The European Mormon Studies Association (EMSA) is an independent scholarly organisation that supports the academic study of Mormonism in Europe. If you would like to receive occasional updates or have announcements you would like to share, you can join EMSA by clicking here. For other enquiries, please send us an email. You can also find us on Facebook. EMSA sponsors an annual academic conference and the International Journal of Mormon Studies.
International Mormonism Bibliography
A fantastic resource has been compiled by Kent Larsen in which he lists all of the works on international Mormonism published in 2011. Have a look!
No EMSA conference 2012
There will be no EMSA conference in 2012. We will be announcing the 2013 conference shortly.
We recommend EMSA members consider the following conference:
Registration
You can register for the conference by sending an email to kim.ostman@abo.fi with your name and affiliation (if any).
Preliminary Programme
We are pleased to announce the preliminary program for the EMSA conference to be held at Durham University, England, on 4-5 August 2011. Click here for information on travel, accommodation, and the papers to be given.
Please register by leaving your name and affiliation (if any) in the comments box below or send an email to kim.ostman@abo.fi.
Thursday, 4 August
10:00 – 11:00 Invited Session
Prof. Robert Hayward, Durham University, England
The Name “Israel” and the Prayer of Joseph
11:15 – 12:15 LDS History in Durham
Ronald E. Bartholomew, Brigham Young University, USA
Fred E. Woods, Brigham Young University, USA
Origins and Development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in County Durham,
1843–1913
12:15 – 14:00 Lunch (included in meal package)
14:00 – 16:00 Historical Viewpoints
Steve Carter, Henderson State University, USA
Practicing an American Religion in the Third Reich: The Case of the Mormon Church
Michael W. Homer, Utah State Historical Society, USA
The LDS Thesis Concerning the Relationship between Mormon and Masonic Rituals
Dan Belnap, Brigham Young University, USA
“And Those Who Receive You Not”: Ritual (Dis)continuity in the Rite of the Dusting of Feet
Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, University of Michigan, USA
Strange Spiritual Operations and the Contest over Ritual in Early Mormonism
16:15 – 17:15 Keynote Session
Prof. Walter E.A. van Beek, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Awkward Symbols: Mormonism and its Rituals
Evening program Conference dinner (included in meal package)
Friday, 5 August
10:00 – 12:00 Doctrinal Viewpoints
Christian Euvrard, LDS Church Educational System, France
The Doctrine of Baptism for the Dead According to 1 Corinthians 15:29 and 1 Peter 3:18-22 and 1
Peter 4:6 in Contrast with the Interpretation of Mainstream Christian Theology
Adam Powell, Durham University, England
The Species Debate: God and Humanity in Irenaeus and the Latter-day Saints
Aaron Reeves, University of Essex, England
Embodied Authority: Priesthood Ordination and the Laws of the Mortal Body
James D. Holt, University of Chester, England
The Holy Ghost in LDS Ritual Experience: Preparation for Exaltation
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch (included in meal package)
14:00 – 15:30 From Ancient to Modern Times
Douglas J. Davies, Durham University, England
Emotions, Ritual Practice and Spirituality-Creation
Ingrid Sherlock-Taselaar, SOAS, University of London, England
Mormonism and Ritual: Examples of the Survival of a Doctrine and the Demise of the Attendant
Ritual
Ronan James Head, Brigham Young University, USA/England
Feasts and Feasting: From Ancient Egypt to the Ward Party
15:30 Closing of the Conference
EMSA Conference 2011
The European Mormon Studies Association
Annual Conference
Durham University, England
4–5 August 2011
Keynote speaker: Prof. Walter E.A. van Beek
Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Invited plenary speaker: Prof. Robert Hayward
Durham University, England
Call for Papers
“Mormonism and Ritual”
Partial financial support provided by the Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding, Brigham Young University.
Mormonism is traditionally thought of as “low church,” having informal church services and modes of prayer. On the other hand, Mormonism is replete with ritual when it comes to temple service and other priesthood functions. This duality and breadth provides rich opportunities for probing the relationship between Mormonism and ritual in multiple scholarly domains.
Papers are invited on topics including but not limited to: What significance does ritual play in Mormon life? How does Mormonism compare to other Christian and non-Christian faith traditions in terms of ritual? How is Mormon theology manifested in the faith’s ritual? How has the place of ritual in Mormonism varied historically?
Those wishing to present a paper at the conference are requested to send a 200-word abstract to kim.ostman@abo.fi by 1 May 2011. If accepted, a notification will be given by 15 May 2011. It is expected that final papers will be approximately 3,000–3,500 words, being delivered in a time of 20–25 minutes each. A question and answer period will be available following each paper.
Meals and a block of rooms for accommodation are available at St Chad’s College, Durham University. Please make a reservation directly to St. Chad’s by 15 July at the latest using the university’s form.
Please register for the conference directly by leaving your name and affiliation in the comments box below or send an email to kim.ostman@abo.fi. A conference fee of £10 will be charged at the venue.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Dr. Kim Östman
Conference Coordinator / 2011, European Mormon Studies Association
E-mail: kim.ostman@abo.fi
Web: http://www.euromormonstudies.com
