Maxwell Institute Podcast

Maxwell Institute Podcast
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Nov 19, 2019 • 53min

Briefly First Nephi, with Joseph M. Spencer [MIPodcast #98]

“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents...” So begins the first book in the Book of Mormon. First Nephi. And this is the first episode in a special series of interviews with authors of the Maxwell Institute’s forthcoming “Brief Theological Introductions to the Book of Mormon. Twelve different authors tackle twelve different parts of the book, and Joseph M. Spencer of Brigham Young University was given the task of approaching First Nephi. Learn more about the Brief Theological Introductions series at mi.byu.edu/brief. About the Guest Joseph M. Spencer is an assistant professor in the department of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and editor of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. He’s written a number of books on the Book of Mormon such as An Other Testament: On Typology, For Zion: A Mormon Theology of Hope, and his latest book, First Nephi: A Brief Theological Introduction. The post Briefly First Nephi, with Joseph M. Spencer [MIPodcast #98] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Oct 15, 2019 • 52min

MIConversations #10—Terryl Givens with Rosaynde Welch, “Life on the road to Emmaus”

Maxwell Institute Conversations are special episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, hosted by Terryl Givens and created in collaboration with Faith Matters Foundation. Audio and video available. Is faith a choice? Does faith come naturally to some more than others? Terryl Givens and Rosalynde Welch have written and spoken on these questions, and each of them bring interesting perspectives to the discussion. About the Guest ROSALYNDE FRANDSEN WELCH is an independent scholar in St. Louis, Missouri and a member of the Maxwell Institute’s advisory board. She is working on a book about Ether for the Institute’s Brief Theological Introductions series on the Book of Mormon. The post MIConversations #10—Terryl Givens with Rosaynde Welch, “Life on the road to Emmaus” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Oct 1, 2019 • 28min

Our wild hope, with Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal [MIPodcast #97]

When Latter-day Saint apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland visited Oxford University in England last year, he became fast friends with Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal of Pembroke College. The two of them hit it off so well that Elder Holland invited Dr. Teal to Utah to attend General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to visit Brigham Young University. Rev. Teal spent some time at the Maxwell Institute where he sat down with Blair Hodges to talk about his life as a chaplain, about inter-religious dialogue, about faith, hope, and charity, and all sorts of other things. Read more about Rev. Teal’s visit with Elder Holland here. About the Guest The Rev. Dr. Andrew Teal is Chaplain and Fellow at Pembroke College and Lecturer in Theology and Religion within Oxford University. He is Warden of the Community of the Sisters of the Love of God, and a trustee of All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor, Helen and Douglas House Children’s Hospices, St John’s Home for Vulnerable people, and The Porch for homeless people, all in Oxford. He has published in the UK, Europe and in Russian, on Patristic and Modern Theology. The post Our wild hope, with Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal [MIPodcast #97] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Sep 10, 2019 • 1h 7min

The untold story of Lin Zhao, a martyr in Mao’s China, with Xi Lian [MIPodcast #96]

One of the most outspoken critics of Chairman Mao’s cultural revolution was a young poet and journalist named Lin Zhao. She was a Christian convert, then a member of the Communist Party, then an enemy of the state who paid for her opposition with her life. She was executed by firing squad. And her story would have vanished—along with the lives of some two million other Chinese who were killed during the cultural revolution—but she left a record. She wrote her witness in her own blood. In this episode you’ll encounter one of Christianity’s most remarkable martyrs of the twentieth century. Professor Xi Lian joins us to discuss his latest book, Blood Letters: The Untold Story of Lin Zhao, A Martyr in Mao’s China. About the Guest XI LIAN, Professor of World Christianity at Duke Divinity School, is the author of Blood Letters: The Untold Story of Lin Zhao, A Martyr in Mao’s China (2018). His other books include The Conversion of Missionaries: Liberalism in American Protestant Missions in China, 1907-1932 (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997) and Redeemed by Fire: The Rise of Popular Christianity in Modern China (Yale University Press, 2010). Dr. Lian’s other research projects include the flourishing of Christianity among minority peoples on the margins of the Chinese state and the emergence of Protestant elites and their prominent, if also precarious, role in the search for civil society in today’s China. The post The untold story of Lin Zhao, a martyr in Mao’s China, with Xi Lian [MIPodcast #96] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Aug 20, 2019 • 29min

“Answering sincere gospel questions,” with Spencer Fluhman [MIPodcast #95]

This bonus episode feature Spencer Fluhman delivering his 2019 BYU Women’s Conference address, “Answering Sincere Questions about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” It also features an announcement about the Institute’s forthcoming series about the Book of Mormon, Brief Theological Introductions. Originally presented on May 2, 2019. The post “Answering sincere gospel questions,” with Spencer Fluhman [MIPodcast #95] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Aug 6, 2019 • 1h 12min

People with disabilities in religious communities [MIPodcast #94]

Almost fifty million people in the United States live with some type of physical or intellectual disability. That’s one in five. In this special episode, twelve distinguished guests—scholars, organizers, religious leaders, writers—join us to talk about how we can create communities of belonging where people with disabilities and everyone else can feel welcome. This panel discussion took place during the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability at Hope College. Learn more about disability resources in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at disability.churchofjesuschrist.org. The video referenced during the episode is available here. About the Guests (in order of appearance) Devan Stahl Assistant professor in the Department of Religion at Baylor University. Stahl studies intersections between disability studies, theology, and bioethics. Munorwei Chirovamavi Executive director of “To Love a Child” in Zimbabwe, a ministry providing pre-school children with a secure and caring environment while feeding their minds, bodies and spirit. He is also a Baptist pastor and theological educator.Neil Cudney Director of organizational and spiritual life for Christian Horizons, an organization which supports people with disabilities in Canada and four other countries.Katie Steed Disability Specialist manager for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Reverend Christopher Rajkumar Director of the Indian Disability Ecumenical Accompaniment. He is an ordained minister of the Church of South India and a theological educator and writer.Andy Calder A minister in the Uniting Church in Australia. He is the Disability Inclusion Advocate with the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. He is the 2019 recipient of the Henri Nouwen Award, awarded by the Spirituality and Religion Division of the AAIDD.John Swinton An ordained minister of the Church of Scotland and the Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies at the School of Divinity, History, and Philosophy, University of Aberdeen. He founded the university’s Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. His most recent book is Becoming Friends of Time: Disability, Timefullness, and Gentle Discipleship.Topher EndressDoctoral candidate and Fellow at University of Aberdeen Centre for Spirituality, Health, and Disability.Jill HarshawPart-time lecturer in Practical Theology and Disability Theology at Queen’s University Belfast. She is author of God Beyond Words: Christian Theology and the Spiritual Experiences of People with Profound Intellectual Disabilities.Shelly Christensen, MA A pioneer in the faith community disability inclusion movement. She is an international speaker and consultant to numerous faith-based organizations. Shelly’s newest book, From Longing to Belonging: A Practical Guide to Including People with Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions in Your Faith Community, is a resource for all faith-based organizations and service support agencies to enhance and encourage participation and inclusion for each and every person. Shelly is co-founder and organizer of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM). Barbara J. Newman Director of church services for All Belong: Center for Inclusive Education as well as a special education consultant to Christian and Catholic schools. Barbara is a national speaker and author of several books including Accessible Gospel, Inclusive Worship.Bill Gaventa Director of Summer Institute on Theology and Disability and an ordained American Baptist minister. For eighteen years he was associate professor at the Rutgers Medical School in the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities. He now serves as a consultant, trainer, speaker, and author. The post People with disabilities in religious communities [MIPodcast #94] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Jul 23, 2019 • 58min

Women in the New Testament and beyond, with Carolyn Osiek [MIPodcast #93]

When you think about the earliest Christians you might imagine the twelve disciples, like Peter and John. Maybe Paul comes to mind. But what about women in early Christianity? What drew them to a life of discipleship and what did they bring to the community and the church as it began to spread? Few people have spent as much time thinking about these questions as Dr. Carolyn Osiek, co-author of A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity. Osiek visited BYU’s Maxwell Institute earlier this year to deliver the keynote address at the conference “Material Culture and Women’s Religious Experience in Antiquity.” You can watch her address now on the Institute’s YouTube channel. In this interview we dig a little deeper into her research and thoughts about how the lives of ancient Christian women wove culture and faith into a tapestry of devotion. About the Guest CAROLYN OSIEK, RSCJ is Charles Fischer Professor of New Testament emerita with the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. She is co-author of A Woman’s Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity. Sister Osiek spent decades teaching scripture at the graduate level to students at Catholic Theological Union at Chicago. She holds a doctorate in New Testament and Christian Origins from Harvard University and is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature. In March 2019 Osiek delivered the keynote address at the BYU symposium “Material Culture and Women’s Religious Experience in Antiquity.” You can watch the address here: “Between the Holy and the Ordinary: Women’s Lives in Early Christianity.” The post Women in the New Testament and beyond, with Carolyn Osiek [MIPodcast #93] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Jul 12, 2019 • 55min

MIConversations #9—Terryl Givens with Samuel Brown, “Confessions of an ‘Odd Intellectual’”

Maxwell Institute Conversations are special episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, hosted by Terryl Givens and created in collaboration with Faith Matters Foundation. Audio and video available. Samuel Brown deals in matters of life and death every day. He’s a doctor working in a Shock/Trauma ICU. In his spare time, he’s also a theologian and a historian of Latter-day Saint thought. In this interview with Terryl Givens, Brown talks in his own unique style about the ways of discipleship. About the Guest SAMUEL M. BROWN is a medical researcher, intensive care unit physician, and historian of religion and culture. He is author of First Principles and Ordinances, part of the Maxwell Institute’s Living Faith book series, and a number of other titles including In Heaven as it is On Earth and Through the Valley of Shadows: Living Wills, Intensive Care, and Making Medicine Human, both from Oxford University Press. The post MIConversations #9—Terryl Givens with Samuel Brown, “Confessions of an ‘Odd Intellectual’” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Jun 27, 2019 • 1h 14min

Joseph Smith’s Egyptian papers, with Robin Jensen & Brian Hauglid [MIPodcast #92]

Joseph Smith left a lot of documents behind when he died in 1844, from the mundane to the intriguing. Some of the more puzzling documents deal with a book of scripture in the Latter-day Saint canon called the Book of Abraham. Said to be translated from ancient papyrus, the scripture broadens the story of the Hebrew Bible’s figure of Abraham. Where did the papyrus come from? What do modern Egyptologists have to say about it? And what do these documents suggest to Latter-day Saint historians about Joseph Smith’s work as a translator? Brian Hauglid and Robin Scott Jensen join us in this episode to talk about the latest scholarship on the Book of Abraham. Jensen is an associate managing historian with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the project archivist for the Joseph Smith Papers. Hauglid is a visiting fellow here at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute. Together they edited Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts, part of the Joseph Smith Papers project. Lucky for you, this material is already available on the JSP website here. About the Guests Brian M. Hauglid (left) is an associate professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and visiting fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. He earned a PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Utah. He has worked in Book of Abraham studies for over twenty years. As an editor for the Maxwell Institute’s “Studies in the Book of Abraham” series, Hauglid assisted in compiling and editing Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham and Astronomy, Papyrus, and Covenant. He also published A Textual History of the Book of Abraham. Robin Scott Jensen (right) is an associate managing historian and the project archivist for the Joseph Smith Papers. He coedited the first three volumes in the Revelations and Translations series. He specializes in document and transcription analysis, and is also a member of the Church History Department Editorial Board. He earned an MA degree in American history from Brigham Young University, and a second MA in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He is now pursuing a PhD in history at the University of Utah. The post Joseph Smith’s Egyptian papers, with Robin Jensen & Brian Hauglid [MIPodcast #92] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.
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Apr 16, 2019 • 60min

The contested history of religious freedom, with Tisa Wenger [MIPodcast #91]

In this episode, historian Tisa Wenger of Yale University joins us to talk about religious freedom—the legal right to worship according to the dictates of a person’s own conscience. An important ideal to be sure, but—as historians like Wenger are fond of saying—it’s complicated. We’re talking about her new book Religious Freedom: The Contested History of an American Ideal. About the Guest Tisa Wenger is Associate Professor of American Religious History in the Divinity School, American Studies, and Religious Studies at Yale University, where she has been teaching for almost ten years. Wenger’s work explores the cultural politics of religious freedom, the religious histories of the American West, and the intersections of race, empire, and religion in U.S. history. Her books are We Have a Religion: The 1920s Pueblo Indian Dance Controversy and American Religious Freedom (University of North Carolina Press, 2009) and Religious Freedom: The Contested History of an American Ideal (University of North Carolina Press, 2017). She lives in Hamden, Connecticut, with her husband Rod Groff and their three children, along with a dog, two cats, a rabbit, five chickens, ten fish, and a sizable vegetable garden. The post The contested history of religious freedom, with Tisa Wenger [MIPodcast #91] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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