AuthorCast

AuthorCast #53: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 9 June 01 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 9: The Attributes of God Ch 5 - Models of Divine Knowledge (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler

We start discussing different models for God's knowledge. We focus on the aspect of God's knowledge of the future or infallible foreknowledge and if it can coexist with free will.

Topics Discussed:

• Simple Foreknowledge
• Timeless Knowledge Through Perception
• The Einstein-Minkowski Spacetime
• Timeless Knowledge Through Divine Causation

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

Show notes for this episode.

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AuthorCast #52: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 8 May 25 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 8: The Attributes of God Ch 4 - Maximal Divine Power
By Corey Ostler

We go over various theories of God's power and then come to a definition that seems to fit. We then address problems with that view and see if they can be overcome while keeping the definition intact.

Topics Discussed:
• Logical Limitations on God's Power
• Limitations on God's Power Arising from Divine Attributes
• Limitations on God's Power Imposed by Significant Human Freedom
• Past Necessity and God's Power
• Problems for Omnipotence
• Persuasive and Coercive Power
• God's Power and Natural Laws
• God's Power and Creation

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #51: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 7 May 25 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 7: The Attributes of God Ch3 - The Restoration and Systematic Theologies (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler

Continuing our survey of Mormon systematic Theologies we discuss the thought of the Pratts, John A. Widtsoe, B.H. Roberts, and Modern Mormon leaders. We talk about why they portrayed things as they did and what some strengths and weaknesses of each view are.

Pratt's 'The Seer': archive.org/details/seereditedbyorso01unse

Widtsoe's 'A Rational Theology': archive.org/details/rationaltheologywidtsoe

B.H. Roberts' 'The Seventy's Course in Theology': archive.org/details/seventyscoursein00robe

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #50: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 6 May 25 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 6: The Attributes of God Ch 3 - The Restoration and Systematic Theologies (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler

We discuss The Lectures on Faith and Joseph Smith's evolving revelations on the nature of God, man, the universe, and how they relate to each other. We get into discussing different interpretations of the King Follett Discourse and The Sermon in the Grove.

The Lectures on Faith can be found here: lecturesonfaith.com/

King Follett Discourse:

www.lds.org/ensign/1971/04/the-…ett-sermon?lang=eng

www.lds.org/ensign/1971/05/the-…ett-sermon?lang=eng

Sermon in the Grove: emp.byui.edu/jexj/courses/sermon_in_the_grove.htm

Topics Discussed:
The Lectures on Faith
Joseph Smith and the Foundational Scriptures

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #49: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 5 May 08 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 5: Apostasy and Concepts of Perfection (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler

Part 2 of the second chapter in The Attributes of God.

We discuss Process Thought/Theology, developed by Alfred N. Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, and juxtapose it with the previously discussed Thomist/Classical Theism view. We also examine the striking similarities between Process Thought and Joseph Smith's revelations.

Topics Discussed:
Relative Perfection
Perfect Relatedness
Potentiality
Proportional Dependence
Complexity
Temporality
Mutability and Immutability
Passibility
Creator By Organizing
Maximal Persuasive Power
Maximal Knowledge

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #48: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 4 May 08 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 4: Apostasy and Concepts of Perfection (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler

Part 1 of the second chapter in The Attributes of God.

We discuss how concepts of perfection from Platonism/Neo-Platonism heavily influenced early Christian thought on God's attributes. We then discuss the Absolutist system developed largely by Augustine and articulated by Thomas Aquinas. We bring up issues with the 'God' that arises when you follow this system to its logical conclusions.

Topics discussed:
Confluence of Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology
Emergence of the Absolutist Tradition in Christian Theology
The Logic of Absolute Independence
Pure Actuality
Divine Simplicity
Immutability
Timeless Eternity
Aseity
Impassibility
Omniscience
Omnipotence

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #47: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 3 May 08 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 3: The Meaning of God in Mormon Thought (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler

Part 2 of the First chapter in The Attributes of God.

We go over the following topics:
Subordinate "Gods"
Apotheosis: Human Gods
“God” as a Relationship of Unity Among a Plurality of Persons
God and Perfection
God and Possible Worlds

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AuthorCast #46: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 2 May 08 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 2: The Meaning of God in Mormon Thought (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler

Part 1 of the First chapter in The Attributes of God.

We go over the following topics:
The Meaning of "God" In Mormon Discourse
Attribute and Essence
Is "God" a Title or a Name?
God and Monotheism
The Divine Thou

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #45: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 1 May 08 2017

Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 1: Interview with Blake Ostler
By Corey Ostler

My father Blake Ostler is a well-known Mormon Theologian and Scholar (In a addition to being a full-time attorney ) Over the years he has written several articles for scholarly Mormon publications such as Dialogue, FARMS, Sunstone Mag, Element, and others.

What I want to do is take the complex issues in these books and discuss them in a way that makes sense to the average listener. So this is sort of going to be like taking me to school on a lot of these issues and topics.

For the most part we will go chapter by chapter of each book starting with the first one: The Attributes of God

However I wanted to start off with an episode of getting to know Blake Ostler. His background, journey and motivations for writing these books and so forth.

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #44: Introducing Exploring Mormon Thought with Blake Ostler (Trailer) May 04 2017

From its beginning, the Kofford Books AuthorCast was envisioned as a show to connect our authors with our audience. We have done this through author interviews, recordings of live events, author readings from their books and, more recently, with our monthly This Month in Mormon Studies show that comments on the field of Mormon Studies more widely.

In line with our vision of bringing our authors to you, we are excited to announce a new series that we will sharing through the Kofford Books AuthorCast: Exploring Mormon Thought with Blake Ostler. Blake is the author of the multi-volume series by the same name, published by Greg Kofford Books. In fact, Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 1: The Attributes of God, was the first book ever published by Greg Kofford Books and is considered a groundbreaking work in Mormon theology. Throughout his volumes, Blake took on challenging philosophical topics such as classical vs Mormon theism, the problem of evil, the Atonement, the nature of God; and he discussed the Mormon temple endowment in relationship with the Atonement in a stand-alone volume titled Fire on the Horizon: A Meditation on the Endowment and Love of Atonement.

Outside of his books, Blake has published widely on Mormon philosophy in journals such as Religious Studies, International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, and Element: The Journal of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology, as well as Mormon scholarly publications Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Sunstone, BYU Studies, and FARMS Review of Books. He has also contributed chapters to Discourses in Mormon Theology and Mormonism at the Crossroads of Philosophy and Theology, and has taught Philosophy at Brigham Young University.

But enough about his credentials. This podcast series, Exploring Mormon Thought, is produced and hosted independently by Corey Ostler, Blake’s son. Corey's aim is to take the complex issues presented in his books and discuss them chapter by chapter in a way that makes sense to a general audience. As of this recording, they have released five episodes. We’ll release all five together, and then we’ll continue releasing more as they become available.

We hope you enjoy this new podcast series.

Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.

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AuthorCast #43: This Month in Mormon Studies May 01 2017

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.

Highlights from this month include: Blogs becoming independent presses, Mormon studies nerds filing briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Marlin K. Jensen and insider baseball, summer book club, temple ships and Ouija boards, and big words like indigeneity!


 

In the News

Firm Foundation Expo and bad science
BCC Press; See also
Ben Park in Newsweek; See also
Signature Books digital archives project
Jana Riess The Next Mormons survey: trust gap

 
On the Blogs

Vincenzo di Francesca: Cultural Impediments in the Way of His Baptism
Mormon Scholars Opposed to Refugee and Immigrant Ban
Embracing the Chaos and Diversity of Mormonism's Past: Laurie Maffly-Kipp's MHA Presidential Address
Mormon Interpreter: Looking Back, Almost Five Years On
“Providing intellectual and devotional frameworks” (Nibley Fellow Reflections)
Looking Deeper Into Joseph Smith's First Vision: Imagery, Cognitive Neuroscience, and the Construction of Memory
An Evening With Elder Marlin K. Jensen
My Thoughts on Patrick Mason's Miller Eccles Presentation
BCC Press Q&A for academic historians
The Third Annual Summer Book Club: A House Full of Females
 

Podcasts

LDS Women at the Pulpit - Jenny Reeder and Kate Holbrook
Tithing and the Law of Consecration - Steven C. Harper
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and “A House Full of Females”
Darron Smith interviews on Gospel Tangents
Richard Bennett interviews on Gospel Tangents
On the Erasure of Native Americans from the Book of Mormon Conversation: Thomas Murphy
Kava, Culture, Indigeneity and Mormonism: Daniel Hernandez
God, the Image of God, Theosis, Sex and Godly Creation: Blair Ostler


Recent Book Releases
 

Steven Peck, Science the Key to Theology: Volume One: Preliminaries (BCC Press); See also
Reid L. Neilson and Nathan N. Waite, eds., Settling the Valley, Proclaiming the Gospel: The General Epistles of the Mormon First Presidency (Oxford University Press)
Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (University of Utah Press)


Published Articles

Brian Hauglid, “Book of Abraham and Translating the Sacred
Robin Scott Jensen, “The Joseph Smith Papers and the Book of Abraham
Christopher Blythe, “The Church and Kingdom of God: Ecclesiastical Interpretations of the Council of Fifty”
 

Conferences and Events

Reid Neilson and Nathan Waite at Benchmark Books
2017 UVU Mormon Studies Conference on YouTube: Thurs sessions, Friday sessions
Sunstone Symposium in Southern Utah
2017 Association for Mormon Letters conference; AML Book Awards, Fundraiser
Sunstone Symposium in Boise
2017 Mormon History Association Registration
2017 Sunstone Symposium SLC
2017 FairMormon Conference
2017 JWHA in Nauvoo
 

Call for Papers/Applications 

The International Society of Landscape, Place and Material Culture

 

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AuthorCast #42: This Month in Mormon Studies April 03 2017

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.


 

In the News

Dr. Robert Rees appointed chair of Mormon studies at GTU

Community of Christ announces three new World Church Historians

Joseph M. Spencer named editor of JBMS

George Q. Cannon digitization update (sort of)

175th Anniversary of the Articles of Faith

Richard Turley honored by Mormon Historic Sites Foundation

Signature Books newspaper digitization at Archive.org

JSP creates index to Joseph Fielding Smith's Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith

On the Blogs

William Law’s Amazing (and Suspect) Diary

Florence Smith Jacobsen: Saving Our Material Heritage

Eugenics and the Intellectual Underpinnings of Mormonism in the Alt-Right

Fake News, Leaked Documents, and the Book of Mormon

Also check out: Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: The Fake News of 1859

Finding a Story, or how to

Seers and Stones: The Translation of the Book of Mormon as Divine Visions of an Old-Time Seer

Finishing up the Book of Mormon Critical Text Project: An Introduction to The History of the Text of the Book of Mormon

Why Evolution and LDS Thought are Fully Compatible: Overcoming our Suspicions of Science

Three big things (and some little things) this lifelong Mormon learned from Matt Bowman's history of the Church

Denver Snuffer's teachings to be canonized

The good and bad of studying history

Paul Reeve wrote the race essay

The Relief Society 175th AnniversaryA Sermon

Five People Who Helped Found the Relief Society

Podcasts

Mark Lyman Staker on Gospel Tangents

The Book of Mormon as a 19th Centruy Political Commentary: Christopher C. Smith on A Thoughtful Faith

The Three Witnesses–Larry Morris on LDS Perspectives

In Brigham Young's Words–Gerrit Dirkmaat and LaJean Carruth on LDS Perspectives

New Perspectives on Joseph Smith and Revelation on Mormon Matters

Also: Faith Matters

Women at the Latter-day Saint pulpit, with Jennifer Reeder and Kate Holbrook on MIPodcast

Recent Book Releases 

Devery Anderson's Mississippi Freedem Summer Kickstarter

Patrick Q. Mason, What is Mormonism? A Students Introduction (Routledge)

Richard E. Turley Jr., Janiece L. Johnson, and Lajean Purecell Carruth, eds., Mountain Meadows Massacre: Collected Legal Papers (University of Oklahoma Press)

Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall, eds., Dime Novel Mormons (Greg Kofford Books)

Published Papers

Stephen Taysom, “’Satan Mourns Naked Upon the Earth’: Locating Mormon Possession and Exorcism Rituals in the American Religious Landscape, 1830-1977"

William Davis, “Reassessing Joseph Smith Jr.’s Formal Education”  

Conferences and Events

UVU Mormon Studies Conference

Book of Mormon Conference (formerly Book of Mormon Archaeological Foundation) 

Mormon Transhumanist Association 2017 conference

Mormon History Association 2017 conference

Kate Holbrook at Benchmark Books for At the Pulpit release event

Call for Papers/Applications 

Neal A. Maxwell Institute Summer Seminar

Surveying Trends in the Field: Mormon History and Mormon Studies in the Modern Academy

 

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AuthorCast #41—Live event for Dime Novel Mormons March 24 2017


Kofford Books AuthorCast, hosted by Brian Whitney. In this episode, we are featuring a recording from a round table press event for Dime Novel Mormons that took place on March 17 at the Greg Kofford Books office. Dime Novel Mormons is the latest volume in The Mormon Image in Literature series, edited by Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall.


About the book:

For this volume, four full-length dime novels have been chosen to represent different aspects of the Mormon image in dime novels: Eagle Plume, the White Avenger. A Tale of the Mormon Trail (1870); The Doomed Dozen; or, Dolores, the Danite’s Daughter (1881); Frank Merriwell Among the Mormons; or, The Lost Tribes of Israel (1897); and The Bradys Among the Mormons; or, Secret Work in Salt Lake City (1903). The often-lurid and scandalous portrayals of Mormons in these dime novels had consequences for the relationship between Mormons and the rest of the United States. They would represent reality for millions of people, and the basic portrayals found their way into more serious literature. Understanding how these stereotypes were created and first employed can help us understand many things about the way that Mormonism has always functioned in American culture.

Preview the volume here.
Read a Q&A with the editors here.

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AuthorCast #40: This Month in Mormon Studies March 01 2017

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.


 

In the News

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich on NPR's Fresh Air 

Neylan McBaine, “As potters at the wheel, let us shape Utah from inside and outside” in SL Trib

Henry J. Eyring named president of BYU-Idaho

Updates to Joseph Smith Papers website


On the Blogs

“More Thoughts on Mormons and Muslims” by Paul Reeve

“The Modern Mormon Athletic Image” by Ben Park

“The Complexities of History in The Ensign” by Ben Spackman

“The Dance of Discourse” by Hannah Jung

Profile on Greg Kofford Books at AML by Andrew Hall

“Canon as Context: Insights from the Bible Wars” by Mike Austin

 

Recent Book Releases 

Scott Hales, The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part Two (Greg Kofford Books)

Devery S. Anderson, Ed., Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883 (Signature Books)

Reid L. Neilson and Nathan N. Waite, eds., Settling the Valley: Proclaiming the Gospel: The General Epistles of the Mormon First Presidency (Oxford University Press)

Jennifer Reeder and Kate Holbrook, eds., At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women (Church Historian's Press)

Book Reviews by Brandt

Ann Taves, Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths (Princeton University Press)

 
Events

Faith and Knowledge Conference

Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology

UVU Mormon Studies Conference

Kate Holbrook speaking at Tabernacle
 

Call for Papers/Applications 

Joseph Smith Papers Conference

 

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AuthorCast #38—Conversation with Russell Stevenson, author of For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830–2013 January 30 2017

 

In this episode, we are joined by Russell Stevenson, author of For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830–2013, published in 2014 and the winner of the Best Book Award from the Mormon History Association in 2015. We discuss the the academic field of an Africanist as well as how For the Cause of Righteousness fits in with both Mormon history as well as the comparative black history genres; and what For the Cause of Righteousness adds to the scholarly discussion on race within Mormonism.

About the book:

This book broaches one of the most sensitive topics in the history of Mormonism: the story of the LDS community’s turbulent relationship with the black population. For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830-2013 promises to tell a story of how an American religious community could wander through the rocky landscape of American racial politics, all while hoping to hold onto its institutional integrity in the face of attacks from both within and without. Drawing on a rich array of archival documents and oral testimonies, For the Cause of Righteousness suggests that understanding race and Mormonism requires far more than watching the movements of well-dressed men on North Temple; it calls for understanding the dynamics of global Mormon communities ranging from Mowbray to Accra, from Berkeley to Rio Di Janeiro.

But as any historian will say, primary sources matter. Thus, For the Cause of Righteousness offers up not only a narrative history of the global black Mormon community but also an anthology of primary source transcripts: letters, newspaper articles, and speech transcripts, all in hopes that readers might take one more step toward understanding a story that simultaneously inspires, troubles, and urges Latter-day Saints into understanding a provincial religion that has reached global proportions.

Preview the volume here.

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AuthorCast #34 — This Month in Mormon Studies, September 2016 November 11 2016

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!

Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.


 

In the News

Postdoctoral fellow and lecturer position at The University of Virginia

Maxwell Institute Executive Committee and Advisory Board

 

On the Blogs

The Beleagured Progress of LDS Women

SMPT Annual Meeting notes here, here, and here

The Sacrament: a (somewhat speculative) liturgical genealogy

Michael MacKay on changing views that seemed set in stone

On the Dating of Moroni 8-9

If Not 1890, What Year Did Mormonism Change the Most?

The JST at the JSP

 

Recent Book Releases 

Foundations of the Restoration: 45th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, edited by Craig James Ostler

Joseph M. Spencer, The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record

Richard S. Van Wagoner, Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830

At Sword's Point, Part 2: A Documentary History of the Utah War, 1858-1859, edited by William P. MacKinnon

 

Recent and Upcoming Events

The Intellectual Life of Mormonism, Lecture 3

David F. Holland lecture at Maxwell Institute (video)

Roundtable Discussion for The Vision of All (video)

Sunstone Northwest 2016

 

Call for Papers

Mormon Scholars in the Humanities 2017 conference

Mormon Theology Seminar 2017

 

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AuthorCast #32 — This Month in Mormon Studies, September 2016 October 13 2016

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!

Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.


 

In the News

Deseret News: Panel discusses the intellectual Mormon legacy of Nibley, Bennion, McMurrin and Arrington

Deseret News: Top 10 Treasures in the Church History Library

Daily Herald: Mountain Meadows Massacre's John D. Lee trial records now online

On the Blogs

“Dialogue, and Me, at 50

Flunking Sainthood: Why I still need ‘Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought’

Not Even Close: Faculty Gender Balance at the BYUs.”

Gender & Employment at BYUs

The Changing Forms of the Latter-day Saint Sacrament

Notes from the Council of Fifty Minutes Launch Event.”

The Mormon Council of Fifty: What Joseph Smith’s Secret Records Reveal

Joseph Smith Papers Council of Fifty minutes offers view of LDS Church in Nauvoo

Scholarly Inquiry: Nicholas Frederick

LDS Perspectives Podcast.

Assessing the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Introduction to the Historiography of their Acquisitions, Translations, and Interpretations.”

The CES Podcast (for the rest of us)

An Orthodox Theology of Heavenly Mother… and a Caveat.”

Recent Book Releases

The Joseph Smith Papers: Administrative Records, Council of Fifty. Church Historian’s Press.

Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, edited by Patrick Mason and John Turner. Oxford.

Mormonism and the Making of a British Zion by Matthew L. Rasmussen. U of U Press.

Joseph Smith's Seer Stones, Michael Hubbard MacKay & Nicholas J. Frederick. BYU RSC Press.

Thirteenth Apostle: The Diaries of Amasa M. Lyman, 1832-1877, Scott H. Partridge (Editor). Signature.

The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901-1968 by Shinji Takagi. Greg Kofford Books.

Upcoming Conferences and Events

Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology annual meeting

Call for Applicants: Neal A. Maxwell Institute Summer Seminar

Also mentioned in Times & Seasons

The Intellectual Life of Mormonism Fall Panel Discussion Series

 

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AuthorCast #31 — Interview with Julie M. Smith, editor of As Iron Sharpens Iron August 12 2016

 

 

In this episode, we bring back Julie M. Smith to discuss her latest release, As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture, available now!

In this unique volume, fictionalized dialogues between the various voices of scripture illustrate how differences and disagreements are not flaws of the texts but are rather essential features of the canon. These creative dialogues include Abraham and Job debating the utility of suffering and our submission to God, Alma and Abinidi disagreeing on the place of justice in the Atonement, and the authors Mark and Luke discussing the role of women in Jesus’s ministry. It is by examining and embracing the different perspectives within the canon that readers are able to discover just how rich and invigorating the scriptures can be.

A model for a new, Jewish-informed way of reading scriptures with rich potential for Latter-day Saint audiences. One that embraces complexity rather than fleeing from it; an approach that values nuance and richness over simplicity and closure. Highly recommended.” — Fiona Givens, co-author of The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections On the Quest for Faith and The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life

Preview the volume here.

Read a Q&A with Julie M. Smith. 

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AuthorCast #30 — This Month in Mormon Studies, July 2016 August 05 2016

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events! Our special guest this month is Brittany Mangleson from Project Zion Podcast.

Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.


 

In the News

Radio West interview with Greg Prince

BYU Mormon Studies conversation group

Passing of Linda Hunter Adams

Internship with Church Historic Sites

On the Blogs

Jana Reiss, "Can Mormon women be witness to priesthood ordinances?"

Margaret Blair Young, "Race and Mormonism–2016 Edition (the less coy version)"

Aaron Brown, "Does the LDS Church Believe the Priesthood Ban was of Divine Origin or Not?"

Ardis Parshall, "A Stealthy Return to Bad Practices of the Past"

David G., "Heavenly Ledgers and Ghostly Specters: Two Recent Articles"

Blair Hodges, "For the church in Russia, sustaining doesn't mean agreeing"

Emily Grover, "Sister Wives of the Traveling Pants: Confronting My Polygamous Ancestry"

Joseph Stuart, "Death and the Historian's Empathy"

Recent Book Releases

Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall, eds., Boadicea; The Mormon Wife: Life-Scenes in Utah

Julie M. Smith, ed., Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22

Stephen L. Prince, Hosea Stout: Lawman, Legislator, Mormon Defender

Scholarly Journals

Journal of Mormon History, Vol 42, No. 3 (July 2016)

Recent and Upcoming Events

Richard Bushman Colloquium now available online

2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium videos

2016 Sunstone SLC Summer Symposium

Latter-day Seekers

Daniel Stone's forthcoming biography William Bickerton

Wheatley Summer Seminar

BYU New Testament Commentary Conference

Upcoming Events and Call for Papers

2016 FairMormon Conference

2017 Mormon History Association Conference, call for papers

2016 Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology Seminar

2016 John Whitmer Historical Association Conference
 

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AuthorCast #28 - This Month in Mormon Studies, June 2016 June 28 2016

 

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) along with guest Stephen Smoot (Book of Mormon Central) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!

“It's like Car Talk for Mormon studies!” - Someone online somewhere, probably

Subscribe to the Mormon News Report.

Check out Book of Mormon Central

See Stephen Smoot's segment on the Conan O'Brien Show


In the News

Sherman Fleek received the Secretary of Army Award for Valor

Check out Sherman L. Fleek's book, Saints of Valor

James Talmage's diaries digitized

On the Blogs

Brother Guy Consolmagno's keynote at 2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium

Was Joseph Smith Ever Convicted of a Crime? by John Dinger

A rare contradiction in terms: Mormonism Racism and the Utah Jazz by Christopher

“Early Mormons and Mass Poisoning" by Christopher Smith

Digitizania! by Tod R.

“On doing Mormon theology as a non-Mormon” by Bridget Jack Jeffries

“A Reaction to the New Leonard Arrington Book” by Julie Smith

“Reassassing Robert Flanders’s NAUVOO: KINGDOM ON THE MISSISSIPPI, Fifty Years Later” by Ben P.

“Free Book, or What I learned at MHA” by Meg Stout

 “The Ammonites Were Not Pacifists” by Duane Boyce

“Mormon founder turned over priesthood keys to women, says Deseret Book author” by Jana Reiss

Check out Fiona Given's article, “The Perfect Union of Man and Woman” in Dialogue.

Latest Book Releases

Reid L. Neilson and Mark Mellville, eds., A Historian in Zion: The Autobiography of Andrew Jenson, Assistant Church Historian

Jack Harrell, Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism

Thomas F. Rogers, Let Your Hearts and Minds Expand: Reflections on Faith, Reason, Charity, and Beauty

Read Stephen Smoot's full review

Martha Bradley Evans, Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1839-1844 (Also mentioned in previous episode)

Recent and Upcoming Events

MHA 2016 session highlights:

Race discussion panel

Sexual violence in Missouri panel

Council of Fifty Minutes panel

Josephine Lyon DNA panel

MHA 2016 Awards:

Leonard J. Arrington Award given to Michael Quinn

Best Book

Paul Reeve, Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness (University of Utah Press)

Honorable Mention: Thomas Carter, Building Zion: The Material World of Mormon Settlement (University of Minnesota Press)

Best Biography

Ronald Romig, Eighth Witness: The Biography of John Whitmer (John Whitmer Books).

Honorable Mention: Michael Hicks, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: A Biography (University of Illinois Press)

Best Documentary Editing

Royal Skousen and Robin Scott Jensen, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 3: Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon (Church Historian’s Press)

Best First Book

David Hall, A Faded Legacy: Amy Brown Lyman and Mormon Women’s Activism, 1872-1959 (University of Utah Press)

For a complete list of Awards, click here.

2016 Mormon Theology Seminar Conference

Richard Bushman Colloquium

Check out J Stuart's write-up in Juvenile Instructor

Greg Prince’s author event at Benchmark Books now on YouTube

Looking ahead:

Julie Smith at Writ & Vision July 21st for two forthcoming releases: Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21–22 and As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture.

2016 Sunstone Summer Symposium July 27-30 at the University of Utah.

 

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AuthorCast #24 - This Month in Mormon Studies! June 03 2016

  

This Month in Mormon Studies is a new series co-hosted by Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report). In this engaging and lighthearted series, Brian and Brandt will be discussing the latest going's-on in the field of Mormon studies. From news and blog highlights to new book releases and upcoming events, this monthly series is not to be missed. Subscribe today!

See the links below for more information about topics discussed in the episode:

Subscribe to the Mormon News Report.

In the News

Spencer Fluhman named director of Maxwell Institute

Historian Ronald Walker passed away at age 76

George D. Smith receives honorary Doctorate from University of Utah

First edition of Book of Mormon to be part of Library of Congress

On the Blogs

Juvenile Instructor Book Club for Summer 2016 - Mormon Enigma

Harmonized First Vision accounts in CES broadcast (times & Seasons)

Matthew Grow’s touching tribute to Ronald Walker @ BCC

Re-examining and re-evaluating the Gospel Topics essays by Mary-Ann at W&T

Steve Taysom interviewed by Matt Bowman on craft of biography writing

Latest Book Releases

Adam Miller, Future Mormon: Essays in Mormon Theology

Kate Holbrook and Matthew Bowman, eds., Women and Mormonism: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

Gregory A. Prince, Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History

Matthew C. Godfrey, et al., eds., Joseph Smith Papers: Documents, Vol. 4: April 1834 - September 1835

Martha Bradley-Evans, Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1839-1844

Patrick Q. Mason, ed., Directions for Mormon Studies in the Twenty-First Century

Laura Hales, ed., A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine & Church History

Read Brandt Malone's interview with Laura Hales on the Cultural Hall Podcast.

Upcoming Events

UVU professor Brian Birch to teach new class at University of Utah - “The Intellectual Life of Mormonism.”

Mormonism in Religious Studies workshop at University of Utah

Mormon History Association 2016 Conference in Snowbird, UT

Mormon Women's History Initiative Team (MWHIT) sponsoring a fundraising bazaar at MHA.

Greg Prince author event at Benchmark Books, June 8

Greg Prince author event at Writ & Vision, June 9

Adam Miller author event at Writ & Vision, June 14

Jack Harrell author event at Writ & Vision, June 28

Matthew Godfrey speaking on Zion's Camp at Temple Square Assembly Hall, June 23

 

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