Journal of Book of Mormon Studies
DisciplineMormon studies
LanguageEnglish
Edited byJoseph M. Spencer
Publication details
Former name(s)
Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture
History1992-present
Publisher
FrequencyAnnual
Standard abbreviations
ISO 4J. Book Mormon Stud.
Indexing
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies
ISSN2374-4766 (print)
2374-4774 (web)
LCCN2014202708
OCLC no.971959679
Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture (2008–2013):
ISSN1948-7487
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (1992–2007):
ISSN2168-3158
Links

The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal covering topics surrounding the Book of Mormon. It is published by the University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship with funding from the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies.

History

The journal was established in 1992 as a biannual publication of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah).[1] BYU is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which teaches that the Book of Mormon is sacred scripture alongside the Bible. The journal was a venue for new scholarship from a faithful LDS perspective about Book of Mormon geography (Old World and New World), literary structures, name meanings, ongoing research, and other topics.[1] The journal, along with FARMS, operated from the assumption that the Book of Mormon was historically ancient and was divine scripture.[2][3] According to American religious historian John-Charles Duffy, the journal took an approach of orthodox scholarship, without an emphasis on polemics or responding to critics of Mormonism.[4] Since its beginning with FARMS, the journal was peer-reviewed,[5][6] drawing mostly from internal reviewers.[7][8]

In 1998 the format changed from a plain academic journal style into a glossy magazine, intended to make its work more accessible to general LDS readers in addition to scholars.[2] The journal was promoted to the public in 2003 when LDS Church public affairs referenced its recent articles to answer problems of DNA and the Book of Mormon.[9] The journal's publisher changed in 2006 to the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, which had absorbed FARMS.[10]

The journal was first published in 1992 under its current title. From 2009 to 2013 it was renamed Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration Scripture. In 2014, the journal returned to its original name and underwent further changes stemming from new directives from the Maxwell Institute. It went from biennial to annual, adopted an academic printing format, and announced a new mission within the larger field of religious studies for both "Mormon and non-Mormon scholars."[5][11][12]

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in the ATLA Religion Database[13] and EBSCO databases.

Editors-in-chief

The following persons are or have been editors-in-chief:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Terryl Givens (2003). By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion. Oxford University Press. p. 126. ISBN 0195168887. Retrieved 2017-05-02.
  2. ^ a b Duffy, John-Charles (May 2004), "Defending the Kingdom, Rethinking the Faith: How Apologetics is Reshaping Mormon Orthodoxy" (PDF), Sunstone (132): 23, 30, 37, 48, 62, retrieved 2017-05-04
  3. ^ Thomas Murphy (Winter 2003). "Simply Implausible: DNA and a Mesoamerican Setting for the Book of Mormon" (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. 36 (4): 122. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  4. ^ (Duffy 2004, p. 33): "Work that assumes, but does not necessarily defend, LDS faith claims I prefer to call 'orthodox scholarship.' Henceforth, I will use the term apologetics to refer only to discourse that explicitly responds to criticisms of the faith. ... Orthodox scholarship is the most appropriate term for much of what appears in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (especially under John Sorenson's editorship)..."
  5. ^ a b Brian M. Hauglid (2 April 2014). "Dear Subscribers" (PDF). Letter to Subscribers. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  6. ^ "Journal of Book of Mormon Studies". University of Illinois Press. University of Illinois. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  7. ^ William Hamblin (19 June 2015). "Jenkins Response 5: Peer Review". Enigmatic Mirror. Patheos. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  8. ^ John-Charles Duffy (2006), Faithful Scholarship: The Mainstreaming of Mormon Studies and the Politics of Insider Discourse, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, p. 71, retrieved 2018-07-24, Around 1984, Maxwell and Oaks initiated quarterly meetings with BYU president (later apostle) Jeffrey R. Holland and faculty members from Religious Education, the Smith Institute, and FARMS. The purpose of these meetings was to urge LDS scholars to produce internally peer-reviewed scholarship that could, in Maxwell's words, 'protect our flanks.'
  9. ^ "Church Statement Dismisses DNA Challenges to Book of Mormon" (PDF). Sunstone (130): 72. December 2003. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  10. ^ Carri Jenkins (28 February 2006). "BYU renames ISPART to Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship". BYU News. Brigham Young University. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  11. ^ Sam Brunson (9 April 2015). "Review: Volume 23 of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies". By Common Consent. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  12. ^ Nathaniel Givens (7 December 2015). "In Their Own Language". Times and Seasons. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  13. ^ "Title and Product Update Lists". ATLA Religion Database. American Theological Library Association. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  14. ^ "Next editor of Journal of Book of Mormon Studies announced". News & Events. Neal A. Maxwell Institute. March 10, 2017. Retrieved 2017-05-08.

External links

English-language periodicals of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Categories