Mormon Studies/Origins PhD Recommendations

[Marcion]

I have recently made the switch from Biblical studies within my MAR program to the History of Christianity at Yale Divinity School. What has really gotten my attention lately has been early Mormonism and the transformation of Mormon thought over the years. I am aware Claremont has a PhD that allows you to focus on Mormonism (with Patrick Mason), and UVA has Kathleen Flake but does anyone else have any recommendations or schools I should look into?

I am also not LDS.

[menge]

My knowledge of this area is only cursory, but maybe it'll still be helpful. 

You might look into programs that focus on Religion in the American West - maybe University of Wyoming or Colorado. I know University of Utah offers a fellowship in Mormon studies: http://thc.utah.edu/fellowships/mormon-studies.php. I've read that Arizona State has hosted grad students working on Mormonism in the past, so that might be another place to check out. Also, a little sleuthing shows Tisa Wenger (at Yale) served on a dissertation committee (while she was still at Arizona State) for a dissertation on Mormonism. She might be someone at Yale who could give a better lay of the land. Hope that helps! 

 

[Marcion]

Thanks menge.

Dr. Wenger is my academic advisor actually  She is great.

I have not spoken to her about this just yet, but a few clear choices have emerged: Harvard, Yale, Claremont, the University of Virginia, the University of Utah, and the University of Southern California is developing a program as well. 

[menge]

That's great. I greatly admire Dr. Wenger's work.

I just recently read about USC's new program. It looks interesting, I'm just a bit unsure about placement, etc. from a program with no track record. Granted, USC is a solid university, so maybe that helps? I'd be interested to here your thoughts on it if as you look into it further. 

 

[theophany]

One of the issues with Mormon Studies at most schools is that they depend on one faculty person alone—who may or may not be tenured, happy, or on leave. I'd make sure, whatever your considerations, that you make sure there are other faculty in the American religious history group and even in the history department who would make sense to work with. Getting somewhere both with good placement and a stable faculty might be a bit of a hunt.

If you're interested in Mormon thought, you should definitely have Terryl Givens at U.Richmond in mind. He's in the English department, which would be somewhat non-traditional. But he's in the middle of two volume set that is basically Mormon systematics (with a historical perspective, since in Mormonism, history is theology). I might send him an email; though, even if Richmond wouldn't be possible, it also throws another bone in the direction of UVa (Charlottesville and Richmond are an hour apart).

[Marcion]

8 hours ago, theophany said:

One of the issues with Mormon Studies at most schools is that they depend on one faculty person alone—who may or may not be tenured, happy, or on leave. I'd make sure, whatever your considerations, that you make sure there are other faculty in the American religious history group and even in the history department who would make sense to work with. Getting somewhere both with good placement and a stable faculty might be a bit of a hunt.

That is the challenge I am finding, however, something I am discovering if that plenty of faculty members are "interested" in Mormonism but do not have expertise in the area. It is a bit tricky negativing it all. Claremont looked promising but Dr. Mason has informed me that it has little to no funding. UVA seems like the best bet so far. Dr. Wenger has told me that if the school would allow an interested person in Mormonism, then a lot of it might just have to be up to me to research. Another solution might be an American History program that allows people to research American Religious History, such as the University of Utah, George Washington University, University of Missouri, University of Kansas, etc.

 

9 hours ago, theophany said:

If you're interested in Mormon thought, you should definitely have Terryl Givens at U.Richmond in mind. He's in the English department, which would be somewhat non-traditional. But he's in the middle of two volume set that is basically Mormon systematics (with a historical perspective, since in Mormonism, history is theology). I might send him an email; though, even if Richmond wouldn't be possible, it also throws another bone in the direction of UVa (Charlottesville and Richmond are an hour apart).

 I have contacted Dr. Givens but no response yet. Yes, I did consider that UVA and Richmond were close by! Dr. Flake tells me they have a really good working relationship.

[Marcion]

22 hours ago, menge said:

I just recently read about USC's new program. It looks interesting, I'm just a bit unsure about placement, etc. from a program with no track record. Granted, USC is a solid university, so maybe that helps? I'd be interested to here your thoughts on it if as you look into it further. 

 

Yes, that does look promising. I am planning to look further into it and have contacted the school for more information. Will let you know!

[marXian]

18 hours ago, theophany said:

One of the issues with Mormon Studies at most schools is that they depend on one faculty person alone—who may or may not be tenured, happy, or on leave. I'd make sure, whatever your considerations, that you make sure there are other faculty in the American religious history group and even in the history department who would make sense to work with. Getting somewhere both with good placement and a stable faculty might be a bit of a hunt.

I just want to emphasize this point (the second half of it.) If you're interested in history, you don't need someone who is an expert in Mormonism specifically as your advisor. Having an advisor who is an expert in American religious history will definitely be enough, even if he/she studies Catholics or something primarily. Sure, having a committee member who knows Mormonism is going to be a good idea, but that person could be external (i.e. someone not at your university.)

I have a colleague who studies Russian Orthodox immigrants at the turn of the twentieth century whose advisor is not an expert in that particular branch of Christian history. But my colleague's advisor is a very well known American religious historian, so it's fine. FWIW, this colleague started in the religious studies department but switched to history after the first year (actually had to reapply to the university), so history departments friendly to projects focused on religion might be worth putting on your radar.

[Marcion]

3 minutes ago, marXian said:

I just want to emphasize this point (the second half of it.) If you're interested in history, you don't need someone who is an expert in Mormonism specifically as your advisor. Having an advisor who is an expert in American religious history will definitely be enough, even if he/she studies Catholics or something primarily. Sure, having a committee member who knows Mormonism is going to be a good idea, but that person could be external (i.e. someone not at your university.)

Dr. Wenger has told me this, but I value your emphasis. The main thing I have been told to make sure that the school is actually interested in and the faculty wont bully you to do something else. 

[marXian]

Just now, Marcion said:

Dr. Wenger has told me this, but I value your emphasis. The main thing I have been told to make sure that the school is actually interested in and the faculty wont bully you to do something else. 

Yes, it's really excellent that you're getting that advice. I don't think prospective Ph.D students ever think about or even realize that faculty can and do do that to their Ph.D students!

[Marcion]

1 hour ago, marXian said:

Yes, it's really excellent that you're getting that advice. I don't think prospective Ph.D students ever think about or even realize that faculty can and do do that to their Ph.D students!

Amen to that.

[Cioaba]

David Holland at Harvard would be a great person to work with. I think Utah State University has some Ph.D students doing Mormon stuff too. 

[Marcion]

On 1/24/2016 at 1:26 PM, Cioaba said:

David Holland at Harvard would be a great person to work with. I think Utah State University has some Ph.D students doing Mormon stuff too. 

Yes, David Holland would be great but Harvard is... well Harvard. I am going to give it a crack but I am going to try and be realistic (not that any Ph.D. program is easy to get into). As for Utah State, they seem to have a center for Mormon Studies which is open to PostDocs and such, but I cannot a Ph.D. program there that does History/Religious Studies.

[Josh J.]

Jimmy Byrd at Vanderbilt is currently supervising a student on a dissertation about Mormonism. That student started with Kathleen Flake before she left for UVA, but Jimmy is a great advisor and an up-and-comer in American Religious History.