Popular Post LifeOnaPlate Posted August 4, 2014 Popular Post Posted August 4, 2014 In another thread someone was asking what the Maxwell Institute has been up to over the past little while so I thought I'd pop in and give a quick run-down. I'm Blair, I work at the Institute now doing public communications as well as Mormon studies book acquisitions and other odd jobs. Some of you might remember me from when I was a more active participant here. I don't have as much time for message boards as I used to! The best place to follow Institute news is at maxwellinstitute.byu.edu. There's a News & Events section there that lists upcoming conferences, lectures, calls for papers, publications, book signings, and other things. The MI Blog is updated several times a week with new material, replacing our old Insights publication. We also have a Facebook page and Twitter feed. I've tried to avoid seeming like a spambot on the message board here and I figure people who are interested in our work can pretty easily follow us if they'd like to. Here's a more specific overview of what we've been up to the past year and a half or so. Since I was brought into MI we've finished phase one of the new MI website with more improvements to come, we've published two new METI translations (Mullā Ṣadrā's Book of Metaphysical Penetrations and a long-lost Maimonides medical text), and METI announced a new series called the Library of Judeo-Arabic Literature. This series will feature a highly anticipated new edition of Maimonides's Guide of the Perplexed. CPART's Kristian Heal has been busy with the Vatican Library project you can read about here and here. We've published two issues of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (available here and here), one issue of Studies in the Bible and Antiquity, a great issue of the re-launched Mormon Studies Review, about 140 blog posts including a number of book reviews and guest posts from people like Terryl Givens, Claudia and Richard Bushman, Jim Faulconer, and John Sorenson. I've done 11 episodes of the MIPodcast (a great new episode just appeared on Friday). Books-wise we've published John Sorenson's monumental Mormon's Codex, Don Parry's Illuminating the Dead Sea Scrolls, Adam Miller's acclaimed Letters to a Young Mormon, and last month we put out three full volumes of Jim Faulconer's great MADE HARDER scripture series. We've hosted two summer seminars on Mormon culture (you can read papers from last year here, check out a description of this year's seminar here, and look forward to a forthcoming MIPodcast episode featuring seminar participants). We also wrapped up a recent Mormon Theology Seminar in London that we co-sponsored. Adam Miller wrote about the fruit he expects to come from the seminar here and I'm doing a series of guest blog posts by seminar participants which is currently underway (see here, here, here, with more on the way). Matt Roper has been working on a Book of Mormon stylometry project that he'll be discussing at the upcoming FairMormon conference, too. The Institute has also hosted a number of lectures, and individual Institute scholars have presented at a number of academic conferences which you can read about in the 2013 annual report. This month we should be announcing the publication of a new edition of a book on Alma 32 and another book on the Book of Mormon is on the way that I'll be announcing soon. This title will appear in tandem with a new section of our website which I've been working on in recognition of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the founding of FARMS. I'll be announcing more about that soon, too, although there are already hints on the website about what I'm referring to. There's also our new YouTube channel featuring classic lectures and new lectures, too. In the next month or so we will have another METI translation, a CPART translation, and about 2 or 3 other book titles published by the end of the year, including a fantastic book comparing Mormonism's 3 Nephites to similar messianic figures in Buddhism and Islam. I'm really happy with all of this stuff and I'm excited that we have a lot more on the way. My hands are definitely full. If any of you have questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me through the Institute's website here or leave some comments in the thread here. Thanks folks! 8
morgan.deane Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 Thanks for the run down Blair. Any word on when this year's Hugh Nibley fellows will be announced?
LifeOnaPlate Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 Thanks for the run down Blair. Any word on when this year's Hugh Nibley fellows will be announced? No problem. I'm not sure when they'll be announced yet, but it'll show up first on the MI blog.
sethpayne Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 In another thread someone was asking what the Maxwell Institute has been up to over the past little while so I thought I'd pop in and give a quick run-down. I'm Blair, I work at the Institute now doing public communications as well as Mormon studies book acquisitions and other odd jobs. Some of you might remember me from when I was a more active participant here. I don't have as much time for message boards as I used to! The best place to follow Institute news is at maxwellinstitute.byu.edu. There's a News & Events section there that lists upcoming conferences, lectures, calls for papers, publications, book signings, and other things. The MI Blog is updated several times a week with new material, replacing our old Insights publication. We also have a Facebook page and Twitter feed. I've tried to avoid seeming like a spambot on the message board here and I figure people who are interested in our work can pretty easily follow us if they'd like to. Here's a more specific overview of what we've been up to the past year and a half or so. Since I was brought into MI we've finished phase one of the new MI website with more improvements to come, we've published two new METI translations (Mullā Ṣadrā's Book of Metaphysical Penetrations and a long-lost Maimonides medical text), and METI announced a new series called the Library of Judeo-Arabic Literature. This series will feature a highly anticipated new edition of Maimonides's Guide of the Perplexed. CPART's Kristian Heal has been busy with the Vatican Library project you can read about here and here. We've published two issues of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (available here and here), one issue of Studies in the Bible and Antiquity, a great issue of the re-launched Mormon Studies Review, about 140 blog posts including a number of book reviews and guest posts from people like Terryl Givens, Claudia and Richard Bushman, Jim Faulconer, and John Sorenson. I've done 11 episodes of the MIPodcast (a great new episode just appeared on Friday). Books-wise we've published John Sorenson's monumental Mormon's Codex, Don Parry's Illuminating the Dead Sea Scrolls, Adam Miller's acclaimed Letters to a Young Mormon, and last month we put out three full volumes of Jim Faulconer's great MADE HARDER scripture series. We've hosted two summer seminars on Mormon culture (you can read papers from last year here, check out a description of this year's seminar here, and look forward to a forthcoming MIPodcast episode featuring seminar participants). We also wrapped up a recent Mormon Theology Seminar in London that we co-sponsored. Adam Miller wrote about the fruit he expects to come from the seminar here and I'm doing a series of guest blog posts by seminar participants which is currently underway (see here, here, here, with more on the way). Matt Roper has been working on a Book of Mormon stylometry project that he'll be discussing at the upcoming FairMormon conference, too. The Institute has also hosted a number of lectures, and individual Institute scholars have presented at a number of academic conferences which you can read about in the 2013 annual report. This month we should be announcing the publication of a new edition of a book on Alma 32 and another book on the Book of Mormon is on the way that I'll be announcing soon. This title will appear in tandem with a new section of our website which I've been working on in recognition of the thirty-fifth anniversary of the founding of FARMS. I'll be announcing more about that soon, too, although there are already hints on the website about what I'm referring to. There's also our new YouTube channel featuring classic lectures and new lectures, too. In the next month or so we will have another METI translation, a CPART translation, and about 2 or 3 other book titles published by the end of the year, including a fantastic book comparing Mormonism's 3 Nephites to similar messianic figures in Buddhism and Islam. I'm really happy with all of this stuff and I'm excited that we have a lot more on the way. My hands are definitely full. If any of you have questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me through the Institute's website here or leave some comments in the thread here. Thanks folks! Sounds like there is a lot going on Blair! But I'll tell you right now. I will only buy/read books where the spelling of Utahan is used. (j/k Scott!)
cinepro Posted August 4, 2014 Posted August 4, 2014 That's nice Blair, but what have you done for me lately. 2
LifeOnaPlate Posted August 4, 2014 Author Posted August 4, 2014 That's nice Blair, but what have you done for me lately. I'd be happy to shine your church shoes, but you'll need to come meet me here.
Peppermint Patty Posted August 5, 2014 Posted August 5, 2014 (edited) Thanks Blair! It looks like the couple of internet rumors that the Maxwell Institute is dying have been greatly exaggerated. Thanks for the update. It sounds like you've been very busy. Edited August 5, 2014 by Peppermint Patty
cinepro Posted August 5, 2014 Posted August 5, 2014 I'd be happy to shine your church shoes, but you'll need to come meet me here. Nice try, but everyone knows I wear my dress Birkenstocks to church.
mfbukowski Posted August 5, 2014 Posted August 5, 2014 You guys are doing a great job, and I think are going in the right direction and you have all my support for what that's worth. (nothing!) Anything that supports Jim Faulconer and Adam Miller has got to be moving in the right direction as far as I am concerned. 1
Bernard Gui Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 Nice try, but everyone knows I wear my dress Birkenstocks to church.I didn't know you live in Seattle!
jpv Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 Hey at least the new MI is outproducing Interpreter by one metric: http://approachingjustice.net/2014/08/05/byu-idaho-religion-instructor-leaves-church/
Peppermint Patty Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 In the next month or so we will have another METI translation, a CPART translation, and about 2 or 3 other book titles published by the end of the year, including a fantastic book comparing Mormonism's 3 Nephites to similar messianic figures in Buddhism and Islam. I am really looking forward to this book.
Scott Lloyd Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 What would that be? It is unclear from your link.I think he is alluding to the fact that Caudle, recently associated with MI, has resigned his Church membership.
Calm Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 I think he is alluding to the fact that Caudle, recently associated with MI, has resigned his Church membership.Where does it say he was associated with the MI?
Scott Lloyd Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) Where does it say he was associated with the MI?Perhaps it doesn't. I didn't examine the linked content except to ascertain that it was about Caudle. I got my information from other sources, including a Google search. His podcast, "The Mormon Book Review," until very recently was included in the Maxwell Institute Podcast. Edited August 6, 2014 by Scott Lloyd
Peppermint Patty Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 Hey at least the new MI is outproducing Interpreter by one metric:http://approachingjustice.net/2014/08/05/byu-idaho-religion-instructor-leaves-church/ Really? http://publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/11/1/S00009-51b759ace7b399McGregor.pdf
LifeOnaPlate Posted August 6, 2014 Author Posted August 6, 2014 Perhaps it doesn't. I didn't examine the linked content except to ascertain that it was about Caudle. I got my information from other sources, including a Google search. His podcast, "The Mormon Book Review," until very recently was included in the Maxwell Institute Podcast.Kirk's Mormon Book Review podcast was part of the MIPodcast from approximately June 2013 to December 2013. While Kirk and I don't see eye to eye on some things (he's a rabid Portland Trailblazers fan for one thing) I consider him a friend. He's a good man. I thought it was especially cool that someone with Tourette's was hosting a podcast. I was sad when I found out about his decision last week. I was also sad to see a few people try to exploit Kirk's having his name removed (he still attends church from what I understand) as an opportunity to criticize the Maxwell Institute. Unfortunately over the years there have been a number of people who have published with MI who have subsuquently left the church. Each one of them is a huge loss in my book. I hope Scott Lloyd clarifies that he wasn't trying to exploit Kirk's personal decision in order to paint the MI in a negative light as the other anonymous poster here was doing.
Calm Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 (edited) I am certain Scott was just trying to help me by answering my questions. If I had known what cinepro was referring to, I wouldn't have responded originally. Edited August 6, 2014 by calmoriah
Scott Lloyd Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 I am certain Scott was just trying to help me by answering my questions.Precisely.
LifeOnaPlate Posted August 6, 2014 Author Posted August 6, 2014 I am certain Scott was just trying to help me by answering my questions. If I had known what cinepro was referring to, I wouldn't have responded originally.It wasn't cinepro. It was someone called jpv. I don't know who that is.
Calm Posted August 6, 2014 Posted August 6, 2014 My apologies, cinepro. I mixed up your one liners with someone else's, always a problem when I don't reread before posting.
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