The Flood: Global or Localized?

Last updated on: August 16, 2011 at 1:05 pm By theyellowdart

I would argue neither. With the rising tide of modern science, historical criticism, and other scholarly disciplines, those committed to a strict literalist interpretation of the Flood stories in Gen 6-9 have had to retreat farther and farther up the metaphorical beach in order to maintain their belief in the historical reality of the Biblical tale. For instance, basic problems with a literal reading of the narrative include the fact that there is no geological evidence for a global flood,... Read more

Speculation Upon The Kody Brown Polygamy Case

Last updated on: August 9, 2011 at 4:48 pm By Bored in Vernal

Taken from remarks made by a panel at the 2011 Sunstone Symposium. Participants were Kaimi Wenger, asst. professor at Thomas Jefferson Law School; Ben Winslow, multi-media journalist for Fox 13 News; DeWayne Hafen, practicing polygamist from Baja California; Cheryl Bruno, permablogger at FPR. Also remarks made at a meeting of the Apostolic United Brethren in Rocky Ridge, Utah, 8/7/11. It doesn’t take a law degree to understand the ins and outs of the Kody Brown Polygamy case currently being filed... Read more

The Political and the Temple Ritual

Last updated on: August 3, 2011 at 3:11 pm By TT

How are we to evaluate rituals? What is their symbolic content? What clues can we look to in order to interpret them? In one ancient Babylonian ritual (the Akitu festival) taken as archetypal by the Myth and Ritual school, the king of Babylon is ritually humiliated. The king ascends to the prescense of the god (Bel) before the high priest in the sanctuary of the temple. His scepter and symbols of his rulership are removed from him. Then, the priest... Read more

Prayest in thy closet…not thy classroom.

Last updated on: January 23, 2013 at 11:36 am By Chris Henrichsen

Authors note: I originally posted this February 9, 2010. 3 Nephi 13: 5 And when thou prayest thou shalt not do as the hypocrites, for they love to pray, standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in... Read more

Tips on Applying to Tenure Track Positions in Religious Studies, Part I: Important Resources

Last updated on: February 13, 2017 at 3:38 pm By smallaxe

We’re expanding the Tips on Applying series to move beyond applying to graduate programs in religious studies. The next series of posts will focus on applying to tenure track positions in religious studies (or related) departments. To start I’d like to point out some useful resources: (more…) Read more

Meeting and Breaking Bread with the Bloggernacle

Last updated on: July 24, 2011 at 11:12 am By Chris Henrichsen

This past month I met Ben from Juvenile Instructor. What a humble and brilliant person. One of the things that I have most enjoyed about blogging is the opportunity to meet smart people who I might never have met. Ben was the fifth member of the JI crew that I have met in person. I met with Ben at Denny’s in Provo. Food has been an important part of meeting folks on the bloggernacle. I met with David G. at... Read more

Should Mormons in the “Diaspora” Celebrate Pioneer Day?

Last updated on: July 24, 2011 at 9:55 am By Bored in Vernal

It has only been in recent years that I have slowly become aware that not every convert to the Church shares my deep identification with the Mormon pioneers. I have loved the epic story of the trek to the Salt Lake Valley. I appreciate its archetypal connotations. My heart thrills with the stories of the pioneer heroes and heroines, and I consider each of their stories part of my legacy as a Mormon, though my LDS heritage begins with myself.... Read more

Tips on Applying: Spotlight on Duke

Last updated on: July 20, 2011 at 1:54 am By smallaxe

This spotlight comes from Ariel Bybee Laughton, who graduated from Duke in May 2010 with her Ph.D. Dr. Laughton, take it away… (more…) Read more

Tips on Applying to Grad Programs in Religious Studies, Part IX: The Writing Sample

Last updated on: July 17, 2011 at 5:06 pm By smallaxe

Most PhD applications and some master’s applications require a 10-20 page writing sample. Personally I’d say that this was the weakest part of my application. Not because I didn’t have a decent writing sample to provide, but because what I did submit was not directly related to the interests of some of the programs I applied to. In retrospect, this probably disqualified me from a few places. Some guidelines to choosing a writing sample are as follows: 1. Choose an... Read more

200 Posts

Last updated on: July 15, 2011 at 8:17 pm By TT

My illustrious blogging career has reached a certain milestone of 200 posts. I started blogging in my current incarnation sometime in the Spring of 2006. On July 16, 2006 I started a blog called “Urban Mormonism.” I had been blogging for a number of years before that under various names, and finally decided to start a group blog with some other friends in the same situation. A little less than a year later, we joined forces with the bloggers at... Read more