The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia invites applications for the Richard Lyman Bushman Professorship of Mormon Studies, to start Fall 2024.
We invite applications from accomplished scholars across the humanistic and social science disciplines whose teaching and scholarship advance the academic study of Mormonism in historical or contemporary timeframes and US or global contexts. Ideal candidates will be well-grounded in American religious history and religious studies, with the capacity to contribute to wider departmental, university, national, and international scholarly conversations in the study of religion.
The appointment will be made at the rank of endowed full professor. Ideal applicants will hold a full or endowed full professorship by the time of appointment, though promotion-eligible associate professors are encouraged to apply as well. Candidates will be assessed in terms of their demonstrated record and potential for excellence in research, teaching, and service. Review of applications will begin on November 1, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a record of institutional/administrative leadership, mentorship, professional collegiality, and cross-institutional collaboration. They will be prepared to take advantage of collaborative relationships with students and faculty in other departments, units, and research initiatives at UVA, including the Democracy Initiative, the Karsh Institute of Democracy, and/or the Institute for the Humanities and Global Cultures.
The holder of the Bushman Chair will normally teach two courses per semester at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with at least one course each academic year taught in the field of Mormon Studies. Additionally, the Bushman Chair should maintain an active research program and contribute to graduate supervision in American Religions and other relevant department areas. Holders of the Bushman Chair will have a leadership role with Mormon Studies at UVA with opportunities to develop programming, events, and initiatives.
Questions about this position should be directed to Associate Professor Matthew Hedstrom, Chair, Search Committee, hedstrom@virginia.edu.
Qualifications
Minimum Requirements
Education: Ph.D. or terminal degree Experience: Three years
Application Instructions
Complete an application online with the following documents:
· Cover letter (3-5 pages) addressing areas of current research, teaching experience and ambitions, and potential projects or collaborations at the University of Virginia. Please also address any experience relevant to advancing the University’s ambition to cultivate the most vibrant community in higher education in order to prepare students to be leaders in a diverse and globally connected world.
· CV addressing research, teaching, and service record.
· The names and contact information for three references.
For questions about the application process, please contact Melanie Sponaugle, Academic Recruiter, at unw5dq@virginia.edu.
Farina King, Department of Native American Studies, University of Oklahoma
David Bolingbroke, Church History Department, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Moroni Spencer Hernández de Olarte, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Stephanie V. Griswold, Claremont Graduate University and Museum of Mormon Mexican History
Brittany Romanello, Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow and Arizona State University
Michelle Graabek, Independent Scholar
Call for Papers
“Go thy way unto thy brother, and be first reconciled with thy brother, and then come to me with a full purpose of heart, and I will receive you.” 3 Nephi 12:24
Change, adaptability, and peacemaking are characteristics of Mormonism’s presence as a global religion and cultural movement. Mormonism has also been a source of historical conflict, trauma, violence, and contradiction. The theme “Go Thy Way,” acknowledges the multidimensional reality of what Mormonism’s global presence has meant to various communities and individuals. How can these layered and nuanced experiences be seen, represented, and interpreted? Can they be reconciled towards a sense of greater belonging?
We invite scholars, researchers, and creators from both inside and outside of Mormon affiliations to share their perspectives on paths of reconciliation in Mormon studies. We call for works that address historically underrepresented, contested, or erased experiences. The topics for the conference are, but not limited to:
Mormon presence in occupied lands of Canada, the U.S.A, Latin America and the Caribbean- encounters, crossroads, and complexities
Indigenous peoples’ identities and experiences in or adjacent to Mormonism or Mormon cosmology
The negotiation of religious, cultural norms or constraints based on race, ethnicity, gender, and marginalized sexualities
An analysis of inclusion, exclusion, and/ or reconciliation within broader “Mormon” affiliations or identities
Submissions can be made in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The conference will provide translation services for these three languages and emphasize linguistic and cultural inclusion.
Submissions should include:
Project title
A 250-300 word proposal abstract
A 150-word max author or creator bio
Please submit your proposal by filling out our Google Form in the appropriate language, which can be found at: https://linktr.ee/gmsconference
Next spring, the Graduate Theological Union will host a conference entitled “Latter-day Saint Theology & Divine Finitude: Scripture, Revelation, The Problem of Evil & Social Justice,” and proposals for conference presentations are currently being accepted.
About the Conference: April 26-27, 2024, at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA
Plenary Speaker: Thomas Jay Oord, Professor of Open and Relational Theology and Director of the Center for Open and Relational Theology, Northwind Theological Seminary
The Latter-day Saint tradition maintains a finite conception of God that challenges key tenets of classical Christian theism. God is understood to have a literal body of flesh and bone (D&C 130:22) and to relate to human beings in exceptionally passable and interactive ways (Jacob 5:7 & Moses 7:29). God is said to have created human beings in the divine likeness such that it is possible for humanity to become divine (Moses 1:39). God’s design for humanity is to create the conditions for spiritual growth and to labor with them toward the glorification of both (Jacob 5:72). This conference will explore divine finitude in the Latter-day Saint tradition and seeks to examine and build on the theological writings of thinkers such as B. H. Roberts, David Paulsen, Truman Madsen, Eugene England, Lowell Bennion, Sterling McMurrin, Margaret Toscano, and Fiona & Terryl Givens, among others.
The concept of divine finitude is especially relevant given the challenges confronting humanity in the contemporary world. How might Latter-day Saint theology respond meaningfully to the lived experience of chaos and hopelessness due to pervasive loss and suffering? How might its conception of God inform its approach to scriptural interpretation, ethics, and social activism?
The conference will orient around four topics: scripture, revelation, the problem of evil, and liberation theology & social justice.
Dowdle, Brett D., Adam H. Petty, J. Chase Kirkham, Elizabeth A. Kuehn, David W. Grua, and Matthew C. Godfrey, eds. Documents, Volume 15: 16 May–28 June 1844. Vol. 15 of the Documents series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Matthew C. Godfrey, R. Eric Smith, and Ronald K. Esplin. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2023.
It’s not every day that two Latter-day Saint apostles participate in a press conference attended by historians. This past June 27, Elders Garrett A. Gong and David A. Bednar spoke to a group of scholars as a part of the publication of the last Joseph Smith Papers Project volume. Elder Kyle S. McKay, the Church Historian for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, introduced them and acknowledged the presence of Gail Miller and Kim Wilson, whose generous funding made the Smith Papers financially possible. McKay shared that all documents in the Project were written by Joseph Smith or under his direction. Helpfully, he also called for anyone with knowledge of other documents to submit them to the Church History Department so that they might be included on the JSPP website. Before turning the time to the apostles, McKay shared that “no other modern religious leader” has their papers made available with such thoroughness. That’s certainly true of churches and their publishing arms.
Learning to write a good book review is a skill that will benefit your career in several ways. Writing helps you improve your critical thinking and to put into words what you find valuable or less valuable about pieces of scholarship. Reviews are great (and relatively low-key ways) to build your CV and contribute to the intellectual discourse within a field. Writing helpful reviews establishes you as a person with expertise on the topic that can lead to further opportunities. Perhaps most importantly, writing helpful reviews builds communication skills, especially the ability to summarize, synthesize, and explain complex ideas in short form.
The LDS Church History Library is seeking a candidate for a year long, part-time (28 hours per week during regular business hours) paid internship opportunity, working with archivists in reviewing and preparing historical records for online publication. This internship is an opportunity to work with a fun, energetic, and dedicated team and to gain work experience to enter the archival and historical field.
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Kathy Cardon on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “I worked in the Church's Historical department when Jenny was in the Museum. I always enjoyed our interactions. Reading this article has been a real…”
Don Tate on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Very well done and richly deserved! I am most proud of Jenny and how far she has come with her life, her scholarship, and her…”
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