mormon theology seminar

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The 2018 Mormon Theology Seminar recently wrapped up at the Cittadella Ospitalità in Assisi, Italy. In this guest post, Adam Miller talks about his experience. Miller is a professor of philosophy at Collin College in McKinney, Texas and co-director of the Mormon Theology Seminar. He is author of Letters to a Young Mormon and An Early Resurrection, among other books. See more reflections here.Mormon studies owes its current vitality to the outstanding work done in Mormon history. This work has been so successful that, to this point, Mormon studies and Mormon history have been largely synonymous. The ambition of the Mormon Theology Seminar is to help launch Mormon theology as an essential, scholarly, and philosophically informed partner in Mormon studies.In my view, the possibility of Mormon theology as a scholarly project depends on crediting a crucial idea: the idea that, in addition to being a legitimate object of historical research, Mormonism can also function as an active agent in the broader debates that shape contemporary thought.As I envision it, the work of Mormon theology involves (1) sorting, describing, and clarifying key Mormon ideas, and (2) mobilizing key Mormon ideas in response to broadly shared questions about the nature of human suffering and the possibility of redemption. Here, the distinctively theological move is to treat the raw materials of the Mormon tradition—Mormon scripture, history, art, anthropology, sociology, etc.—not just as ends in themselves but as theological data points that can be positioned to actively intervene in and contribute to these broader discussions.This is, I think, a critical benchmark to be considered when assessing the maturity of Mormon studies as a discipline. Mormon studies broadly—and Mormon theology in particular—will have matured as a form of scholarship when Mormon ideas begin to function as contributing partners in related fields that are not themselves reflections on Mormonism.The Mormon Theology Seminar is, as a scholarly project, designed to help bridge this gap between Mormonism as a passive object of research and Mormonism an active agent in contemporary thought.Thanks to the generous support of the Maxwell Institute, the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, and the Wheatley Institution, Joseph Spencer and I directed the tenth Mormon Theology Seminar this summer at the Cittadella Ospitalità in Assisi, Italy, from June 17 through June 30. As a pilgrimage site for Saint Francis, Assisi was a fitting location to consider King Benjamin’s ringing question in Mosiah 4: “Are we not all beggars?” More, it was a fitting site to celebrate the Seminar’s tenth anniversary and our fifth year of collaboration with Brigham Young University.During the first week, the seminar met daily to work line by line through the text of Mosiah 4:4-25 from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (philosophical, historical, literary, rhetorical, political, sociological, etc.) in order to promote theologically rich readings of the text. During the second week, we wrote and workshopped conference papers and a joint-report based on the previous week’s collaboration. This work culminated in a one-day conference, open to the public, on 30 June 2018.When we began organizing the seminar in 2008, we had a vision of what the project might accomplish over the coming decades. Ten years in, more than sixty scholars—men and women from a wide range of academic disciplines—have participated and our tenth volume of collected papers is being prepared for publication. The growth of this community and the cumulative weight of this scholarship will, we hope, firmly establish Mormon theology as a legitimate partner in Mormon studies and while benefiting scholars and Latter-day Saints alike.Hear Adam Miller’s presentation here.

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Adam Miller introduces the next book of Proceedings of the Mormon Theology Seminar. Order your copy of A Dream, a Rock, and a Pillar of Fire: Reading 1 Nephi 1 here. This new volume of Proceedings of the Mormon Theology Seminar marks an important turning point in the seminar’s history. A Dream, a Rock, and a Pillar of Fire: Reading 1 Nephi 1 collects the papers from the first live and in-person seminar co-sponsored by the Mormon Theology Seminar, the Maxwell Institute, and the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies. The seminar was held in London in June, 2014.This edited volume is, in my estimation, good evidence of what the Seminar’s partnership with the Maxwell Institute is all about. The Maxwell Institute sits at the crossroads of Christian discipleship and rigorous scholarship and is dedicated to facilitating the work of “disciple-scholars.” For the disciple-scholar, academic research is itself a mode of discipleship, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell has said. This is especially true when the subject is religion.For Mormons, part of the work of a disciple-scholar is to actively defend the gospel of Jesus Christ and the broad principles that undergird it. But part of the work of the disciple-scholar is also to model Christian values in public discourse: to practice humility in the face of our limitations, to speak honestly and objectively about difficult topics, and to respond with charity and sensitivity to opposing points of view.In this respect, a disciple-scholar is as deeply defined by what they say as how they say it.An excellent example of disciple-scholarship at the Maxwell Institute is the Mormon Studies Review. By its own account, the Mormon Studies Review “tracks the vibrant, varied, and international academic engagement with Mormon institutions, lives, ideas, texts, and stories.” This kind of outward-facing and polyphonic scholarship that actively solicits and respectfully engages with non-Mormon points of view on topics in Mormon studies is valuable work in its own right. But this kind of work is also valuable—in fact, I would argue that it may be crucial, and increasingly so—when it comes to a disciple-scholar’s responsibility to actively defend the faith.This last claim may appear to be, on its face, unlikely.After all, the kind of scholarly work done in venues like the Mormon Studies Review engages, solicits, and encourages the participation of non-Mormons whose views on “Mormon institutions, lives, ideas, texts, and stories” will nearly always diverge, to one degree or another, from those taken for granted by many Mormons. More, it engages with these divergent points of view on straightforwardly academic terrain, guided by the norms of scholarship and academic freedom, and it conducts many of its discussions in technical, academic language.This is all true. But there is more than one way to defend the gospel. And, in fact, when it comes to a disciple-scholar’s responsibility to defend their faith, it seems to me that this apologetic work can—and needs to be—conducted in more than just one tense.Traditionally, apologetic work is conducted primarily in the present tense. Present tense apologetics is geared toward meeting immediate challenges that require strong and clear responses. As an act love for both friends and enemies, this often-combative style of present tense apologetics can be valuable.But a present tense apologetics is, by itself, not enough. Disciple-scholars, as scholars, can also contribute to a wider, deeper, and farther-reaching defense of their faith by practicing what I would describe as a future tense apologetics.A future tense form of apologetics isn’t primarily concerned with rebutting immediate challenges to a Mormon point of view. Rather, a future tense apologetics is primarily concerned with generating the kinds of raw scholarly materials, stockpiling the kinds of intellectual resources, and building the kinds of professional, interfaith relationships that will serve our children and grandchildren when they find themselves in need of allies and confronted with challenges that we couldn’t foresee.If the present tense apologist is a warrior, the future tense apologist is a farmer.There is a time and place for warriors. But, generally, it seems obvious to me that the principal work of a disciple-scholar is the less dramatic work of slowly and carefully cultivating ground, seeding furrows, and irrigating land. The work of the disciple-scholar is to plant trees that may only bear fruit long after we’re gone.The work done in venues like the Mormon Studies Review is a form of future tense apologetics.Generally, this kind of scholarship does not respond combatively to immediate challenges. Rather, this kind of scholarship is a long-term investment in Mormonism’s future. It’s an investment in our children and grandchildren. And, as with all such investments, it will likely require patience and forbearance while, in the short term, it may only feel like an expense.A future tense apologetics needs room to grow and decades to mature. It takes time to forge meaningful relationships, build shared vocabularies, discover if our differences with others are real or only apparent, and sift productive approaches from those that won’t bear fruit.This work isn’t easy. But it is, I think, worth our time and dedication.From the very beginning, I’ve conceived of the work done by the Mormon Theology Seminar along these same lines: we’re making a long term investment in a decades long project.The papers collected in this new volume, A Dream, a Rock, and a Pillar of Fire: Reading 1 Nephi 1, are beautiful and valuable in themselves. But I also strongly suspect that their value will increase dramatically over time as the work done in this seminar is tested and amplified by the work done in dozens more.

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Diedre GreenThe week following the Mormon Theology Seminar held in Williamsburg, Virginia, I deviated from how I had anticipated spending my time. I thought I would be back to my normal scholarship, immersed in archives and writing a book. Yet, headed into the archives, something gnawed at me—there would be no one there who wanted to talk about Abinadi or the suffering servant. Instead, I would be in a quiet space poring over texts other than LDS scripture, alone.Although I could not change this situation, I fought back, spending my early mornings poring over Mosiah 11-17 and noting things I wanted to add to my presentation during the seminar, as well as emailing colleagues in order to point out new discoveries I had made relevant to their presentation topics. Further, even as I was cloistered in the archives reading reflections on the Atonement and incarnation from a significantly different perspective, every text I read seemed to have some relevance to the unique way in which Book of Mormon prophets like Abinadi choose to speak about the Atonement. I found myself not doing something wholly removed from reading LDS scripture but rather discovering new lenses and frameworks through which to understand it.Just as reading collaboratively with other LDS scholars lends itself to deeper insights about LDS scripture, reading the text in light of other theological and philosophical texts can push forward, subvert, and explode more staid readings of the text. Reading the text anew, both in community with others and in community with other traditions, has allowed me not only to expand my intellectual or spiritual understanding of the canon, it has further challenged me in my life of discipleship.In examining the striking way in which Abinadi speaks about the Atonement, I keyed in on the fact that he moves quite fluidly between talking about the Atonement as though it is something that has already happened and as though it will only be realized in the future. I compared the way he speaks with other passages in the Book of Mormon and with the New Testament as well. I believe there are incredible lessons to be learned about how we are to understand and relate to the Atonement as we pay to attention to the ways in which the Book of Mormon prophets and authors point us to this particular aspect of it.I look forward to continuing to think and study about this issue and what the Book of Mormon is uniquely able to teach us about it. What was once a text I felt some ambivalence towards, I now read with a greater appreciation of its complexity and profound messages. My communal and intertextual study of Mosiah 15 has provoked reflection in me in ways that have, in turn, deepened my religious practice. The 2017 Mormon Theology Seminar recently wrapped up at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. We asked seminar participants to reflect on their experiences, offering a glimpse at what the Seminar is all about. This post features Deidre Green., a Maxwell Institute postdoctoral fellow who specializes in religion and philosophy. See more reflections here.

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The 2017 Mormon Theology Seminar recently wrapped up at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. We asked seminar participants to reflect on their experiences, offering a glimpse at what the Seminar’s all about. This post features Nate Oman, Rollins Professor of Law at the law school of the College of William and Mary. He is a legal scholar and educator. Over the next few weeks you’ll hear from more participants of the 2017 Mormon Theology Seminar. The great virtue of the Mormon Theology Seminar is the power of reading slowly. Pouring over Mosiah 15 for two weeks more than anything brought home to me the fact that the text of the Book of Mormon rewards those who read it carefully and slowly. My own engagement with the this passage ultimately centered on just three words “standing betwixt them and justice”—an image that Abinandi uses to describe the role of Christ in the Atonement. Mosiah 15:9 is the only place in LDS scripture where this image is used in connection with the Atonement. My suspicion was that the phrase could be understood as a military metaphor for Atonement, with Christ standing as a defender, protecting a sinner from an attacking justice. Such a reading is suggestive on several fronts.First, I believe that it is possible to argue that Abinadi was a soldier, based on Mosiah 11:19-20, where Abinadi is identified as “a man among them” with the most natural antecedent of “them” being the victorious Nephite army referred to in verse 19. I would also point out that this reading is also consistent with alternative theories of Abinadi’s identity, such as that he was a priest of some kind, which would make sense of his deep engagement with Isaiah and the law of Moses. Indeed, priests are included in the Nephites named in verse 19 and warrior priests are suggested by the easy conversion of Noah’s priests into raiders in Mosiah 20. (Notice that raiding seems to be the model of warfare between the Lamanites and the Zeniffites, e.g. Mosiah 11:16-17.) If Abinadi was in fact a soldier, then the military metaphor would be natural.Reading the text as using this image makes sense within the broader context of the ideology of holy war in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The Bible regularly invokes the idea that divine justice is revealed in the outcome of military confrontations, an idea the draws on the widespread idea of trial by ordeal in which the justice of a litigant’s case is revealed through some act of divine judgment. The ideology of holy war also appears in the Book of Mormon, but becomes increasingly problematic and, I would argue, is ultimately rejected by Mormon. We can read all of these ideas as feeding into Abinadi’s military image of Atonement. Rather than accepting the vengeful attack of justice as divine retribution, Abinadi suggests that justice is itself an enemy from which Christ protects us. The image both invokes and subverts the logic of holy war and thus, I would argue, points toward a vision of Atonement as calling us to transcend efforts to achieve or model righteousness through domination of others.My reading of Mosiah 15:9 may or may not be correct. It is certainly open to plausible objections. For me, the excitement of the seminar was less in the particular conclusion I reached on this text, or that my co-participants reached with regard to the passages and ideas with which they wrestled. Rather, what was delightful was the opportunity to engage in a close reading that was ultimately not apologetic or historical but theological. To be sure, we discussed alternative approaches to the text from the theory that it represented a bit of frontier fiction by Joseph Smith to possible resonances with ancient Mesoamerica or Hebrew (we had the good fortunate to have participants with graduate-level training in both areas). We were careful to look at the textual history of each passage from Joseph Smith’s dictation to the current LDS edition of the Book of Mormon. However, in all of this our goal was to find out what the text might be saying, and how what it was saying could inform our own thinking about the human relationship to the divine.

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This guest post is from Jeremiah John, co-editor of Embracing the Law: Reading Doctrine and Covenants 42. The book is now available in print and digital formats. Digital subscribers to the Maxwell Institute can read the entire book online here. Doctrine and Covenants section 42 draws Latter-day Saints to its message by many paths. Whether it is to study the meaning of consecration, to understand the revealed impetus behind the many attempts at LDS economic communalism in the nineteenth century, or to understand what the Lord called “the Law” given to his people in Kirkland, any reader who wants to understand the heart of the Restored gospel must come to terms with Doctrine and Covenants 42.At the same time, like many things in the Doctrine and Covenants, we do not know fully what to do with Section 42. A month previous to the revelation that would become section 42, the Lord had declared, “ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high” (D&C 38:32). That Law was given, as promised. But is it still “the Law” for us, and have we received that same “power from on high” promised in January 1831? If it is still our law, what force does it have for today’s Latter-day Saints?In 2009, six LDS scholars (including myself) dug into these questions and others, in the intensive Mormon Theology Seminar. The results of our efforts are available today in this new volume, Embracing the Law: Reading Doctrine and Covenants 42. It’s the latest volume in the Maxwell Institute’s book series, Proceedings of the Mormon Theology Seminar.When I think about our essays, I’m struck by how the scriptural text they examine is a beautiful window into the Kirkland era church, with its own hopes and concerns, and I’m also struck by how much it reveals about foundations of the Restored gospel. As though the principles of consecration and stewardship weren’t enough for one revelation, section 42 also teaches us about the relationship between the Law and Gospel, between historical change and enduring spiritual truth, and between the church and its poor.As Joseph Spencer, my co-editor, argues in his concluding chapter, section 42 is presented as the Law, but it also reveals much about the Doctrine and Covenants as scriptural canon. Revealed truth comes forth line upon line—indeed, in the early 1830s, it was unfolding revelation upon revelation. The story of that coming forth is a sacred narrative that the Doctrine and Covenants captures, but divine truth is more than narrative. Indeed, the tension between the scriptural canon and its coming into existence is a tension that can be seen in section 42 as profoundly as anywhere in LDS scripture.It is a bit cliché for academics to sign off by hoping that further research will be done. But in my case, those hopes have already been partially fulfilled. For instance, Joseph Spencer recently published his acclaimed monograph For Zion: A Mormon Theology of Hope in the intervening years. I’m happy to see the essays in this book meet what seems to be an audience of readers who are thinking about these most crucial themes at a time when they are more relevant than ever.

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When it comes to scripture study, perhaps one of the best and most surprising pieces of advice I can offer is: slow down! Of course, the advice isn’t original to me. LDS philosopher James E. Faulconer was the first person I can recall who told me to take my time. In his great book Scripture Study he recalls learning the benefits of slow, close reading from a Jewish professor at Pennsylvania State University: “Though his specialty in philosophy was the philosophy of science, knowing his background, I asked if he would allow me to study part of the Old Testament with him. He agreed and asked me to propose a course of study for the next quarter. “Well, since I don’t want to go too fast, why don’t we just read the book of Genesis?” I said. He was amazed. Though I thought studying one book of scripture in eight weeks was a snail’s pace, he thought it impossible to do that much reading in so short a time. He suggested that we read only chapter 1. Since that was equally amazing to me, we compromised on “as much as we can get through.” He warned me that we might not get very far, and we didn’t.” ((The book is available to read online for free here.)) That experience forever changed the way Faulconer read scripture.What’s the longest time you’ve ever spent on a single chapter of scripture? How about a single verse? If you’d like to learn how to get more out of your scripture study, you should consider the Mormon Theology Seminar, co-sponsored by our Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies. Each summer, the Seminar selects one small passage of scripture, as well as a small group of students and scholars to study it together. Some fruits of their work can be found in the Proceedings of the Mormon Theology Seminar series.Or you could apply to take part in the Mormon Theology Seminar yourself. Applications are due by January 15. See here for more.Take your time when you read the scriptures, but don’t delay your application!

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Sheila TaylorAs an introvert who usually winced when I was put in any kind of small group when I was in school, I have to admit that I was initially a bit wary of the Mormon Theology Seminar and its strong emphasis on collaboration. But I'd heard glowing reviews from past participants, and I was intrigued by the possibility of doing intense theological work for two weeks, so I decided it was worth finding out what it was all about.I'm happy to report that it was a fantastic experience. Our selected text was Alma 12-13, and we found it to be packed with rich material for theological discussion. Even with two weeks of intense study of these chapters, there was a lot we weren't able to cover. For the first five days, everyone brought in 1000 words about the day's assigned reading. We then developed just a few of the many ideas we had discussed into conference papers. I was left with a real appreciation of the depth of the text.Our seminar included participants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds, and it was always fun to hear the unique angle that each person brought to the text. I heard so many ideas and saw so many connections that I never would have come up with on my own.Genuine collaboration, I think, requires a certain amount of trust, and I was especially pleased to find myself working with a group of people who created an atmosphere conducive to such trust. It is an amazing thing, really, to study the scriptures with people who are simply focused on exploring ideas and insights and interpretations, and who do so with a spirit of openness and generosity. We disagreed at times, but the conversation was always constructive.As someone interested in the development of Mormon theology, I am immensely happy that the Mormon Theology Seminar exists, and that it produces the scholarship it does. But after getting to participate in it, I also particularly appreciate the community it produces—and I feel like I've had a glimpse of why collaboration can be so powerful. The 2016 Mormon Theology Seminar recently wrapped up at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. We asked seminar participants to reflect on their experiences, offering a glimpse at what the Seminar's all about. This post features Sheila Taylor, who has a PhD in systematic theology from the Graduate Theological Union. She's published on salvation and feminist theology, and is currently editing a volume on Mormon perspectives on grace. See more reflections here.

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As a sociologist specializing in religion and congregational studies, I am always aware of the dynamics of community. I find that just as religion needs a community of believers to embody the sacred, scholarly inquiry needs an academic community to bring new life to our fields of study. I initially found the importance of an academic community when working with challenging texts while working on my bachelor’s degree in philosophy. I was consistently amazed at how much more we could accomplish as a group rather than through our own solitary reading and writing. Throughout graduate school I continued to appreciate working together with colleagues as we prepared to study for our comprehensive exams and write our individual dissertations. Since completing my doctorate I have often found myself longing for another chance to do such collaborative work; this seminar was that chance.During the 2016 Mormon theology seminar we met daily to comb through the days reading and offer our individually written exegesis of the text. I will admit that the first day of reading my essay to the group was a bit intimidating, but the group was so generous in their feedback and the learning experience so rich that soon those nerves disappeared and the daily reading of essays became something I looked forward to. To say that my need for an academic community was met within this group would be an understatement as I found the experience to be far more rewarding than I had anticipated or dared hope for.Doing such intense scholarly work was challenging, but also exhilarating. The group of scholars that the Maxwell Institute gathered was remarkable in so many ways. I was humbled to be included in the group of people whose work I had admired over the years and extremely pleased to meet new colleagues. While each of us came from a different academic discipline, we all shared the common ground of academic rigor. Given the diversity of the group we were able to work with the text with just as much academic depth as breadth. It was this collaborative cohort of scholars I enjoyed most.Having graduated from a theological school (Drew University, Graduate Division of Religion), many people assume that I am either a theologian or clergy. While I usually respond by stating that I am not a theologian and that my pulpit is the classroom lectern, for two weeks in June I really was a theologian. Not only that, I was a Mormon theologian—a rare thing indeed! I hope that as the Mormon Theology Seminar continues, doing such work will become far more common and increasingly more scholars (both LDS and other believers) will have the chance to do Mormon theology.I am deeply grateful for the generosity of the Willes family in their support of the summer theology seminar and continued Mormon scholarship. While those of us who have the opportunity to participate in the seminar benefit greatly, the field as a whole benefits even more as each year new voices and new scholarship is added. A huge thank you to the co-directors Adam Miller and Joe Spencer, as well as the other attendees for an extraordinary experience! The 2016 Mormon Theology Seminar recently wrapped up at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. We asked seminar participants to offer a glimpse at what the Seminar's all about. This post features Kristeen Black, who received her Ph.D. in religion and society from Drew Theological School. She is currently an independent scholar continuing her research on Mormon congregations. Read more from other participants here.