Podcast appearances and mentions of David F Holland

This conversation was the last of the six-part series Religion and the Legacies of Slavery | A Series of Public Online Conversations. The featured speakers were HDS professors Karen L. King, David F. Holland, Dan McKanan, Terrence L. Johnson, and Tracey Hucks. This session was a discussion among presenters reflecting upon the insights shared throughout the series. In addition to identifying themes and throughlines among sessions, we returned to the overarching questions that framed this collaboration: What does the academic study of religion teach us about the complex histories and legacies of slavery? How can a deeper understanding of the roles of religion enhance our commitment to reparative action in our contemporary times? This event took place on March 20, 2023 Learn more: https://hds.harvard.edu/

It has long been a historical truism that, in the early modern West, pseudoscientific racial hierarchies replaced religious hierarchies as the dominant framework for understanding human difference and justifying oppressive colonialist practices, including slavery. Recent research has challenged this axiom to suggest how important religious conceptions of difference remained to the racist imagination into the modern period—and, indeed, into our present day. The convergence of racialist and religious orderings of humanity converged in American institutions like Harvard University, persisting in ways with which we have not sufficiently reckoned. This conversation is part of the Religion and the Legacies of Slavery series at HDS. The featured speakers are David F. Holland, John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History at HDS, and Kathryn Gin Lum, Associate Professor in Religious Studies at Stanford University. This event took place on February 6, 2023 Learn more: https://hds.harvard.edu/ Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2023/2/14/video-religion-race-and-double-helix-white-supremacy

Review of David F. Holland, Moroni: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2021). 147 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Holland, the youngest son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, is the John Bartlett Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School. Consistent with his training and […] The post An Elegant Book on Gifts, Gifting, and Remembering first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of David F. Holland, Moroni: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2021). 147 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Holland, the youngest son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, is the John Bartlett Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School. Consistent with his training and […] The post An Elegant Book on Gifts, Gifting, and Remembering first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of David F. Holland, Moroni: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2021). 147 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Holland, the youngest son of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, is the John Bartlett Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School. Consistent with his training and […] The post An Elegant Book on Gifts, Gifting, and Remembering first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Jocelyne Cesari, J. Dermot Dunphy Visiting Professor of Religion, Violence, and Peacebuilding, discussed her recent publication, "We God's People: Christianity, Islam and Hinduism in the World of Nations" with David F. Holland and Ousmane Kane. This event took place on April 21, 2022. Learn more: https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/

‘Tis this season of peace and goodwill, of traditions, both familial, and religious, and to some, it's the time of year to freak out about the so called “War on Christmas.”A rallying cry for certain sectors of the media, Christmas, apparently, has been under siege for decades, with liberals and the non-religious doing everything they can to take Christ out of Christmas. But is Christmas really under threat? Even taking into consideration the constitutional separation of church and state, you can't go anywhere in America during December and not be reminded that it's Christmas. Decorations and ornaments, garland and lights, Christmas trees, even the media that surrounds us across any and all platforms, reminds us that Christmas is everywhere. So, if there's a war on Christmas, then surely it's being lost by whomever is waging it. Now, if you want to wage a real war on Christmas, as far as I can tell, the best way to do it is to just make it illegal, which is exactly what happened from 1659 to 1681 here in Boston, Massachusetts, when anyone caught celebrating the holiday would be subject to a fine of 5 shillings. And do you know who was responsible for canceling Christmas? Was it some anti-religious group or a bunch of pagans? Was it liberal policymakers or a rogue state official? Nope. It was one of the most pious groups of people at the time: the Puritans.I'm Jonathan Beasley, and this is the Harvard Religion Beat, a podcast examining religion's underestimated and often misunderstood role in society.Today, I'm speaking with David F. Holland, who is the John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History here at Harvard Divinity School. I wanted to get Professor Holland's insight into two specific questions: Why did the Puritans ban the celebration of Christmas, and did that ban set the stage both for future similar laws, and even a particular New England way of life? 

Did you know that Christmas was illegal in Massachusetts from 1659 to 1681, and anyone caught celebrating the holiday would be subject to a fine of 5 shillings? And who was responsible for canceling Christmas? Was it pagans, or liberal policymakers, or the anti-religious? Nope, it was one of the most pious groups of people at the time: the Puritans. "Puritans abided by what's sometimes been called the regulative principle of Biblicism, which is that not only do you need to do what the Bible enjoins you to do, but you should avoid establishing, as practices of spiritual significance, things that the Bible does not expressly endorse," says HDS Professor David F. Holland. “And so the absence of Christmas in scripture was the primary source of the kind of Puritan concern about it and condemnation of it.” But there was also another big reason for the ban, namely that Christmas had a tradition of being a time of social disorder, similar to Carnival. And that disorder, drunkenness, irreverence, and often sexual licentiousness, was something Puritans found unacceptable. Even though anti-Christmas sentiment and culture was still very much prevalent in New England until the mid-nineteenth century, Christmas became a national holiday in 1870 thanks to one particular phenomenon. “What really kind of gives Christmas it's propriety or its legitimacy in the culture of New England is the rise of a kind of cult of domesticity in the early nineteenth century and what some scholars have referred to as the birth of childhood,” says Holland, “the recognition of childhood as a distinctive stage of human development that deserves a certain kind of indulgence and a certain kind of happiness.”

What a journey it's been through the Book of Mormon over the past year, and what a year it's been to take a journey through the Book of Mormon! David F. Holland joins us in this episode to talk about his brief theological introduction to the final book—the book of Moroni. Spencer Fluhman, executive director of the Maxwell Institute, returns as guest host. Learn more about the brief theological introduction series at mi.byu.edu/brief. Note: Dr. Holland refers to this article by Philip L. Barlow: “To Mend a Fractured Reality.”  About the Guest David Holland is the John Bartlett Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School and the Director of Graduate Studies in Religion at Harvard University. He is the author of Sacred Borders: Continuing Revelation and Canonical Restraint in Early America, published by Oxford University Press. The post GUEST HOST—Briefly Moroni, with David F. Holland & Spencer Fluhman [MIPodcast #122] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

The post MIPodcast #122—Briefly Moroni, with David F. Holland & Spencer Fluhman appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

3 Nephi 12-16, September 27: David F. Holland David F. Holland is the John A. Bartlett Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School.  He also serves on the faculties of Religion and American Studies at Harvard University. David’s research focuses on the intersecting theological commitments and cultural changes that shaped American life from the early Continue Reading »

LinksTypes & SymbolsThe Conflict AudibleThe Conflict BeautifulReading PlanThe White EstateCreditsThis episode was produced by Ivan Ruiz-Knott, with help from Olivia Ruiz-Knott and Alex Prouty. Additional production support by Ryan Becker from The Absurdity podcast. Kevin Burton and Tim Poirier pointed us in good directions and answered a lot of our questions. Kirsten Archer provided research assistance.The readers of the eyewitness accounts were:Ben Amoah of The Auricle Podcast,Jose Briones of the Disruptive Adventism podcast.Dr. Danzie of the Adventist Reflections podcast,Justin Khoe of the i'm Listening with Justin Khoe podcast,David Prouty,and Steve Prouty.Our guests were Kevin Burton and Dr. David F. Holland.People being on this show, or helping out with it, or being related to the hosts, does not in any way mean that they agree with everything, or anything the hosts say, nor does it mean that they endorse or support The Conflict Beautiful.FeedbackDid we get something wrong? Did we leave something out? Do you know a ton about something we've touched on? Did we miss an important point? Do you have questions? Do you just disagree? We probably want to talk to you.Email us at feedback@theconflictaudible.com or send us a voice memo using this Dropbox link. 

David F. Holland, professor of New England church history at Harvard University, presents for "The First Vision of Joseph Smith, Jr.: 200 Years On" conference.

Geoffrey Allen (via FaceTime) This week's episode is a listener generated story that involves a convert, an MTC Missionary from the Mormon.org referral center, a ministering Stake President, and so much more. This episode shows the perpetual motion that missionary work can have throughout the world. I received this email from recent convert, Geoffrey Allen, that reads: "I listened to your most recent podcast with Sister Bringhurst and loved it. At one point I thought I was going to get a good story about the MTC missionaries, but she didn't have one. I'd love to hear one, as the MTC missionaries from mormon.org played a vital role in my conversion 188 days ago. I'm still in contact with that missionary, now returned. I have an odd story that I believe is a testament to Heavenly Father's Divine Guidance and includes both MTC and field missionaries. I probably make it much longer than it needs to be, but I believe the MTC missionary who helped bring me to conversion has an exceptional story to tell that includes illness, missed missionary callings, and early returns. If you'd like to talk to her I'd be happy to ask her. She has quite the story and is a very special person. My family is lucky to have "met" her.” Sister Emma Wageman - During cancer treatment Sister Emma Wageman - Post Cancer Treatment Nick Galieti (host) and Sister Emma Wageman (guest) I exchanged a few more emails and spent some time arranging the multiple guests that we have on this show. We will first hear from the man that sent this email to me, Geoffrey Allen, to get his inspiring conversion story. Following Brother Allen, we will hear from Sister Emma Wageman, the missionary referred to in his email who has an incredible story of her own, that fills out this wonderful example of the hand of the Lord guiding this work. Finally, we will hear from Geoffrey’s Stake President, David Holland who is just one of the many people that have played a part in bringing Geoffrey into the church. It was a joy to learn of this story and I hope you are able to find inspiration in us sharing that story in this episode of the podcast. Stake President and Harvard Divinity School Professor - David F. Holland Thank you for listening to LDS MissionCast, we hope you enjoyed this episode. Make sure to followLDS MissionCast on Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned, and thank you so much for listening to this episode of LDS MissionCast. 

David F. Holland is a respected scholar and Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School. On October 29, 2016, he spoke on the topic “Latter-day Saints and the Problem of Pain” at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at BYU in Provo, Utah. Recently LDS Perspectives host Nick Galieti interviewed David Holland about his presentation at BYU, his further explorations on the seemingly paradoxical problem of pain, as well as the role pain and suffering play in the journey of the Christian disciple. David reflects on counsel given to his father from Elder Neal A. Maxwell, prior to an address Holland’s father gave at BYU. The counsel was to be sensitive to the unseen problems that inform the varied histories of audience members, “There are scars that go unnoticed, but you must see them. You must tread with caution on the hallowed ground of another’s suffering.” Holland shared that two members of his New England area stake committed suicide within a week of each other. It is in this backdrop that David spoke in simultaneous roles as an admittedly amateur-philosopher and historian-scholar. He reviewed a history of the role of pain and suffering in early American religious settings, as well as proposed answers to the questions many still carry about the relationship of pain to our mortal experiences. Answers for which the restored gospel of Latter-day Saint theology meets in rich and profound ways. Holland elaborates on how historically religions saw pain and suffering as the voice of God declaring his displeasure with their actions. Others felt discord with the concept of a deity that only spoke when displeased. The people of early America, when faced with this paradox of “a choice in which God could either be cruel or mute, they increasingly chose the silence.” Thus a mute God, and a rigidly closed cannon became part of how many religious Americans viewed life and religious practice. Many today view God, or their concept of God, as the answer to pain and suffering. If there is no reprieve from pain, then there must be no God. With so many today feeling the pains of depression and other mental health issues, Holland postulates that “[Mental illness] is the next great frontier of our ministry [as Latter-day Saints].” Download Transcript

David F. Holland is a respected scholar and Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School. On October 29, 2016, he spoke on the topic “Latter-day Saints and the Problem of Pain” at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at BYU in Provo, Utah. Recently LDS Perspectives host Nick Galieti interviewed David Holland about his presentation at BYU, his further explorations on the seemingly paradoxical problem of pain, as well as the role pain and suffering play in the journey of the Christian disciple. David reflects on counsel given to his father from Elder Neal A. Maxwell, prior to an address Holland’s father gave at BYU. The counsel was to be sensitive to the unseen problems that inform the varied histories of audience members, “There are scars that go unnoticed, but you must see them. You must tread with caution on the hallowed ground of another’s suffering.” Holland shared that two members of his New England area stake committed suicide within a week of each other. It is in this backdrop that David spoke in simultaneous roles as an admittedly amateur-philosopher and historian-scholar. He reviewed a history of the role of pain and suffering in early American religious settings, as well as proposed answers to the questions many still carry about the relationship of pain to our mortal experiences. Answers for which the restored gospel of Latter-day Saint theology meets in rich and profound ways. Holland elaborates on how historically religions saw pain and suffering as the voice of God declaring his displeasure with their actions. Others felt discord with the concept of a deity that only spoke when displeased. The people of early America, when faced with this paradox of “a choice in which God could either be cruel or mute, they increasingly chose the silence.” Thus a mute God, and a rigidly closed cannon became part of how many religious Americans viewed life and religious practice. Many today view God, or their concept of God, as the answer to pain and suffering. If there is no reprieve from pain, then there must be no God. With so many today feeling the pains of depression and other mental health issues, Holland postulates that “[Mental illness] is the next great frontier of our ministry [as Latter-day Saints].” Extra Resources: Episode 34 Transcript The Problem of Pain (Video) The Problem of Pain (Text)