Spencer Fluhman Announces Plans to Step Down from the Maxwell Institute

[Doctor Scratch]

An interesting development:

After seven years in the position, Hollie and I have decided that I will step down as Maxwell Institute executive director, effective May 1, 2023. We will always treasure our association with so many remarkable scholars, advisory board members, staff, students, university colleagues, and readers. It has been a profound honor to be associated, however indirectly, with the name and legacy of Elder Neal A. Maxwell. Please accept our gratitude for what has been a rich education and fruitful collaboration. We have felt your love and support. We feel blessed to have known and associated with you all and trust you know how much we love you. You have helped us understand, again, what it means to love God and neighbor with all one’s mind and heart.

His term was fairly quiet, though he did deal with a fair amount of criticism from the Mopologists, who kept insisting that the MI has "abandoned" its mission to do hardcore, attack-driven apologetics. It will be interesting to see who Fluhman's replacement will be.

[Salvete]

Yeah, people retire all the time. Is this really newsworthy?

[Doctor Scratch]

Yeah, people retire all the time. Is this really newsworthy?

Yes, it is—in terms of Mopologetics. The Maxwell Institute was always the Mopologists’ proof that the Church supported their worst impulses on an institutional level. So, when they were booted out, it felt like a massive betrayal to them: hence the endless bellyaching, especially from DCP. Ever since that happened, they have been drumming up every excuse imaginable to disparage the Maxwell Institute, accuse the leadership of ignoring the Brethren’s dictates, of caving in to apostate ideas, and so forth. Fluhman’s departure this marks an important transitional moment: will the MI continue to be a serious, legitimately scholarly organization? Or will it revert back to Mopologetics?

[Gadianton]

What are they saying over at SeN about this?

[Tom]

Yeah, people retire all the time. Is this really newsworthy?

Yes, it is—in terms of Mopologetics. The Maxwell Institute was always the Mopologists’ proof that the Church supported their worst impulses on an institutional level. So, when they were booted out, it felt like a massive betrayal to them: hence the endless bellyaching, especially from DCP. Ever since that happened, they have been drumming up every excuse imaginable to disparage the Maxwell Institute, accuse the leadership of ignoring the Brethren’s dictates, of caving in to apostate ideas, and so forth. Fluhman’s departure this marks an important transitional moment: will the MI continue to be a serious, legitimately scholarly organization? Or will it revert back to Mopologetics?

Yes. I would add that Dr. Midgley posted up a storm about the "severe Apostolic scolding" that Elder Holland delivered to the Maxwell Institute's executive director (Fluhman) and other employees in November 2018 and the supposed fallout of that scolding. Dr. Fluhman was appointed executive director in 2016 and reappointed in 2021, so it seems that he survived the scolding. But his resignation may signal changes.

[Tom]

What are they saying over at SeN about this?

The proprietor hasn't read Dr. Scratch's post yet, so nothing thus far.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

Will Brother Fluhman get a festschrift?

- Doc

[Doctor Scratch]

Yes, it is—in terms of Mopologetics. The Maxwell Institute was always the Mopologists’ proof that the Church supported their worst impulses on an institutional level. So, when they were booted out, it felt like a massive betrayal to them: hence the endless bellyaching, especially from DCP. Ever since that happened, they have been drumming up every excuse imaginable to disparage the Maxwell Institute, accuse the leadership of ignoring the Brethren’s dictates, of caving in to apostate ideas, and so forth. Fluhman’s departure this marks an important transitional moment: will the MI continue to be a serious, legitimately scholarly organization? Or will it revert back to Mopologetics?

Yes. I would add that Dr. Midgley posted up a storm about the "severe Apostolic scolding" that Elder Holland delivered to the Maxwell Institute's executive director (Fluhman) and other employees in November 2018 and the supposed fallout of that scolding. Dr. Fluhman was appointed executive director in 2016 and reappointed in 2021, so it seems that he survived the scolding.

Indeed. So who will the new director be? If it’s not somebody who’s friendly to the Mopologists, then you sort of have to see that as a subtle form of rebuke. Even worse than a “scolding,” I daresay, is being utterly ignored and effectively dumped overboard.

[IHAQ]

Who makes the decision on his replacement?

[dastardly stem]

Who makes the decision on his replacement?

If it were up to me, I'd stuff DCP into the vacancy. They've basically been pulling taffy since 2012.