MISSION

 

Mormon Scholars in the Humanities is an association dedicated to:

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• Promoting intellectual and collegial exchange among LDS humanities scholars in the United States and abroad;
   

• Fostering support and mentoring for the production of superior scholarship in all humanistic disciplines;
   

• Providing a forum for exchange that explores and strengthens LDS values, especially as they relate to humanistic inquiry; and
   

• Assisting members in the successful integration of the intellectual and spiritual aspects of their lives.
   

Mormon Scholars in the Humanities encourages scholarly inquiry in all areas of the humanities, not only those directly related to Mormon culture and history.

 

 

HISTORY

 

Mormon Scholars in the Humanities was established in 2007 with its inaugural meeting, “Mormon Belief, Scholarship, and the Humanities,” held at Brigham Young University March 23–24, 2007, with support from the College of Humanities at BYU-Provo. The organization was formed with the intent of providing a forum for humanities scholars to reflect on the various connections between religious practice and academic projects, both practical and theoretical.

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MSH has held regular meetings since that time at a variety of institutions throughout the United States. Effort is made to ensure that meetings cultivate a collegial and supportive atmosphere. As a result, a secondary, though important, purpose to the organization has emerged: to provide a space to facilitate community and connections among Mormon scholars who work in the humanities at both LDS and non-LDS institutions.

 

 

CURRENT LEADERSHIP

 

Benjamin Peters, President, is a Hazel Rogers Associate Professor of Media Studies at the University of Tulsa, author and editor of multiple books, affiliated at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School, and Associate Editor at Wayfare Magazine. More info at benjaminpeters.com

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Richelle Wilson, Vice President

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James Egan, Vice President and Treasurer, works as an attorney in health care in Salt Lake City, Utah. As an independent scholar, he is interested in literature and intellectual history. As a singer-songwriter, his most recent release is the album Invisible Light.​

Nicole Issac, Executive Secretary, is a former research staff at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute where she focuses on the lived religious experiences of Latter-day Saints in India. She loves learning about religion, science, and people.

 

Diana Brown, Executive Publicity Officer, is an earnest reader, event-planner, and cat foster mom who lives in Washington DC, where she manages interreligious programs at Georgetown University.

 

Tod Robbins, Technology Officer, is a humanist, librarian, and information technologist who helped us develop the MSH website and remote participation.

 

 

PAST LEADERSHIP

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Jonathon Penny, President (2019-2023)

Jenny Webb, President (2016–2018)

Alan Goff, President (2012–2015)

John Armstrong, President (2011–2012)

David Paxman, President (2009–2011)

George Handley, President (2007–2008)

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