Religious Studies Center
Encyclopedia
The Religious Studies Center (RSC) is the research and publishing arm of the Religious Education program at Brigham Young University
(BYU), sponsoring scholarship on Latter-day Saint (LDS) culture
, history
, scripture
, and doctrine
.
, dean of Religious Education at BYU, and approved by the BYU Board of Trustees in early 1976. Holland also became the RSC's first director, with Keith H. Meservy, assistant professor of ancient scripture, as administrator. In 1976, Holland was appointed Commissioner of Church Education and Ellis T. Rasmussen
replaced him as dean of Religious Instruction and General Director of the RSC.
The RSC brought together several earlier BYU institutions. It became the home of the Richard L. Evans Chair of Christian Understanding, which had been recently founded in 1973 with Truman G. Madsen
as its first occupant. The RSC also assumed and expanded upon the activities of the Institute of Mormon Studies, which was founded to study Mormon history and doctrine under Daniel H. Ludlow
in 1961, and Truman G. Madsen in 1966. Likewise, the RSC absorbed the Book of Mormon Institute, a center for coordinated research on the Book of Mormon, with Daniel H. Ludlow as its first director in 1965, followed by Paul R. Cheesman
in 1968.
In September 1985, at the request of Jeffrey R. Holland
, then BYU President, the RSC began holding annual symposia on the Book of Mormon
. The first of these was organized by Paul R. Cheesman
, who also edited the published compilation of papers from that event. Each symposium successively covered following sections of the book, until 1994 when papers on the entire book had been published in nine anthology volumes in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series.
, not scholars, are the ultimate doctrinal authority, the RSC seeks to only add historical, cultural, and linguistic context, and explore new views of the LDS religious tradition. The RSC coordinates and publishes this research in the hopes of growing the body of LDS literature and thought.
In 1977, while speaking as church Commissioner of Education, Holland told the center that he hoped it would bring allow dialogue with other cultures and religions, leading to greater understanding, brotherhood, and peace. Later, as president of BYU in 1986, Holland recalled that the RSC was established to inform those within the university and the general LDS membership.
to BYU faculty and Church Educational System
(CES) personnel for research into LDS history, doctrine, scripture, and culture. This research has been published by the RSC and other publishers, including Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
, the University of Illinois Press
, the University of Missouri Press
, and Oxford University Press
. Of the several projects it accepts per year, the RSC prefers those that benefit religious teachers and the progress of the LDS Church. RSC publications are intended to be scholarly and useful to general LDS readers.
The RSC is financed through BYU funds, individual donations, and the Friends of Religious Education (FORE
). FORE is a national volunteer committee to find donors for BYU Religious Education activities, such as RSC research, publishing and translation. FORE encourages donations, sponsors projects, and hosts firesides (special religious lectures) throughout the United States given by Religious Education faculty.
Often general authorities deliver the keynote addresses at these symposia.
, the Book of Mormon
, Church History, Computer Research, the Doctrine and Covenants
, Electronic Texts, Judeo-Christian Religions, the Pearl of Great Price, and World Religions. These directors are faculty with one-third less teaching load who have the charge to conduct and sponsor research in their area. Research that doesn't fit into existing areas, or that is specially requested by General Authorities, is assigned to the Special Projects area, such as collaboration on the Encyclopedia of Mormonism
. In 1985, the RSC began to publish works from some of these specialized areas of study, making up the RSC Specialized Monograph Series.
The RSC has also sponsored LDS sociological studies and research on other religions, such as early Egyptian Christianity, Islam
, and sub-tropical African religions
.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU), sponsoring scholarship on Latter-day Saint (LDS) culture
Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reflecting the cultural impact of basic beliefs and traditions of the church, distinguishes church members, practices, and activities...
, history
History of the Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement within Christianity that arose during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century and that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous Latter Day Saint churches...
, scripture
Standard Works
The Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon.* The Holy Bible * The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ...
, and doctrine
Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses its doctrine and teaching on Jesus Christ; that he was the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, performed miracles, bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, rose on the third day, appeared...
.
History
The RSC (sometimes called the Center for Religious Studies in its early years) was founded in 1975 by Jeffrey R. HollandJeffrey R. Holland
Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by...
, dean of Religious Education at BYU, and approved by the BYU Board of Trustees in early 1976. Holland also became the RSC's first director, with Keith H. Meservy, assistant professor of ancient scripture, as administrator. In 1976, Holland was appointed Commissioner of Church Education and Ellis T. Rasmussen
Ellis T. Rasmussen
Ellis Theo Rasmussen was an American professor and dean of Religious Instruction at Brigham Young University...
replaced him as dean of Religious Instruction and General Director of the RSC.
The RSC brought together several earlier BYU institutions. It became the home of the Richard L. Evans Chair of Christian Understanding, which had been recently founded in 1973 with Truman G. Madsen
Truman G. Madsen
Truman Grant Madsen was an emeritus professor of religion and philosophy at Brigham Young University and director of the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He was a prolific author, a recognized authority on Joseph Smith, and a popular lecturer among Latter-day...
as its first occupant. The RSC also assumed and expanded upon the activities of the Institute of Mormon Studies, which was founded to study Mormon history and doctrine under Daniel H. Ludlow
Daniel H. Ludlow
Daniel Hansen Ludlow was a professor of religion at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He was also the chief editor of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, published in 1992 by Macmillan.- Biography :...
in 1961, and Truman G. Madsen in 1966. Likewise, the RSC absorbed the Book of Mormon Institute, a center for coordinated research on the Book of Mormon, with Daniel H. Ludlow as its first director in 1965, followed by Paul R. Cheesman
Paul R. Cheesman
Paul Robert Cheesman was an American archeologist and a professor of religion at Brigham Young University .-Biography:...
in 1968.
In September 1985, at the request of Jeffrey R. Holland
Jeffrey R. Holland
Jeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by...
, then BYU President, the RSC began holding annual symposia on the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. The first of these was organized by Paul R. Cheesman
Paul R. Cheesman
Paul Robert Cheesman was an American archeologist and a professor of religion at Brigham Young University .-Biography:...
, who also edited the published compilation of papers from that event. Each symposium successively covered following sections of the book, until 1994 when papers on the entire book had been published in nine anthology volumes in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series.
Purpose
The RSC seeks to improve religion teaching at BYU, to encourage LDS religious studies, and to promote the study of other religions. Believing that church leadersGeneral authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
, not scholars, are the ultimate doctrinal authority, the RSC seeks to only add historical, cultural, and linguistic context, and explore new views of the LDS religious tradition. The RSC coordinates and publishes this research in the hopes of growing the body of LDS literature and thought.
In 1977, while speaking as church Commissioner of Education, Holland told the center that he hoped it would bring allow dialogue with other cultures and religions, leading to greater understanding, brotherhood, and peace. Later, as president of BYU in 1986, Holland recalled that the RSC was established to inform those within the university and the general LDS membership.
Research and funding
The RSC awards financial grantsGrant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
to BYU faculty and Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
(CES) personnel for research into LDS history, doctrine, scripture, and culture. This research has been published by the RSC and other publishers, including Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
, the University of Illinois Press
University of Illinois Press
The University of Illinois Press , is a major American university press and part of the University of Illinois system. Founded in 1918, the press publishes some 120 new books each year, plus 33 scholarly journals, and several electronic projects...
, the University of Missouri Press
University of Missouri Press
The University of Missouri Press is a university press founded in 1958 at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.-External links:*...
, and Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
. Of the several projects it accepts per year, the RSC prefers those that benefit religious teachers and the progress of the LDS Church. RSC publications are intended to be scholarly and useful to general LDS readers.
The RSC is financed through BYU funds, individual donations, and the Friends of Religious Education (FORE
Fore
The Fore live in the Okapa District of the Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. There are approximately 20,000 Fore who are separated by the Wanevinti Mountains into the North Fore and South Fore regions. Their main form of survival is slash and burn farming...
). FORE is a national volunteer committee to find donors for BYU Religious Education activities, such as RSC research, publishing and translation. FORE encourages donations, sponsors projects, and hosts firesides (special religious lectures) throughout the United States given by Religious Education faculty.
Periodicals
In addition to books and articles, the RSC publishes its own periodicals. In 1986 the RSC began publishing the quarterly (later triannual) Religious Studies Center Newsletter, which carried updates on RSC symposia, books, and research, and was distributed to CES faculty and LDS military chaplains. In 2008, the newsletter was replaced by Religious Education Review, a semiannual magazine. In 2000, the RSC launched the semiannual (later triannual) Religious Educator to publish materials for CES teachers, such as volunteers and paid professionals in LDS Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, and religion professors at church colleges.Symposia
A primary function of the RSC is the organization of symposia and conferences on religious subjects, from which selected papers are later published. Anthologies from symposia on broad topics make up several volumes in the RSC Monograph Series. Some of these symposia recur annually, such as ones on scriptures and church history. The RSC is also involved with the Sidney B. Sperry Symposia, which have been held annually at BYU since 1973.Often general authorities deliver the keynote addresses at these symposia.
Areas of study
The RSC has sponsored directors over various research areas, including Ancient Scripture, Ancient Studies, the BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, Church History, Computer Research, the Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants
The Doctrine and Covenants is a part of the open scriptural canon of several denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement...
, Electronic Texts, Judeo-Christian Religions, the Pearl of Great Price, and World Religions. These directors are faculty with one-third less teaching load who have the charge to conduct and sponsor research in their area. Research that doesn't fit into existing areas, or that is specially requested by General Authorities, is assigned to the Special Projects area, such as collaboration on the Encyclopedia of Mormonism
Encyclopedia of Mormonism
The Encyclopedia of Mormonism is a semi-official encyclopedia for topics relevant to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. In 1985, the RSC began to publish works from some of these specialized areas of study, making up the RSC Specialized Monograph Series.
The RSC has also sponsored LDS sociological studies and research on other religions, such as early Egyptian Christianity, Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and sub-tropical African religions
Religion in Africa
Religion in Africa is multifaceted. Most Africans adhere to either Christianity or Islam. Many adherents of either religion also practice African traditional religions, with traditions of folk religion or syncretism practised alongside an adherent's Christianity or Islam.Judaism also has roots in...
.
Awards
- 1981 — Distinction in Editing Mormon Documents (Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
) for Andrew Ehat and Lyndon Cook, The Words of Joseph Smith.
- 1993 — T. Edgar Lyon Award of Excellence (Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
) for Ronald K. Esplin, "Discipleship: Brigham Young and Joseph Smith," in Susan Easton BlackSusan Easton BlackSusan Easton Black is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She is also an author of several books related to Joseph Smith, Jr. and the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Black joined the faculty of BYU in 1978. ...
and Charles D. Tate (eds.) Joseph Smith, the Prophet, the Man.
- 2006 — Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award (Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
) for Donald G. Godfrey and Kenneth W. Godfrey, The Diaries of Charles Ora Card: The Utah Years 1871-1886.
- 2009 — Geraldine McBride Woodward Award for Best Publication in International Mormon History (Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
) for Mark L. Grover, A Land of Promise and Prophecy: Elder A. Theodore Tuttle in South America, 1960–1965.
- 2010 — Geraldine McBride Woodward Award for Best Publication in International Mormon History (Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
) for Roger P. Minert, In Harm’s Way: East German Latter-day Saints in World War II.