The present state of Mormon studies : an inquiry concerning the development of an academic field

Abstract

This thesis examines the development of the field of Mormon studies, and the concomitant shift in authority from religious official to scholar. Scholars are continually reminded that they do not work in a vacuum. They are both affected by, and have an effect on, the religious groups which they select as their subjects of investigation. In the development of an academic field, although scholars perform much of the labour, religious practitioners can shape the direction the field takes. Officials, (by supporting schools, Chairs and publications) and believers (by their active participation in or reaction to scholarship) play a major role in determining which sorts of investigations are conducted, and ultimately what sort of presentation of the group is produced. My thesis interrogates the role that scholars and officials play in constructing religious identity, and asks what responsibility scholars have (if any) in recognizing how church involvement can shape research.