Mike Nielsen, a long time MSSA member, commented for this Salt Lake Tribune article.
MSSA serves as expert source for news story on polygamist raid
The Mormon Social Science Association was contacted by a foreign reporter looking for someone knowledgeable about polygamy from a social scientific perspective. The reporter was directed to Michael Nielsen, a long-time MSSA member who is currently doing research on polygamy. Michael Nielsen’s thoughts on the developing story were incorporated into the news article, which is available here. This is a great illustration of how the MSSA website is reaching out to a broader audience to share the knowledge and expertise of the membership.
Mormonism in Europe?
LATimes story features MSSA member
Armand Mauss is featured in an LATimes article on Mormons and Muslims.
Vernon’s Sociology of Mormonism
While Glenn M. Vernon was not the first sociologist to analyze Mormonism, he was arguably the first to attempt to organize the social scientific study of the LDS church into a specific field of inquiry. This 1975 text was used in his sociology of Mormonism classes at the University of Utah, and it contains a wealth of social science data on a variety of subjects. While many of the studies are dated, they give important insights into Mormon thinking and behavior in the era just before the internationalization of the faith began to accelerate. Hence, for anyone interested in the history or development of Mormon thought, Vernon’s work is a veritable treasure trove.
new Dialogue Editor
After a lengthy and thorough search, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, has a new editor. Peggy Fletcher Stack has a good write up about it here. You can also see the announcement on Dialogue’s website.
talk from MSSA member addresses changes resulting from changed priesthood policy
Marcus Martins, a member of the MSSA, recently delivered a retrospective speech looking at how the 1978 Revelation on the Priesthood brought changes in Mormonism. The speech is available on Dr. Martins’s website here.
new journal on Mormonism available
The British Journal of Mormon Studies is a newly founded journal that has just released its inaugural issue. You can download it for free here. The journal is interested in submissions, though they prefer worldwide foci in the articles. Send abstracts of no more than 200 words to:submissions@bjmsonline.org
2008 – Spring Newsletter
article on Mormon Studies
The Boston Globe has a nice article up on the growing field of Mormon studies.