Grant Hardy

Last updated
Grant R. Hardy
Grant Hardy.png
Born (1961-03-07) 7 March 1961 (age 62)
Education Brigham Young University (BA)
Yale University (PhD)
OccupationProfessor
Employer University of North Carolina at Asheville (1994–present)
Known for Book of Mormon studies
SpouseHeather Nielsen Hardy [1]
Website history.unca.edu/faces/faculty/grant-hardy

Grant Hardy is professor of history and religious studies and former director of the humanities program at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He earned his BA in ancient Greek in 1984 from Brigham Young University and his PhD in Chinese language and literature from Yale University in 1988. [2] Having written, cowritten, or edited several books in the fields of history, humanities, and religious texts as literature, Hardy is known for literary studies of the Book of Mormon.

Contents

Chinese Language and Literature Studies

Hardy has a PhD in Chinese language and literature from Yale University. Starting at nineteen years of age, he served a two-year Mandarin-speaking religious mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Taichung (Taizhong), Taiwan. [3] [4]

Mormon studies

Book of Mormon study editions and notes

Hardy's contributions in Mormon studies are The Book of Mormon: A Reader's Edition (2003), Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Readers' Guide (2010), The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ: Maxwell Institute Study Edition, (2018), [5] [6] and The Annotated Book of Mormon (2023). [7]

Reception

Individual works

According to a review by Michael Austin of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Maxwell Institute Study Edition (2018; Hardy, ed.), "By combining with a serious and thoughtful scholar like Grant Hardy, the [LDS] Church has produced and authorized a version of its signature scripture that is orders of magnitude more helpful, and more scholarly, than anything it has produced before." [8]

Hardy's Understanding the Book of Mormon (2010) has been received favorably for what its publisher, Oxford University Press, describes as "comprehensive analysis of the work's narrative structure." [9]

In August 2023, Prof. Hardy's "The Annotated Book of Mormon" was released. It is a fully annotated version of the BoM in the style of the New Oxford Annotated Bible. [10] In introducing his interview with Hardy concerning this work, host Jack Dugan called him one of the preeminent scholars of the history and theology of the LDS Church. [11]

In general

Grant Shreve says the Book of Mormon's text, "once derided as 'a fiction of hob-goblins and bugbears,'" now is being examined by non-Mormon academics and university students, its inclusion on syllabi facilitated by "attractive reader’s editions of the Book of Mormon armed with immaculate scholarly introductions framing it for non-Mormon audiences" by Hardy (2005) and also by Laurie Maffly-Kipp (2008, Penguin). [12]

In the Mormon apologetics journal Interpreter , Neal Rappleye lauds Hardy's demonstrations of the Book of Mormon's "depth and complexity, multiple voices, and insightful readings," that bolsters its truth claims according to Rappleye. [13]

In April 2016, the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies devoted an issue to Hardy's Book of Mormon studies, its editor saying, "We see his work as crucially transitional, bringing the scripture increasingly to the attention of the broader academy." [14]

Apologetics

Hardy, who is a member of the LDS Church, has joined proponents advocating tolerance within the faith for struggles with doubt. Providing context for his work, in his 5 August 2016 address at the annual FairMormon conference, he said, "Academics have little interest in debates about whether Mormonism is true or false, but they are increasingly interested in Mormonism as a religious and social movement." When asked during the question-and-answer session concerning believers who harbor questions about the Book of Mormon's historicity, he said, "Can faith in the Book of Mormon as inspired fiction be a saving faith? And I think the answer is, absolutely." [15]

A two-part 2017 article by Duane Boyce in the LDS apologetics journal Interpreter questions the didactic effectiveness of Hardy's study's ascriptions of possible psychological motives to individuals categorized as prophets within the Book of Mormon. Boyce believes literary analysis of this type detracts from the book's divine purpose. [16] Ralph C. Hancock published in Interpreter his argument that Hardy’s reading of the Book of Mormon is "in a way more religious than any other because it is more rational—that is, by allowing natural questions to arise and to resonate, he reveals characters to us (especially the three authors" [ Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni ] "that are more miraculous because they are more human." [17]

Background: Opening the Book of Mormon studies sub-discipline

Studies of the Book of Mormon—the foundational scripture of the Latter-day Saints—usually were apologetic (devotional) or polemical (critical of its truth claims) prior to about 2010. Paralleling the burgeoning of Mormon studies generally as a field of more neutral scholarship in early twenty-first century, university courses began including literary studies of this book. [18]

In 2016, Nicholas J. Frederick said, "With a few notable exceptions, such as Philip Barlow’s Mormons and the Bible and Grant Hardy’s Understanding the Book of Mormon, full-length monographs devoted to [Book of Mormon studies] have been lacking." [19] In 2017, organizers of a Book of Mormon studies symposium said, "Grant Hardy has introduced the content and the depth of the Book of Mormon into the larger academic world." [20]

Publications

Books

In addition to chapters and journal articles, [21] [22] Hardy has published the following books:

Chapter

Multimedia

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book of Mormon</span> Sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement

The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude dated by the text to the unspecified time of the Tower of Babel. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith as The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. The Book of Mormon is one of the earliest and most well known unique writings of the Latter Day Saint movement. The denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement typically regard the text primarily as scripture and secondarily as a record of God's dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas. The majority of Latter Day Saints believe the book to be a record of real-world history, with Latter Day Saint denominations viewing it variously as an inspired record of scripture to the lynchpin or "keystone" of their religion. Some Latter Day Saint academics and apologetic organizations strive to affirm the book as historically authentic through their scholarship and research, but mainstream archaeological, historical, and scientific communities have discovered little to support the existence of the civilizations described therein, and do not consider it to be an actual record of historical events.

In Mormonism, the restoration refers to a return of the authentic priesthood power, spiritual gifts, ordinances, living prophets and revelation of the primitive Church of Christ after a long period of apostasy. While in some contexts the term may also refer to the early history of Mormonism, in other contexts the term is used in a way to include the time that has elapsed from the church's earliest beginnings until the present day. Especially in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "the restoration" is often used also as a term to encompass the corpus of religious messages from its general leaders down to the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies</span> Mormon apologetics organization

The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. The organization was established in 1979 as a non-profit organization by John. W. Welch. In 1997, the group became a formal part of Brigham Young University (BYU), which is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2006, the group became a formal part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, formerly known as the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, BYU. FARMS has since been absorbed into the Maxwell Institute's Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zarahemla</span> Nephite capital in the Book of Mormon

In the Book of Mormon, Zarahemla is a land and, for much of the narrative, the capital of the Nephites, their political and religious center. Zarahemla has been the namesake of multiple communities in the United States, has been alluded to in literature that references Mormonism, and has been portrayed in artwork depicting Book of Mormon content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoram</span>

Zoram, IPA-ified from «zō´rum», is the name of three individuals in the Book of Mormon, indexed in the LDS edition as Zoram1, Zoram2, and Zoram3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alma the Younger</span> Character in the Book of Mormon

According to the Book of Mormon, Alma, the son of Alma was a Nephite prophet often referred to as Alma the Younger to distinguish him from his father, who is often referred to as Alma the Elder. These appellations, "the Younger" and "the Elder," are not used in the Book of Mormon; they are distinctions made by scholars, useful because both individuals were prominent during the same time period in the Book of Mormon's story and filled a similar cultural and religious role. Alma is the namesake of the Book of Alma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Signature Books</span> American press specializing in Utah, Mormonism, and Western Americana

Signature Books is an American press specializing in subjects related to Utah, Mormonism, and Western Americana. The company was founded in 1980 by George D. Smith and Scott Kenney and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is majority owned by the Smith-Pettit Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Barlow</span> American academic

Philip Layton Barlow is a Harvard-trained scholar who specializes in American religious history, religious geography, and Mormonism. In 2019, Barlow was appointed associate director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Barlow was the first full-time professor of Mormon studies at a secular university as the inaugural Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University (USU), from 2007 to 2018.

Daniel Arlon Vogel is an independent researcher, writer, and author on a number of works that include Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet and is most known for his work on early Mormon documents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel C. Peterson</span> American professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University

Daniel Carl Peterson is a former professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University (BYU).

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, or Maxwell Institute, is a research institute at Brigham Young University (BYU). The institute consists of faculty and visiting scholars who study religion, primarily the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The institute is named after a former LDS Church apostle, known for his writings and sermons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terryl Givens</span> Senior research fellow at Brigham Young University

Terryl Lynn Givens is a senior research fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute of Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University (BYU). Until 2019, he was a professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond, where he held the James A. Bostwick Chair in English.

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.

Louis C. Midgley is a Mormon apologist and retired professor of political science at Brigham Young University. Since his retirement he has been closely involved with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, writing many book reviews, articles, and book chapters defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from perceived critics.

The Religious Studies Center (RSC) is the research and publishing arm of Religious Education at Brigham Young University (BYU), sponsoring scholarship on the culture, history, scripture, and doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The dean of Religious Education serves as the RSC's director, and an associate dean oversees the two branches of the RSC: research and publications.

Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary academic study of the beliefs, practices, history and culture of individuals and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement, a religious movement associated with the Book of Mormon, though not all churches and members of the Latter Day Saint movement identify with the terms Mormon or Mormonism. Denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement include the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, by far the largest, as well as the Community of Christ (CoC) and other smaller groups, include some categorized under the umbrella term Mormon fundamentalism.

<i>Mormon Studies Review</i> Academic journal

Mormon Studies Review is an annual academic journal covering Mormon studies published by the University of Illinois Press. Previously, until and including its 2018 issue, the journal was published by Brigham Young University's Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. In November 2018, ownership transferred to the University of Illinois Press, which continues to publish the journal.

<i>Interpreter</i> (journal) Academic journal

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship is a nonprofit, peer-reviewed, and educational academic journal published by the Interpreter Foundation primarily covering topics related to the canon of scriptures of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon studies, and Latter-day Saint apologetics. It was established in July 2012 by the Interpreter Foundation with Daniel C. Peterson as founding editor-in-chief. Peterson had previously been the founding editor of the FARMS Review, which in 2011 had been renamed the Mormon Studies Review (MSR) by the heads of the Maxwell Institute (MI). The MSR launched soon after Peterson's release from MI without direct apologetics as one of their goals. Peterson believed that direct apologetics was a necessary feature of a publication like the MSR while others did not. This philosophical difference between Peterson and the editors of the MSR led to the creation of the Interpreter Foundation, which retained apologetic content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian M. Hauglid</span>

Brian M. Hauglid is an emeritus professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University (BYU). From 2014 to 2017, he was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, and he was the director of the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies, a part of BYU's Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.

This is a bibliography of works on the Latter Day Saint movement.

References

  1. "Grant Hardy". FairMormon. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  2. "Professor Bio Page". The Great Courses. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  3. "10 questions with Grant Hardy" by Kurt Manwaring. 5 February 2019. Accessed 20 September 2020.
  4. Grant Hardy opens worlds through writing and teaching. The Blue Banner. 16 September 2015. Accessed 20 September 2020.
  5. Manwaring, Kurt (10 April 2018). "10 questions with Spencer Fluhman". From The Desk. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  6. Publication information on the Maxwell Institute Book of Mormon edition
  7. "The Annotated Book of Mormon". Oxford University Press. 1 September 2023.
  8. Michael Austin (Summer 2019). "'Reasonably Good Tidings of Greater-than-Average Joy': Grant Hardy, ed. The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Maxwell Institute Study Edition." (PDF). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought : 173–181.
  9. "Google Scholar" . Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  10. Chad Nielsen (16 January 2024). "Grant Hardy on the Annotated Book of Mormon". Times and Seasons. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  11. The Revelation of the Book of Mormon at 200
  12. "The Book of Mormon Gets the Literary Treatment | Religion & Politics". Religion and Politics. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  13. Rappleye, Neal (5 January 2014). "Creating a List of "Standard Works" on Book of Mormon Authenticity". Interpreter. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  14. Brian Hauglid (22 April 2016). "Now Available: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies vol. 25". Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  15. "More Effective Apologetics". FairMormon. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  16. "A Lengthening Shadow: Is Quality of Thought Deteriorating in LDS Scholarly Discourse Regarding Prophets and Revelation? Part Two | Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture". Mormon Interpreter. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  17. Hancock, Ralph C. (2012). "To Really Read the Book of Mormon". Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-Day Saint Faith and Scholarship. 1.
  18. "The Book of Mormon Gets the Literary Treatment | Religion & Politics". Religion and Politics. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  19. J. Frederick. The Bible, Mormon Scripture, and the Rhetoric of Allusivity – 9781611479065 – Rowman & Littlefield. Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  20. "Call for Papers: Book of Mormon Studies". Patheos.com. Faith-Promoting Rumor. 16 February 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  21. "Grant Hardy, Ph.D. | Department of History". University of North Carolina Asheville -History. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  22. "Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship". Publications. Retrieved 19 April 2018.