A quick review of the Turku conference

October 11, 2008 Ronan

Many thanks to all those who came and contributed to this year’s conference. Special thanks go to Kim for his tireless and efficient organisation. We hope that next August’s conference will take place in Turin, Italy.

A brief summary of this year’s papers (publications of which TBA):

Brian Birch (Utah Valley University, USA)
The “apostasy” meme in Mormonism and the battle over Mormonism’s “Christian” identity.

Grant Underwood (Brigham Young University, USA)
Explored the doctrines of “justification” and “sanctification” in Mormonism and Christianity, paying particular attention to the Lutheran tradition as explored by Mannermaa at Helsinki.

Heikki Räisänen (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Joseph Smith’s revision of the Bible in the tradition of Christian harmonising of biblical inconsistencies.

Followed by a panel discussion with: Brian Birch, Grant Underwood, Walter van Beek, Douglas J. Davies, and Heikki Räisänen.

Graham Stott (Arab American University, Palestine)
The martyrdoms at Ammonihah (Book of Mormon) from a 19th century American Christian understanding.

Risto Räty (Åbo Akademi University, Finland)
“The Challenges of Latter-day Saint Identity,” inter alia, Mormonism’s anthropomorphic God and its shortening of the ontological distance between God and man.

Stephen J. Fleming (University of California at Santa Barbara, USA)
“Magic” as a legitimate expression of Christian folk religion in England.

Douglas J. Davies (Durham University, United Kingdom)
“The Holy Spirit in Latter-day Saint Thought”: the “Spirit” as a Mormon cipher for “emotion.”

Ronan James Head (Johns Hopkins University, USA / United Kingdom)
“Mormon Children in the British Classroom: A Survey of Attitudes Towards School-Based Statutory Religious Education.”

Reid L. Neilson (Brigham Young University, USA)
The story of Andrew Jenson’s LDS world tour, 1895-1897.

Johnnie Glad (University of Stavanger, Norway; Lutheran minister and former Lutheran missionary)
A discussion of why Mormon missions struggle to retain converts.

Richard Sherlock (Utah State University, USA)
Mormon theology’s remarkably personal God and the importance of personal revelation.

David M. Morris (University of Chichester, United Kingdom)
Modes and methods of Mormon conversions in 19th century England

Kim Östman (Åbo Akademi University, Finland)
“Reactions of Lutheran Clergy to Mormon Proselytizing in Finland, 1875–1889.”

Fred E. Woods (Brigham Young University, USA)
The history of George Ramsden, emigration agent for the Guion Line in Liverpool.

Ron E. Bartholomew (Brigham Young University, USA)
Contact between Mormon missionaries and other Christian sects in 19th century Bedfordshire.

Dustin J. Eaton (Claremont Graduate University, USA)
Are European missions baptising Europeans?

Walter van Beek (Tilburg University, The Netherlands)
“The Gideon Syndrome in European Mormonism.” How European Mormons have fashioned a Mormon elite.

Michael W. Homer (Utah State Historical Society, USA)
“The Mormon Factor in the Romney Presidential Campaign: U.S. Perspectives.”

Massimo Introvigne (Center for Studies on New Religions, Italy)
“The Mormon Factor in the Romney Presidential Campaign: European Perspectives.”