Q.30 Do you believe in God or a universal spirit?
IF BELIEVE IN GOD/UNIVERSAL SPIRIT (Q.30=1), ASK:
Q.32 Which comes closest to your view of God? God is a person with whom people can have a relationship or God is an impersonal force?

So, most Mormons (and evangelicals) were probably thinking of your first option.

You make an excellent point, though I would point out that many publishers would snatch up work by Bushman, Givens, etc. But I think you are absolutely correct that there would be an inherent suspicion of Mormon history done by Mormons, much more than of evangelical history done by evangelicals.

When I was approaching publishers about my Campus Crusade for Christ history, one asked me “Are you one of them?” I took that to mean with the organization, so I said no. Yes obviously would have been disqualifying. Nobody asked if I was an evangelical Christian.

Here’s another advantage for evangelicals. As long as one’s not specifically addressing one’s current denomination’s recent history or the like, there’s also no church reaction to worry about. My gut tells me that as much as things have changed, perhaps that’s another good reason to avoid an explicitly Mormon topic.

How dare you try and undermine the Mormon persecution/discrimination complex! That’s deep water to tread around a Mormon blog. I’m just warning you. Even if you’re right that white, male evangelicals are as discriminated against, as least you all form a sizable minority. We’re still a relatively small group without much of a collective voice.

I think the verdict is still out on how interested publishers are in Mormon topics. It appears that they’re very interested in work on Mormonism done by those outide the faith (see Shipps, Gordon, Brooks, hopefully you, etc.), but perhaps not as much in work done by those within the faith. It is interesting to note that most of the students in attendance at our little get-together the other night either are or plan to avoid an explicitly Mormon topic for their dissertation. Many of us have been dissuaded from doing a Mormon topic by mentors and/or the fear of pidgeon-holing one’s self as a inward-looking Mormon historian, incapable of addressing larger issues in the historical and/or religious realm.

It’s hard for me to believe that white, male Mormons would be at a disadvantage vis-a-vis white, male evangelicals. At least most everyone finds Mormonism and Mormons interesting, whereas evangelicalism is regarded as truly threatening by secular academia and evangelicals are regarded as at best a nuisance. Basically, I’m lightheartedly trying to suggest I’m more discriminated against than most of you.

I agree with Mason, at least in the long run. Do good work, publish whenever possible, and the chances of long-run success climb. Academia becomes slightly more meritorious the longer one sticks around, and publishers are VERY interested in Mormon topics, so that’s a positive.

Hee hee. There are! I’ve even met a few.