A New Director is Appointed at the Maxwell Institute

[Doctor Scratch]

Interesting news out of BYU:

https://mi.BYU.edu/maxwell-director-2023

I wonder how this appointment will sit with the Mopologists: they railed endlessly at the MI during Spencer Fluhman’s tenure, and yet now they are getting someone who’s coming out of Religious Education, with whom they’ve often had a fraught relationship. It seems that, with this appointment, the Brethren are choosing a middle road: something in between “Mormon studies” and Mopologetics—something more “Chapel Mormon” in flavor.

[Fence Sitter]

Link is not working for me.

What is his name?

[Markk]

From what I have read about Haws in a short search, it seems he is all about perception and Image. My view is that there is really nothing out there that the apologetic can salvage from the old narratives, they lost. However, the church has created, rather successfully, a wall or curtain of plausible deniability , that allows those that need the old narrative just enough to accept it, and just enough truth, or new narrative that the younger generations can make the church work for them without having to deny obvious truths while the new narrative assimilates in as the norm.

So whats left…Image and perception? Make sure the image of the church is strong. that's my guess.

[Markk]

Link is not working for me.

What is his name?

J.B. Haws

[Gadianton]

The staff at Sic et Non must be quivering in fear over this announcement, given that they have yet to mention anything. Total silence. Normally we'd have got something like, "incidentally, although I don't follow these things closely anymore..."

But nothing. I don't know why Brother Haws would strike fear into the hearts of the apologists but apparently, this is what we're dealing with. A "Chapel" guy you'd think they could get behind, at least in hopes to get the liberals at new MI in trouble. There must be some history or deeper fears. I'm curious how this will play out.

[drumdude]

Dan won't stay silent about this. 2012 was the single most personally embarrassing year of his life, and he will never let anyone involved forget it.

[Moksha]

Haws currently works as the chair of the Department of Church History and Doctrine. Haws received a B.S. in history, mathematics, and Spanish from Weber State University. He continued his education by earning an M.A. in religious education from BYU and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Utah.

Hopefully, Haws will be able to blend all approaches, with Maxwell personnel spending time in scholarship, devotionals, and apologetic mud-slinging.

[Tom]

Interesting news out of BYU:

https://mi.BYU.edu/maxwell-director-2023

I wonder how this appointment will sit with the Mopologists: they railed endlessly at the MI during Spencer Fluhman’s tenure, and yet now they are getting someone who’s coming out of Religious Education, with whom they’ve often had a fraught relationship. It seems that, with this appointment, the Brethren are choosing a middle road: something in between “Mormon studies” and Mopologetics—something more “Chapel Mormon” in flavor.

Dr. Fluhman stepped down months ago as executive director of the Maxwell Institute. Dr. Gee was still talking about Dr. Fluhman during the recent FAIR conference. Will Dr. Gee go after Dr. Haws during next year’s FAIR conference?

I must report that channeling may not be a reliable method of discerning truth. In early February, I channeled a list of candidates to succeed Dr. Fluhman. Inexplicably, Dr. Haws didn’t make the list:

I've heard intriguing rumors that the Ghost Committee, chaired by William Tyndale, will conduct the search for Dr. Fluhman's successor.

Acting on faith that the rumors are true, last night I channeled a list of candidates for the Ghost Committee to consider. (Only one name has an affiliation with the Interpreter Foundation. I find that deeply significant.)

Backyard Professor
Doctor Scratch
Dr Moore
DrStakhanovite
Everybody Wang Chung
Gabriel
Gadianton
Kishkumen
Malkie
Marcus
Shulem
Phil Barlow
Lincoln Blumell
S. Kent Brown
Jim Faulconer
Nick Frederick
Fiona Givens
Terryl Givens
Matthew Gray
Grant Hardy
Steve Harper
David Holland
Jeffrey Holland
Shon Hopkin
Janiece Johnson
Adam Miller
Robert Millet
Kerry Muhlestein
Reid Neilson
Stephen Ricks
David Seely
Royal Skousen (of course)
Joseph Spencer
Gaye Strathearn
Thom Wayment
Rosalynde Frandsen Welch
John Welch

I suppose I could do as Joseph Smith and his associates did with the revelations and silently edit in Dr. Haws’ name.

Will Dr. Haws make an effort to build bridges with Dr. Peterson and the Interpreter Foundation?

Did Elder Holland approve the selection?

[Tom]

Interesting news out of BYU:

https://mi.BYU.edu/maxwell-director-2023

I wonder how this appointment will sit with the Mopologists: they railed endlessly at the MI during Spencer Fluhman’s tenure, and yet now they are getting someone who’s coming out of Religious Education, with whom they’ve often had a fraught relationship. It seems that, with this appointment, the Brethren are choosing a middle road: something in between “Mormon studies” and Mopologetics—something more “Chapel Mormon” in flavor.

I noted a few things in his BYU bio:

J.B. Haws is an associate professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU. He is the author of The Mormon Image in the American Mind: Fifty Years of Public Perception (Oxford, 2013). His PhD from the University of Utah is in American History. He is also interested in interfaith dialogue; he served as the coordinator of BYU's Office of Religious Outreach from 2016-2018.. Before coming to BYU, J.B. taught seminary in northern Utah, in Salt Lake and Weber Counties. His research interests center on the place of Mormonism in twentieth- and twenty-first century America. As for his interest in history generally, he asks how could you not be interested in history when you come from a place that in pioneer-times Utah was known as “Muskrat Springs” (now Hooper)?
….

He served a Spanish-speaking mission in Raleigh, North Carolina, so he speaks Spanish with a slight Southern accent (and English with a heavy Hooper, Utah accent).

Areas of research: Twentieth- and twenty-first-century Latter-day Saint history, public perception of Latter-day Saints, trends in recent Mormon historical work, contemporary American religions and interfaith dialogue.

Muskrat Springs is a lovely spot to visit, especially during prickly horsefly season (February through November).

[Everybody Wang Chung]

This is an interesting appointment. I wish I knew more about J.B. Haws.

From what little I have heard, he is definitely not a Two Cumorah Theory fan or a Limited Geography Theory fan either. I do know that he is VERY close to Elder Bednar, and therefore probably off limits to Midgley or DCP's criticism (unless Midgely and DCP want the hammer of Bednar coming down hard on them).

It will be interesting to watch how long the Mopologists remain silent in their disappointment.