown deep into academic waters). For this reason, they have been trying push a minor in religious studies at the University (and facing much push-back from some in religious education). If they do eventually begin to teach actual religious studies at BYU, it would be odd (and perhaps disingenuous) to not apply the same methodologies to Mormonism.

I'll look for it......I know I saw it discussed somewhere......

Thanks. Just interested if he said this himself, or if it is just something being attributed to him.

I have been pondering this ever since it was announced that Bradford had noted that he wanted to move in a more secular direction and be more academic.

Where did Bradford note "that he wanted to move in a more secular direction"?

David, have you read Joseph Spencer's An Other Testament: On Typology (free pdf here)? If so, is Bradley's work at all complimentary to what was postulated in it?

Not sure what you mean by complimentary. Don's book is more of an attempt to recreate the narrative in the lost 116 pages through recollections of those who may have read or heard of the lost passages, combined with conjectures implied in the existing text. A significant portion of the book will also be dedicated to constructing a history of those lost pages and what most likely happened to them. From what Din has told me, there is some fascinating things he has discovered that will greatly affect he way we understand the existing text of the Book of Mormon.

I'm not exaggerating when I state that Don's forthcoming publication has the potential of being one of the most important pieces of scholarship to come forth on the Book of Mormon.

We are very excited to publish this in the next few months.

Now, my personal view is that there is no room for another scholarly journal at BYU of a Mormon Studies variety, given BYU Studies' role, and that FARMS Review will fade away. FAIR will become the outlet for people like you and maybe me to vent hyperbole. But the body of work that is FARMS Review is still there for all to have and read. Hopefully BYU will keep it up on the internet, but I predict that that support will vanish.

FWIW, I would like to see the MSR become a sort of scholarly Publisher's Weekly (though only biannual or annual) for Mormon studies, with in depth essays focused on reviewing important and recent publications from scholarly presses on (or pertinent to) Mormonism--along with shorter reviews and notes about other Mormon studies related books. As Hamblin has pointed out, there are numerous scholarly titles being printed today by several presses, including a few university presses. It would be nice to have a source and forum for learning of and engaging them--something that the (dying) AML tries to do but falls short with the much-needed academic rigor.

FYI. We are about to publish a new biography of King Follett himself by Joann Follett Mortensen - The Man behind the Discourse: A Biography of King Follett. The $999 price is just to prevent orders before a price is finalized.

Brant Gardner will be discussing his book and talking questions on the Mills Crenshaw show on K-Talk AM 630 in Utah on November 16th at 5 pm. For those outside of Utah you will be able to listen online at http://www.millscrenshawdrivetimeliveschedule.blogspot.com/