Brigham Young University has reappointed J. Spencer Fluhman as executive director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. This will be Fluhman’s second term. His original appointment began in May 2016 following stints in BYU’s Department of History (2011-16) and Religious Education (2004-11). According to Associate Academic Vice President Brad Neiger, “Dr. Fluhman has skillfully advanced the mission of the Maxwell Institute to inspire and fortify testimonies of the restored Church of Jesus Christ while promoting high-quality religious scholarship. We are grateful for his continued leadership.”
The Maxwell Institute’s associate director, Philip Barlow, adds, “Because religion involves people’s deepest commitments in making meaning of their lives and because its presence or absence affects civilizations so profoundly, the rigorous study of religion can be as challenging as it is essential. Spencer Fluhman’s uncommon gifts and imaginative dedication have guided the Maxwell Institute to magnify its calling of disciple scholarship to an extent I would not have thought possible only several years ago.”
In Fluhman’s first five years as executive director, he oversaw the establishment of the Institute’s advisory board, its new mission statement, its move to the West View Building, publication of The Book of Mormon: brief theological introductions series, a dramatic expansion of the Institute’s student assistantships, the hiring of exceptional new Institute scholars, and several other initiatives and programs that support and amplify disciple-scholarship. During the next five years, the Institute will continue to “gather and nurture disciple-scholars” through a variety of initiatives, including “Seek This Jesus’: The Maxwell Institute Christology Initiative.”