Claremont Mormon Studies j NEWSLETTERi FALL 2013 t ISSUE NO. 9 …But What Exactly Do IN THIS ISSUE You Do? Unpacking Hebrew Bible with Tammi Schneider BY Patrick Q. Mason PAGE 3 Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies i k Student Contributions hen I meet people outside of means studying about and seeking PAGE 5 Wthe university context, they to understand religion rather than k are often quite interested in the fact promoting any one tradition or Thanks to Donors that I am a “professor of religion.” its beliefs—the same way that a I have learned that this means historian of twentieth-century PAGE 7 different things to Russia can study k Critical Comparative different people. “Being a professor of about and seek To my next-door to understand Scripture & Mormon neighbor, it means religion at a secular communism Studies that he tells me university like CGU means without promoting PAGE 8 about the book he studying about and international k just read debunking seeking to understand revolution. Even Vibrancy of Mormon the Bible’s claims once that important Studies and how he threw religion rather than distinction is PAGE 9 it in the face of his promoting any one understood, people k “fundamentalist are still a little unclear tradition or its beliefs.“ Expanding Our Circle of Bible-thumping” about what exactly I brother-in-law do on a daily basis. Influence during their last visit. To people They have a vague notion that PAGE 10 sitting next to me on the airplane, it professors teach classes. But truth be means either a conversation about told, I’m only in the classroom about their own church, or about how six hours per week (though class they hated their parents’ church, prep and grading takes much more or about “those Muslims,” or about [continued on the following page] the topic of whatever book I’m reading or stack of student papers VISIT US ONLINE I’m grading. To the people at church, it means explaining that no, I’m not k We are currently in the final stages of revamping and updating our website. Stay a seminary or Institute teacher, and Tuned. To subscribe to this newsletter and for updates on Mormon Studies at no, my students are not rushing into Claremont please visit: baptismal fonts. claremontmormonstudies.org Being a professor of religion at a secular university like CGU Please direct any questions to [email protected]. PAGE 1 HTTP://RELIGION.CGU.EDU t HTTP://WWW.CLAREMONTMORMONSTUDIES.ORG CLAREMONT MORMON STUDIES NEWSLETTER t FALL 2013 than that). What do I do with the rest of my time—that is, on accumulating frequent flier miles by participating when I’m not sitting around in my tweed jacket, stroking in conferences in seemingly every part of the country, my chin, and thinking deep thoughts? and beyond: Mormon History Association conferences The university, and especially the graduate university, in Calgary, Alberta, and Layton, Utah; the American is a place where we not only transmit existing knowledge, Historical Association in New Orleans; the American but also where we create new knowledge. Can you think Academy of Religion in Chicago; the Western History of anything more exciting or fulfilling? This creation of Association in Denver; a symposium of LDS national knowledge is accomplished through conducting original security professionals in Washington, DC; and (by research and then presenting or publishing the findings videoconference) a workshop on collaborative learning of that research. High-quality original research is often technologies in Egypt. tedious and always time-consuming, especially when one Of course, I do teach, an activity at the very heart of strives to meet the rigorous standards of academic peer the university. The Hunter Chair is designated to teach review. It often takes several years to research and write a one course per semester on Mormonism, and another book, and at least a few months to write a good article. course on some other aspect of religion, usually American Much of my time is thus dedicated to research and religious history. In the past couple of years I have writing. In the past year or two I have published a number taught courses called “Introduction to Mormonism,” of articles (cited below) on topics ranging from violence in “Approaches to Mormonism,” “Gendering Mormonism,” early Mormonism to Mormon blogs to the relationship of “Mormonism and Politics,” “Religion in America to faith and history. I was pleased with the publication of the 1865,” “Religion in America, 1865-present,” “Women book War and Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives, in American Religion,” and “Comparative Global which was based on an outstanding conference held at Fundamentalisms.” One of the benefits of teaching CGU in 2011 and which presents a variety of thoughtful graduate students is that I often leave our classroom perspectives on how Latter-day Saints approach discussions having learned something new and interesting perplexing issues of war and peace. I was similarly from them. I also spend several hours every week advising gratified last year when the Mormon History Association students on coursework, research, progress toward their awarded an article I published in 2011 on the concept of degrees, and career goals. “theodemocracy” in nineteenth-century Mormonism. Of course, the 2012 presidential election brought Books are the gold standard in the fields of history an onslaught of media attention, most of which has and religious studies. In addition to my first book, The since waned. Nevertheless, the contacts I made during Mormon Menace, published two years ago, I am currently election season mean that I have continued to appear working on multiple new book projects. My main book, episodically in outlets including National Public Radio, which I am working on slowly but steadily, is a biography The Daily Beast, the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, of Ezra Taft Benson, taking into account his entire the Washington Post, KTTV (Los Angeles), and various life – religion and politics, family and farming. Even podcasts. I have recently been interviewed or consulted more slowly, I’m plugging away on a book (co-authored for two separate documentaries on women in the LDS with BYU Idaho professor David Pulsipher) that will Church. I believe this continued presence in various systematically explore a Mormon theology of peace. I am media outlets is an important element of what the Hunter also editing or co-editing two forthcoming collections Chair can accomplish in terms of public education and of essays, one stemming from our 2013 Mormon Studies outreach, and hopefully also brings positive attention and conference at CGU which honored the vaunted academic recognition to the Mormon Studies program at CGU. career of LDS Council member Armand Mauss, and As significant as the Hunter Chair is, it does not stand another that will marshal new research on Mormonism in alone in the field of Mormon Studies. One of my favorite post-1945 America. parts of the job is networking with other scholars in Scholars test out and refine the ideas that eventually Mormon Studies and cognate fields. I have the privilege appear in print by presenting their work at professional of serving on the board of directors for both the Mormon conferences. Since the summer of 2012 I have worked History Association and Dialogue Foundation (which PAGE 2 HTTP://RELIGION.CGU.EDU t HTTP://WWW.CLAREMONTMORMONSTUDIES.ORG CLAREMONT MORMON STUDIES NEWSLETTER t FALL 2013 publishes Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought), as co-authored with Armand L. Mauss, World Religions and well as on the steering committee for the Mormon Studies Spirituality Project, http://www.has.vcu.edu/wrs/profiles/ consultation of the American Academy of Religion and LDS.htm. the advisory board for the new Mormon Studies Review • “Mormonism and Politics,” Forum on Contemporary published by BYU’s Maxwell Institute. I was fortunate to Mormonism, Religion and American Culture (Winter 2013): gather with a “summit” of Mormon Studies scholars in 22–29. Utah this past summer to discuss the future of the field and possible collaborations, and was thrilled to be present • “Mormon Blogs, Mormon Studies, and the Mormon as my good friend and colleague Kathleen Flake was Mind,” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (Fall 2012): inaugurated as the first Richard Lyman Bushman Chair 12–25. of Mormon Studies at the University of Virginia. I can • “’The Wars and the Perplexities of the Nations’: confidently affirm that Mormon Studies—at CGU and Reflections on Early Mormonism, Violence, and the State,” elsewhere—has never been stronger, and is poised to make Journal of Mormon History (Summer 2012): 72–89. even greater contributions in the years to come. If this little taste of what I do sounds enjoyable and • “Faith and History, Old Testament-Style,” Forum on exciting, it’s because it is. Now back to work! t Uniting Faith and History, Religious Educator (2012): 142–144. Selected Recent Publications • “Visions of Zion: Changes in Mormon Social Ethics,” • War and Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives, co- Christian Century (Aug. 7, 2012). edited with J. David Pulsipher and Richard L. Bushman • “God and the People: Theodemocracy in Nineteenth- (Greg Kofford Books, 2012). Century Mormonism,” Journal of Church and State • “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism),” (Summer 2011): 349–375. “And What Does That Mean?” Unpacking the Hebrew Bible with Dr. Tammi Schneider BY Christie Frandsen Mormon Studies Council Member r. Tammi Schneider sweeps into the classroom, on women in the Hebrew Bible. And I am lucky enough to Dgreets her students with a brilliant smile, and before be sitting in on her class! she has even taken her seat, she launches into the day’s Her resume is impressive and awe-inspiring for me topic with irrepressible energy and enthusiasm.