Comments on: The *Top* Books in Mormon History/Studies http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:20:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Juvenile Instructor » The LDS History Canon; Or, a Mormon Comps List http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-102721 Juvenile Instructor » The LDS History Canon; Or, a Mormon Comps List Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:41:45 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-102721 [...] for Mormon history. The bloggernacle has had no shortage of these types of posts (see most recently here, but also here), but I hope we can build on those past threads and try to come up with an actual [...] [...] for Mormon history. The bloggernacle has had no shortage of these types of posts (see most recently here, but also here), but I hope we can build on those past threads and try to come up with an actual [...]

]]> By: Ask Mormon Girl http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-69109 Ask Mormon Girl Mon, 10 May 2010 07:36:23 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-69109 [...] readers will offer additional suggestions in the comments section, or you might check out helpful recommendations compiled by the Mormon historians who blog at the Juvenile [...] [...] readers will offer additional suggestions in the comments section, or you might check out helpful recommendations compiled by the Mormon historians who blog at the Juvenile [...]

]]> By: Juvenile Instructor » Revisiting: Mormonism in Transition: a history of the Latter-day Saints, 1890-1930 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-39135 Juvenile Instructor » Revisiting: Mormonism in Transition: a history of the Latter-day Saints, 1890-1930 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:47:12 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-39135 [...] It’s worth noting that Mormonism in Transition came in third in the recent JI poll of the “Top Books in Mormon History/Studies.” Is it because Mormon historians (most of whom are Mormon) find that such an approach helps make [...] [...] It’s worth noting that Mormonism in Transition came in third in the recent JI poll of the “Top Books in Mormon History/Studies.” Is it because Mormon historians (most of whom are Mormon) find that such an approach helps make [...]

]]> By: David G. http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-32004 David G. Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:05:06 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-32004 Agreed with Christopher re: edited compilations and doc editions. It's not denying that they're top notch, but they're really not in the same category as monographs. Agreed with Christopher re: edited compilations and doc editions. It’s not denying that they’re top notch, but they’re really not in the same category as monographs.

]]> By: Clark http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-32001 Clark Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:39:43 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-32001 Good call Christopher. That really is an excellent book: both in terms of content and style. Good call Christopher. That really is an excellent book: both in terms of content and style.

]]> By: Christopher http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-31997 Christopher Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:11:41 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-31997 Kaimi, I can't speak for others (though their own answers do seem to indicate that they may agree), but I didn't bother considering edited and compiled volumes of essays. Its the same reason I didn't include the first volume of the JSP. I limited my list to monographs. Also, on an unrelated note, I find it a bit surprising that Underwood's <em>Millenarian World of Early Mormonism</em> did not receive even one vote. Kaimi, I can’t speak for others (though their own answers do seem to indicate that they may agree), but I didn’t bother considering edited and compiled volumes of essays. Its the same reason I didn’t include the first volume of the JSP. I limited my list to monographs.

Also, on an unrelated note, I find it a bit surprising that Underwood’s Millenarian World of Early Mormonism did not receive even one vote.

]]> By: Kaimi http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-31996 Kaimi Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:58:56 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-31996 Another quirky thing about the list: Angel and the Beehive got 5 votes. (And it's good.) But Cornwall's _Contemporary Mormonism: Social Science Perspectives_ didn't get mentioned once. And Cornwall's volume has Armand's own cliff-notes version of Angel and the Beehive. Basically the thesis about assimilation, without all of the history and charts of the full book. If you're really after the theory of A&theB, the shorter essay in Cornwall's volume has a really big chunk of his theoretical frame. Plus, it has a nice Shipps essay and some essays about Blacks and about women in the church. I love A&theB, but if I'm making a desert island list of my own, there is no way that I'd put it above Cornwall. Because, at least for this non-sociologist, Cornwall's collection gives me Mauss's thesis in a good-enough version, plus a lot of other fun stuff. (But then, I'm not a sociologist. Maybe if I were, I'd find all the charts from A&theB really indispensible. :) ) Another quirky thing about the list:

Angel and the Beehive got 5 votes. (And it’s good.)

But Cornwall’s _Contemporary Mormonism: Social Science Perspectives_ didn’t get mentioned once.

And Cornwall’s volume has Armand’s own cliff-notes version of Angel and the Beehive. Basically the thesis about assimilation, without all of the history and charts of the full book. If you’re really after the theory of A&theB, the shorter essay in Cornwall’s volume has a really big chunk of his theoretical frame.

Plus, it has a nice Shipps essay and some essays about Blacks and about women in the church.

I love A&theB, but if I’m making a desert island list of my own, there is no way that I’d put it above Cornwall. Because, at least for this non-sociologist, Cornwall’s collection gives me Mauss’s thesis in a good-enough version, plus a lot of other fun stuff.

(But then, I’m not a sociologist. Maybe if I were, I’d find all the charts from A&theB really indispensible. :) )

]]> By: smb http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-31986 smb Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:35:22 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-31986 My problem with Quinn is that his work became dated incredibly rapidly because it never really seemed like actual scholarship to me. It reads like annotated bibliography with a bit o' sparring with BYU old guard thrown in. Even on magic Alan Taylor and Jon Butler were more interesting from the get go. This may just be my way of expressing what mb noted, that the new generation has moved on. I didn't vote for O'Dea because I'm not big on sociology, just a personal bias of mine that I confess is not entirely reasonable. And I stick by my guns with Leigh Eric Schmidt's Hearing Things. It is better written than anything else on the list, and in terms of sorting out what JSJ and others were trying to do (more than just reading them as millennial primitivists, which is true but somewhat less illuminating), I can't think of anything that has struck me as equally insightful. After reading that book I despaired of being able to produce anything so insightful and powerfully written. My problem with Quinn is that his work became dated incredibly rapidly because it never really seemed like actual scholarship to me. It reads like annotated bibliography with a bit o’ sparring with BYU old guard thrown in. Even on magic Alan Taylor and Jon Butler were more interesting from the get go. This may just be my way of expressing what mb noted, that the new generation has moved on.

I didn’t vote for O’Dea because I’m not big on sociology, just a personal bias of mine that I confess is not entirely reasonable. And I stick by my guns with Leigh Eric Schmidt’s Hearing Things. It is better written than anything else on the list, and in terms of sorting out what JSJ and others were trying to do (more than just reading them as millennial primitivists, which is true but somewhat less illuminating), I can’t think of anything that has struck me as equally insightful. After reading that book I despaired of being able to produce anything so insightful and powerfully written.

]]> By: Brett D. http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-31969 Brett D. Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:44:42 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-31969 I have to agree with the comment about O'Dea's The Mormons. Any book that is so groundbreaking that it has another book published about it fifty years later deserves to be on that list. I also agree with Christopher that there should have been more mention of Mormon gender history--insufficient though it presently is. I have to agree with the comment about O’Dea’s The Mormons. Any book that is so groundbreaking that it has another book published about it fifty years later deserves to be on that list. I also agree with Christopher that there should have been more mention of Mormon gender history–insufficient though it presently is.

]]> By: David G. http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/the-top-books-in-mormon-historystudies/comment-page-1/#comment-31909 David G. Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:14:01 +0000 http://www.juvenileinstructor.org/?p=741#comment-31909 LOL! I completely skimmed over the "orapple" portion of Chris's comment the first time I read it. Hilarious! LOL! I completely skimmed over the “orapple” portion of Chris’s comment the first time I read it. Hilarious!

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