Podcasts about religious scholarship

The Prophet Joseph Smith said the Doctrine and Covenants is “the foundation of the Church in these last days, and a benefit to the world, showing that the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man.” In 2025, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints study the Doctrine and Covenants, to learn of Him, apply the stories found in its pages to their own lives and explore thematically the invitation the Lord gives to all to come unto Him.  In this episode of the Church News podcast, Church News reporter Mary Richards is joined by Rosalynde Welch, a research fellow and associate director at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. They explore the themes interwoven in this sacred book of scripture, from the role of prophets to the transformative power of repentance and agency.  The Church News Podcast is a weekly podcast that invites listeners to make a journey of connection with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the globe. Hosts Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News, and Church News reporter Mary Richards share unique views of the stories, events, and people who form this international faith. With each episode, listeners are asked to embark on a journey to learn from one another and ponder, “What do I know now?” because of the experience. Produced by KellieAnn Halvorsen.

Welcome, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Morgan Davis, Neal A. Maxwell Research Fellow at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.In this episode, they talk about the scholarship of the book of Ether, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

September 30-October 6 | 3 Nephi 12-16 | Joined by Scholar Kimberly Matheson, research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, and Special Guest Milton Camargo, First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency, and his wife Patricia.

August 12-18 | Alma 43-52 | Joined by Scholar Jennifer Lane, Neal A. Maxwell Research Associate at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, and Special Guest Richard Norby.

“Latter-day Saints believe in the pursuit of truth through ‘study and faith' and are thus not opposed to intellectual examination of scripture” (Dr. David R. Seely). One way we might examine the scriptures is through the use of biblical criticism, or historical criticism, an approach regularly used by biblical scholars to assess the meaning of a text—it's original context, audience, and authorship. In this episode Dr. Jason Combs, associate professor of ancient scripture, discussed his chapter “Historical Criticism of the Bible among the Latter-day Saints.” He outlines the history of biblical criticism and explains how it may serve as a tool to aid our scripture study. Further, Dr. Combs details how such approaches may provide a more well-rounded vision of the scriptures, especially in studying the Old and New Testaments and comparing multiple accounts of the same events. In doing so we should balance biblical criticism with the application of scriptures and the gospel to our daily lives.     Publications  Jason Robert Combs, “Historical Criticism of the Bible among the Latter-day Saints” (in The Bible and the Latter-day Saint Tradition, eds. Taylor G. Petrey, Cory Crawford, and Eric A. Eliason (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2023), 202–16.).Used courtesy of the University of Utah Press. Jason R. Combs, et al., eds. Ancient Christians: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints (Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2022)  “‘Christ' after the Apostles: The Humanity and Divinity of the Savior in the Second Century” (in Thou Art the Christ, the Son of the Living God:  The Person and Work of Jesus in the New Testament, Religious Studies Center, 2018) Professional Website, https://www.jasonrobertcombs.com/ “A Modern Perspective on Ancient Christians” (Y Religion, episode 70, 2022) “The Humanity and Divinity of Jesus Christ” (Y Religion, episode 37, 2021)   Click here to learn more about Jason Combs   

Hello, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Steven Peck, a Professor of Biology, and Visiting Fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and Words of Mormon, giving them context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome to the second episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Jasmin Rappleye Gimenez, the Communications Director of Scripture Central.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the Book of 1 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.References:Approaching the Tree: Interpreting 1 Nephi 8. Eds. Benjamin Keogh, Joseph M. Spencer, and Jennifer Champoux. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2023. Available at https://a.co/d/7o8VLDr Spencer, Joseph. 1st Nephi: a brief theological introduction. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2020. Available at https://a.co/d/8hdesoi Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and JoAnn H. Seely. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2004. Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/glimpses-lehi%E2%80%99s-jerusalem Reynolds, Noel B. “The Political Dimension in Nephi's Small Plates.” BYU Studies Quarterly27:4 (1987). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/node/128 Hardy, Grant. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2010. Bradley, Don. The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon's Missing Stories. United States, Greg Kofford Books, 2019. Welch, John W. “Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1:1 (1992). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/legal-perspectives-slaying-laban

Part 2 of the 1 Nephi episode with Jasmin Rappleye.Welcome to the second episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Jasmin Rappleye Gimenez, the Communications Director of Scripture Central.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the Book of 1 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.References:Approaching the Tree: Interpreting 1 Nephi 8. Eds. Benjamin Keogh, Joseph M. Spencer, and Jennifer Champoux. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2023. Available at https://a.co/d/7o8VLDr Spencer, Joseph. 1st Nephi: a brief theological introduction. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2020. Available at https://a.co/d/8hdesoi Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and JoAnn H. Seely. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2004. Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/glimpses-lehi%E2%80%99s-jerusalem Reynolds, Noel B. “The Political Dimension in Nephi's Small Plates.” BYU Studies Quarterly27:4 (1987). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/node/128 Hardy, Grant. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2010. Bradley, Don. The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon's Missing Stories. United States, Greg Kofford Books, 2019. Welch, John W. “Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1:1 (1992). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/legal-perspectives-slaying-laban

Come, Follow Me | August 14–20 | Romans 7-16 | "Overcome Evil with Good" | Guests Jennifer Lane, Research Associate at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, and Matthew Wickman, English professor at BYU.

Today's guest is Terryl Givens, a prolific LDS author and scholar. Givens is a senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship and joins us to discuss faith, studying the scriptures, and on being a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Please give this podcast a thumbs up and tap the subscribe button. When you subscribe and share comments, it increases the show's rating and makes it easier for people to find. If you have any comments or would like to request to be a guest on the podcast, feel free to email me. Additionally, please let me know if you have someone in mind who would make a great guest. To receive updates on the Gospel Library and news about the podcast, be sure to add your email l to my website. Rest assured that your email will not be sold. The music for this show is used with permission by Marvin Goldstein. Click here for more information about Marvin and his music. 3:04 - Family 3:53- Early years 4:20 - A whirlwind romance 5:10 - Teaching comparative literature 8:11 - The author 8:47 - Having faith 22:31 - Being a true disciple 25:15 - Being a witting disciple 27:29 - Believing all the right things for the wrong reason 30:01 - The Crucible of Doubt 31:34 - Being intimate with the gospel 35:13 - Drinking deeply from the scriptures 42:18 - Struggling with the scriptures 44:23 - How he studies the scriptures 48:45 - Note-taking 53:54 - Testimony The expressions and opinions shared on this podcast are those of the individuals speaking and do not reflect or necessarily coincide with those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Come, Follow Me | June 19–25 | Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19 | “It Is Finished” | Guests Jennifer Lane, Research Associate at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, and John Hilton III, Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU.

Dr. Rosalynde Welch, senior research scholar and associate director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at BYU joins me to talk about the "literary turn" in Book of Mormon studies, postsecular critique, scriptural theology, and her recent book on the Book of Ether. Welch argues that the Book of Ether—a kind of microcosm of the Book of Mormon of which it is a part—presents a theology of scripture that focuses on the interaction between written text, reader, and the Holy Spirit. We discuss the nature of scripture, the "weakness" of God, the Book of Ether's close intertextual engagement with and revision of Pauline notions of faith, and the atemporal nature of the Book of Mormon's Christology.

Come, Follow Me | May 1–7 | Luke 12-17; John 11 | “Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost” | Guests Jennifer Lane, Research Associate at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, CEO of Wild Valley Farms.

In today's interview we are joined by one of the foremost scholars in the church, Terryl Givens. Terryl Givens is the author or coauthor of 23 books and is a senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. In this interview we discuss Terryl's journey as a Latter-day Saint, the topic of faith crisis, doctrines he finds particularly beautiful, and his view on what faith is. Use this link: https://www.terrylgivens.com/books to check out the books that he has written.

Parvez and Omar are joined by Shaykha Muslema Purmul, co-founder and Religious Director at The Majlis.  They discuss her family's journey from Afghanistan to Southern California, as well as her travels to Egypt, where she pursued religious scholarship for a number of years, and the work she is doing today as Religious Director at The Majlis. ABOUT SHAYKHA MUSLEMA PURMUL Muslema Purmul was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Religious Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. During these years she served a number of different roles at her local MSA at UCSD as well as MSA West. After graduating she left to study in Egypt where she spent the better part of the next 7 years. She completed the Bachelors program in Sharia from al-Azhar University in Cairo and also completed almost two years of graduate work at the American University in Cairo in Islamic Studies. She also attended the International Union of Muslim Scholars “Future Scholars Program” while she was studying in Cairo. Upon her return to America, she served the Southern California community in various capacities including religious instruction, directing youth and young adult programs, university chaplaincy, and offering community pastoral care at and with local masjids and organizations. She has taught classes and spoken nationally and internationally about issues related to Islamic law and ethics in an array of educational settings including conferences, retreats, universities, libraries, and mosques. Currently she serves as Religious Director at The Majlis, a community organization she and her husband co-founded together seeking to nurture safe community spaces where people can learn and live Islam, based on the traditional sources of understanding the faith, while acknowledging the particular challenges of the American context. She is a mother of two and resides with her family in Southern California.  

For today's episode, we spoke with Kristian Heal.  BYU's Maxwell Institute has just released an amazing new volume of research called Ancient Christians, that offers remarkable insights into Christianity's earliest centuries. It's intended for Latter-day Saints, but based on the best scholarship available to give us a glimpse into what these ancient Christians believed,  how they worshiped, and the ways in which they saw and experienced the world.Kristian Heal was one of the editors of this volume, and wrote the chapter that we spoke with him about, called Preaching Christ. In his chapter, Kristian explores several fascinating topics that we got to ask him about, including the ritual of baptism, and what were referred to as “the deep mysteries of baptism,” what sabbath worship looked like early on, and how he deals with the concept of “apostasy” and “restoration,” including how we can view the evolution of Christianity without seeing it through an “us vs. them” paradigm.And for those of you just being introduced to Kristian and his work: he's a Research Fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He received a BA in Jewish History and Hebrew from University College London, an MSt in Syriac studies from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in Theology from the University of Birmingham.As we study the New Testament this year, we actually hope to bring you more of the insights that the Maxwell Institute has shared through this book.

Por Joi Grieg Cada um de nós opta por pesquisar um tema baseado em interesses ou, neste caso, serendipidade. Uma das minhas coisas favoritas a fazer é passar por cemitérios antigos e ler as lápides. Quando eu estava na Grécia no meu aniversário de 25 anos, fomos a Kerameikos, um dos cemitérios mais antigos do mundo. Ele remonta ao terceiro milênio aC com túmulos que datam do início da Idade do Bronze (2500-2000 aC. Enquanto caminhávamos pelo museu, me vi paralisado por uma pedra funerária grega ou estela de um jovem e um homem mais velho apertando as mãos de uma maneira muito especial. A placa dizia que era um dexiose ou aperto de mão destro de cerca de 400 aC. Enquanto andava pela sala, encontrei outra com uma mulher sendo agarrada pelo braço com uma placa indicando que era para recebê-la na vida após a morte por seus ancestrais ou pelos deuses usando um aperto de mão direito. Hmmm... Eu nunca tinha pensado em apertos de mão. Há quanto tempo eles são usados? Que significados sagrados eles tiveram? Como eles se relacionam com a maçonaria? E o que eles podem significar para cada um de nós? Eu não sou o primeiro ou o último que foi ou será intrigado por este tópico. Na Enciclopédia da Maçonaria de Albert Mackey, há uma discussão sobre os sinais de mão. Mackey afirma: "Na Maçonaria, a mão como símbolo ocupa um lugar de destaque... O mesmo símbolo é encontrado nas religiões mais antigas e algumas de suas analogias com o simbolismo maçónico são peculiares". Mackey diz de maneira reveladora que a mão é considerada importante “como aquele símbolo de inteligência mística pelo qual um maçom conhece outro tanto na escuridão quanto na luz”. Ele continua a discutir o uso da mão em tais antigas religiões de mistério como o mitraísmo e na adoração dos deuses sumérios, assírios e babilónicos. Encontrei uma quantidade significativa de pesquisas feitas por mórmons sobre esse assunto. Se você não sabia, o fundador do mormonismo, Joseph Smith Jr., tornou-se maçom no início de sua vida e há algo em comum na adoração do templo mórmon no uso de mantos, aventais, apertos de mão e levantar/posicionar os braços. O estudioso mórmon Todd M. Compton, do Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, escreveu sobre seu interesse neste tópico extremamente bem e o vincula à iniciação: Apesar de seu uso "secular" como um meio difundido de reconhecimento, amizade e acordo, também foi cooptado pelas religiões de mistérios para ser usado como emblema para muitas coisas: amor, iniciação, chegada, salvação, união com o deus, apoteose. ..., podemos conjecturar que um aperto de mão como símbolo ... ocorreu como parte da união do iniciado com o deus em Elêusis. Estudiosos concordam que apertos de mão pré-data preservados escritos história ou arte. Isso é bastante intuitivo, pois é fácil pensar no uso da mão e das mãos segurando a mão do outro para ajudar um ao outro, bem como no amor ou na raiva. A história mais antiga registrada de aperto de mão parece remontar ao antigo Egito, onde um hieróglifo mostra uma mão estendida que alguns dizem representar o verbo "dar" de 2800 aC. Nas origens pró-canaanitas do hebraico chamado ketav ivri, o pictograma original para a letra yod era uma mão estendida. O momento para isso é cerca de 1800 aC. Mais ou menos nessa mesma época da história, o "Painel de Investidura", uma antiga pintura de parede figurativa da Mesopotâmia mostra como os reis chegaram ao poder na antiga Babilónia. Este trabalho pictórico mostra uma cena de criação e um jardim do mito do Éden, bem como este aperto de mão. O ritual é conhecido como Enuma Elish ou "Quando no alto", onde, em parte, o rei segura a mão da estátua do deus Mar duque para garantir que suas autoridades sejam transferidas para o próximo ano. Ao ver este trabalho, você também pode notar que a mão esquerda do rei está estendida para receber essas insígnias enquanto sua mão direita está levantada em um gesto de juramento. No Antigo Testamento, apertos de mão também são mencionados em Salm --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/malhete-podcast/message

In June 2022, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and the David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding hosted a conference based upon Patrick Mason's and David Pulsipher's new book Proclaim Peace: The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict.  Participants–scholars and non-scholars alike–reflected together on the interpersonal, ethical, and social dimensions of Christian discipleship and the search for peace in non-Christian traditions.  You can hear Professors Mason and Pulsipher discuss Proclaim Peace on the Maxwell Institute Podcast HERE. The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #150: The Proclaim Peace Conference appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

In June 2022, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and the David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding hosted a conference based upon Patrick Mason's and David Pulsipher's new book Proclaim Peace: The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict.  Participants–scholars and non-scholars alike–reflected together on the interpersonal, ethical, and social dimensions of Christian discipleship and the […] The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #150: The Proclaim Peace Conference appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Steven L. Peck is an ecology professor at Brigham Young University and a fellow of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and has published over 50 scientific articles in evolutionary ecology, philosophy of… The post Dialogue Gospel Study #74 w/Steven Peck appeared first on Dialogue Journal.

Steven L. Peck is an ecology professor at Brigham Young University and a fellow of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and has published over 50 scientific articles in evolutionary ecology, philosophy of… The post Dialogue Old Testament Gospel Study with Steven Peck on Isaiah appeared first on Dialogue Journal.

Professor Terryl Givens of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University joins me to talk about the life of Latter-day Saint theologian Eugene England. 

Review of Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher, Proclaim Peace: The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021). 290 pages $19.99 (softcover). Abstract: Proclaim Peace is the first full-length volume discussing nonviolent theology in Latter-day Saint thought. It seeks […] The post Rich Vein or Fools Gold? 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 Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher, Proclaim Peace: The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021). 290 pages $19.99 (softcover). Abstract: Proclaim Peace is the first full-length volume discussing nonviolent theology in Latter-day Saint thought. It seeks […] The post Rich Vein or Fools Gold? 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.

Review of Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher, Proclaim Peace: The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021). 290 pages $19.99 (softcover). Abstract: Proclaim Peace is the first full-length volume discussing nonviolent theology in Latter-day Saint thought. It seeks […] The post Rich Vein or Fools Gold? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

We have the fantastic philosopher Jim Faulconer joining us on Saints Unscripted to talk about things that the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ emphasizes about Jesus Christ. While many things we know about Jesus Christ are shared in beliefs other faiths, there are a few very important facts to which the restoration contributes. Jim Faulconer is an American philosopher, a former Richard L. Evans Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University, the former director of BYU's London Centre, a Fellow at the Wheatley Institution (and its former associate director), and a Senior Research Fellow at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/saintsunscripted

Review of Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 128 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: The Book of Ether is a sometimes-overlooked gem of a text within the Book of Mormon, a history within a history that deserves careful and innovative investigation. Rosalynde Frandsen Welch offers such with a novel perspective in her entry in […] The post Overwriting Ether: Moroni's Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 128 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: The Book of Ether is a sometimes-overlooked gem of a text within the Book of Mormon, a history within a history that deserves careful and innovative investigation. Rosalynde Frandsen Welch offers such with a novel perspective in her entry in […] The post Overwriting Ether: Moroni's Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 128 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: The Book of Ether is a sometimes-overlooked gem of a text within the Book of Mormon, a history within a history that deserves careful and innovative investigation. Rosalynde Frandsen Welch offers such with a novel perspective in her entry in […] The post Overwriting Ether: Moroni's Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, Ether: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 128 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: The Book of Ether is a sometimes-overlooked gem of a text within the Book of Mormon, a history within a history that deserves careful and innovative investigation. Rosalynde Frandsen Welch offers such with a novel perspective in her entry in […] The post Overwriting Ether: Moroni's Transfiguration of Jaredite Scripture first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

A review of David Charles Gore, The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2019). 229 pp. $15.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Gore's book The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon is a welcome reading of Book of Mormon passages which engage in conversation with the biblical […] The post Vox Populi and Vox Dei: Allusive Explorations of Biblical and Book of Mormon Politeias first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

A review of David Charles Gore, The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2019). 229 pp. $15.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Gore's book The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon is a welcome reading of Book of Mormon passages which engage in conversation with the biblical […] The post Vox Populi and Vox Dei: Allusive Explorations of Biblical and Book of Mormon Politeias first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

A review of David Charles Gore, The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2019). 229 pp. $15.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Gore's book The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon is a welcome reading of Book of Mormon passages which engage in conversation with the biblical […] The post Vox Populi and Vox Dei: Allusive Explorations of Biblical and Book of Mormon Politeias first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

A review of David Charles Gore, The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2019). 229 pp. $15.95 (paperback). Abstract: David Gore's book The Voice of the People: Political Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon is a welcome reading of Book of Mormon passages which engage in conversation with the biblical […] The post Vox Populi and Vox Dei: Allusive Explorations of Biblical and Book of Mormon Politeias first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Is there any value in paying attention to your biggest critics? That question was on my mind when I invited James (Jim) Faulconer to speak with me about his decades-long experience in teaching the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche at a church-sponsored university. Jim is a senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship and is the former Richard L. Evans Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University in Utah, USA. In this episode, we get into the nitty-gritty of Nietzsche's criticisms of Christianity and democracy, what can be learned from those criticisms and what it was like to teach Nietzsche's work at BYU. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in the longstanding challenge that Friedrich Nietzsche presented to Christians and Christianity. (Episode recorded on 11th June 2021.)

Review of Kylie Nielson Turley, Alma 1–29: A Brief Theological Introduction (Provo, UT: The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2020). 162 pages. $9.95 (paperback). Abstract: Kylie Nielson Turley delves deep into the conversion and ministry of Alma the Younger, reading new life into a well-known narrative. By analyzing Alma's story with the full weight of his […] The post Alma's Reality: Reading Alma as Sinful, Repentant, Traumatized, Questioning, and Righteous first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode of Culture Shock: Awakening the Humanity in Our World host, Michelle Werner, discusses The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with Dr. Terryl Givens. Terryl Givens' Website: https://www.terrylgivens.com Conversations with Terryl Givens: https://faithmatters.org/category/conversations-with-terryl-givens/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng Dr. Dr. Terryl Givens is a senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. Prior he was a professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond in Richmond, VA. Dr. Givens is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has served the Church as a bishop. He served missions in Brazil, prior to graduating from BYU with a degree in comparative literature. He later did graduate work in intellectual history at Cornell and earned a PhD in comparative literature from the University of North Carolina, working with Greek, German, Spanish, Portuguese and English languages and literature. Publications: All Things New: Rethinking Sin, Salvation, and Everything in Between (with Fiona Givens), The Christ Who Heals: How God Restored the Truth that Saves Us (with Fiona Givens), Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Cosmos, God, Humanity, The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections On the Quest for Faith (with Fiona Givens), The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life (with Fiona Givens), Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism (with Matthew J. Grow), When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought, The Book of Mormon: A Very Short Introduction, People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture, The Latter-day Saint Experience in America, By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion, The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy, Dragon Scales and Willow Leaves, Mimesis and the Limits of Semblance, Blind Men and Hieroglyphs: The Collapse of Mimesis, Aristotle's Critique of Mimesis: The Romantic Prelude, Romantic Agonies: Human Suffering and the Ethical Sublime, This Great Modern Abomination': Orthodoxy and Heresy in American Religion, Joseph Smith: Prophecy, Process, and Plenitude, Lightning Out of Heaven': Joseph Smith and the Forging of Community, New Religious Movements and the Orthodoxy: The Challenge to the Religious Mainstream, There Is Room for Both': Mormon Cinema and the Paradoxes of Mormon Culture, Common Sense' Meets the Book of Mormon: Source, Substance and Prophetic Disruption, Joseph Smith's American Bible: Radicalizing the Familiar, Paradox and Discipleship, Fraud, Philandery, and Football: Negotiating the Mormon Image, The Prophecy of Enoch as Restoration Blueprint --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michelle-werner/support

James E. Faulconer has spent his career enriching the scripture study of Latter-day Saints, offering powerful tools to improve engagement with the word of God. His latest book continues that project. Thinking Otherwise: Theological Explorations of Joseph Smith's Revelations. It's the latest volume in the Maxwell Institute's Living Faith book series. Our guest host today is Dr. Morgan Davis, co-editor of the Living Faith series. About the Guest James E. Faulconer is a professor of philosophy at Brigham Young University and a senior research fellow at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Faulconer's area of expertise is twentieth-century and contemporary European philosophy, especially the philosophy of religion. In addition to writing scholarly books and articles, he is the author of the Made Harder series of scripture study questions and Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions. The post GUEST HOST—‘Thinking Otherwise,' with James E. Faulconer and Morgan Davis [MIPodcast #124] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

The relationship between early Mormons and the United States was marked by anxiety and hostility, heightened over the course of the nineteenth century by the assassination of Mormon leaders, the Saints' exile from Missouri and Illinois, the military occupation of the Utah territory, and the national crusade against those who practiced plural marriage. Nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints looked forward to apocalyptic events that would unseat corrupt governments across the globe, particularly the tyrannical government of the United States. The infamous "White Horse Prophecy" referred to this coming American apocalypse as "a terrible revolutionEL in the land of America, such as has never been seen before; for the land will be literally left without a supreme government." Mormons envisioned divine deliverance by way of plagues, natural disasters, foreign invasions, American Indian raids, slave uprisings, or civil war unleashed on American cities and American people. For the Saints, these violent images promised a national rebirth that would vouchsafe the protections of the United States Constitution and end their oppression.In Terrible Revolution, Christopher James Blythe examines apocalypticism across the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, particularly as it took shape in the writings and visions of the laity. The responses of the church hierarchy to apocalyptic lay prophecies promoted their own form of separatist nationalism during the nineteenth century. Yet, after Utah obtained statehood, as the church sought to assimilate to national religious norms, these same leaders sought to lessen the tensions between themselves and American political and cultural powers. As a result, visions of a violent end to the nation became a liability to disavow and regulate. Ultimately, Blythe argues that the visionary world of early Mormonism, with its apocalyptic emphases, continued in the church's mainstream culture in modified forms but continued to maintain separatist radical forms at the level of folk-belief.-Christopher James Blythe is a research associate at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. He is the editor of the Journal of Mormon History and was a documentary editor at the Joseph Smith Papers from 2015 to 2018.

Dialogue Sunday Gospel Study June 28, 2020 Alma 17-22 Blair Hodges is the public communications specialist for the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. He hosts the Maxwell Institute Podcast, featuring scholars of religion, scripture,… The post Dialogue Book of Mormon Gospel Study with Blair Hodges on Alma 17–22 appeared first on Dialogue Journal.

This episode continues our special series of episodes on the Maxwell Institute's brief theological introductions to the Book of Mormon. In his book on Mosiah, philosopher and theologian James E. Faulconer untangles a complicated narrative—a fragmentary history about a fragmented people, written by a record keeper obsessed with unity. Faulconer unpacks what King Benjamin had in mind in speaking of the “mysteries of God.” About the Guest James E. Faulconer is a professor of philosophy at Brigham Young University and a senior research fellow at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Faulconer's area of expertise is twentieth-century and contemporary European philosophy, especially the philosophy of religion. In addition to writing scholarly books and articles, he is the author of the Made Harder series of scripture study questions and Scripture Study: Tools and Suggestions. The post Briefly Mosiah, with James E. Faulconer [MIPodcast #106] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Joseph Smith left a lot of documents behind when he died in 1844, from the mundane to the intriguing. Some of the more puzzling documents deal with a book of scripture in the Latter-day Saint canon called the Book of Abraham. Said to be translated from ancient papyrus, the scripture broadens the story of the Hebrew Bible's figure of Abraham. Where did the papyrus come from? What do modern Egyptologists have to say about it? And what do these documents suggest to Latter-day Saint historians about Joseph Smith's work as a translator? Brian Hauglid and Robin Scott Jensen join us in this episode to talk about the latest scholarship on the Book of Abraham. Jensen is an associate managing historian with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the project archivist for the Joseph Smith Papers. Hauglid is a visiting fellow here at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute. Together they edited Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts, part of the Joseph Smith Papers project. Lucky for you, this material is already available on the JSP website here. About the Guests Brian M. Hauglid (left) is an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and visiting fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He earned a PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Utah. He has worked in Book of Abraham studies for over twenty years. As an editor for the Maxwell Institute's “Studies in the Book of Abraham” series, Hauglid assisted in compiling and editing Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham and Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant. He also published A Textual History of the Book of Abraham. Robin Scott Jensen (right) is an associate managing historian and the project archivist for the Joseph Smith Papers. He coedited the first three volumes in the Revelations and Translations series. He specializes in document and transcription analysis, and is also a member of the Church History Department Editorial Board. He earned an MA degree in American history from Brigham Young University, and a second MA in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He is now pursuing a PhD in history at the University of Utah. The post Joseph Smith's Egyptian papers, with Robin Jensen & Brian Hauglid [MIPodcast #92] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

We're continuing our conversation with Dr. Simon Southerton.  We're going to talk about vanishing DNA.  Is it possible that Lehite DNA simply vanished from the Americas?  Simon says no, but I'll ask him about some other possible cases.   https://youtu.be/SoRKZzE8cmg   GT:  Well his point is we know the Vikings were here.  We can see their settlements.  We can't find any DNA from them. So, he sees the parallel with the Lehites.  We can't find their DNA.  So, you don't agree with that parallel? Simon:  Well I can see the point he is trying to make.  He is just trying to create, “Yes, we can't find them.”  But it just bears no resemblance to the Book of Mormon account.  What we need to hear, we don't need to hear the DNA excuses for why we can't find their DNA. What people need to hear from the church is an explanation, a new narrative, an explanation for the Book of Mormon narrative.  How do we fit this vanishing story with the text, the scripture?  If you read the scripture it is really quite clear that they were very significant populations of people.  So, the Nephites and Lamanites were fighting each other for a thousand years but they still referred to each other as their brethren.  How does that go on for a thousand years when you're just a tiny little people? I'll also ask Simon about Rodney Meldrum's claims to have found Middle Eastern DNA here in North America.  What does Simon think of Meldrum's claims? Simon:  I've been less critical of Meldrum than the FARMS[1] guys.  They called him a snake-oil salesman, which he is.  But he's a salesman, he is not a scientist.  He's a joke.  He doesn't understand the science.  He thinks that the scientists foolishly overlooked the connection of the X-lineage to the Middle East, and his whole business is built on his X-lineage claim, and he's wrong.  It's completely wrong. We heavily reference our conversation with Dr. Perego.  If you haven't seen it, or have forgotten, I encourage you to check out our interview with Perego!  Check out our conversation….. Dr. Simon Southerton says it is unlikely that DNA would vanish [1] FARMS stands for Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies.  This is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship.  In 2006, the group became a formal part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, formerly known as the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, BYU. FARMS has since been absorbed into the Maxwell Institute's Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies.  For more info, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_for_Ancient_Research_and_Mormon_Studies [paypal-donation]

Latter-day Saint scholar Terryl L. Givens is back with us again. Dr. Givens spent the summer here at the Institute as a Neal A. Maxwell fellow. It was a real treat to have Terryl here in the building, and he sat down with MIPodcast host Blair Hodges to talk about the second and final book in his “Foundations of Mormon Thought” series from Oxford University Press. The book is called Feeding the Flock, focusing on Church and Praxis. The first volume covered LDS theology, while this volume zeroes in on LDS church sacraments and structure. About the Guest Terryl L. Givens holds the Jabez A. Bostwick Chair of English at the University of Richmond. He was a 2017 Neal A. Maxwell Fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship where he co-directed the Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture. Terryl is one of the most prolific authors of books on Mormonism, including People of Paradox, By the Hand of Mormon, Wrestling the Angel, and Feeding the Flock: The Foundations of Mormon Thought: Church and Praxis. Together with his wife Fiona he's also written a number of books for LDS audiences including The God Who Weeps, The Crucible of Doubt, and their latest, The Christ Who Heals. He's currently working on a biography of Mormon intellectual Eugene England. The post Feeding the Flock, with Terryl L. Givens [MIPodcast #74] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

When the Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad, it arrived in the language of his place and time—Arabic. To this day, for virtually all Muslims whether Arab or not, the Qur'an only truly exists in Arabic. You can read an English translation, there are many to choose from, but the Qur'an is said to defy translation. In this episode, Bruce B. Lawrence of Duke University joins us to talk about his latest book, The Koran in English: A Biography. It's part of Princeton University Press's Lives of Great Religious Books series. We're also joined in this episode by Dr. David D. Peck from BYU-Idaho. Dr. Peck was a Maxwell Institute visiting scholar this summer. Bruce and David tell us all about the history of the English translation of one of the world's most renowned scriptures, the Koran. Is it possible to render God's words in human language? For Muslims, is it possible to do that in any other language than Arabic? Special Episodes: “Lives of Great Religious Books” This ongoing series of MIPodcast episodes features interviews with authors of volumes in Princeton University Press's “Lives of Great Religious Books” series. Leading experts examine the origins of books like the Book of Mormon, the Bhagavad Gita, Augustine's Confessions, and C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. They trace shifts in the reception, influence, and interpretation of these landmark texts. About the Guests Bruce B. Lawrence is the Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Professor Emeritus of Religion at Duke University. His many books include Who Is Allah?; and Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence. He is the author of The Koran in English: A Biography, part of Princeton University Press's Lives of Great Religious Books series. David D. Peck is a professor of history at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He specializes in the history of the Middle East and Islamic Civilization. His current research focuses on comparative theology, particularly shared concepts of pre-mortal existence and ontological progression found in Mormonism and Sufism. Dr. Peck was a visiting scholar at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship during the summer of 2017. The post The Koran in English, with Bruce Lawrence and David Peck [MIPodcast #72] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

The 18th Dialogue podcast features Professor Adam S. Miller who spoke on his recent book, Letters to a Young Mormon, published by BYU's Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at the recent Miller Eccles lecture. From the site: "Adam wrote the book as a way of expressing his Mormon philosophy in a style that would make sense to young adults, but it would be a mistake to conclude the essays are simple minded—they are sophisticated, insightful pieces that will resonate with Mormons whether they are 17 or 71." The post Dialogue Lectures #18 w/Adam Miller appeared first on Dialogue Journal.

We are proud to present this brilliant interview by Sarah Collett of Dr. John Sorenson. Dr. Sorenson is an emeritus professor of anthropology at Brigham Young University, and a renowned expert of Book of Mormon archeology and geography. His seminal work An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon popularized the Limited Geography Theory within LDS culture, and has been the reference point for both apologetic and critical approaches to historicity of the Book of Mormon. Since his retirement from BYU, Dr. Sorenson has dedicated over two decades of research into the body of work that will be released in his upcoming book Mormon's Codex, which will be published through the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship. In this interview, Dr. Sorenson provides insight into his backstory and how he became enthralled with Book of Mormon archeological research. Here he also provides us a brief teaser of his upcoming book which serves as his last stand on the issue of Book of Mormon historicity. In this interview, Dr. Sorenson shares some information about contemporaneous evidence of metalwork, horses, elephants, and inscribed sheets of gold consistent with the understood Book of Mormon chronology. We hope this episode of A Thoughtful Faith will serve as a great introduction to Dr. Sorenson's upcoming book, and further the scholarly discussion about this important issue. Many thanks to Dr. John Sorenson for his willingness to share his experiences, research, and wisdom through our podcast.