Our One-Day MSSA conference is being revived after several years of pandemic-related hiatus, and we are delighted that Dr. Nancy Ross of Utah Tech University, has agreed to coordinate the event. Rather than having competing breakout sessions, we will all be meeting in the same room, with plenty of time for discussion.
Congratulations to C. William Campbell, winner of the 2021 Gordon and Gary Shepherd Graduate Student Paper Award. This annual competition supports and promotes student research in the social scientific study of Mormon life. The winning paper, “There are never too many miles to travel”: A Case for LDS Temple Attendance as Pilgrimage, was recognized for its excellence and contributions to the field of Mormon Studies. C. William Campbell is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Victoria.
Read the abstract:
The existing scholarly literature that examines pilgrimage practices amongst members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is limited to pilgrimage to historical sites and Salt Lake City’s Temple Square. Otherwise, the literature states that pilgrimage is not an important aspect of LDS practice. This essay challenges this, arguing that pilgrimage is an integral aspect of regular LDS practice manifest in the form of temple attendance. I draw on official rhetoric, lay understanding, and scripture to make the case that LDS temple attendance constitutes pilgrimage. Furthermore, I draw attention to the way the conceptual tool of pilgrimage can direct the attention of social sciences to the ways Latter-day Saints move across religious landscapes and the impact of those movements.
About the award:
The Gordon and Gary Shepherd Graduate Student Paper Award recognizes and supports the work of graduate students who are doing significant social scientific research in Mormon Studies. It also encourages their active participation in the Mormon Social Science Association (MSSA).
Eligibility and Submission Requirements
To be eligible for the award, individuals must be enrolled as graduate students in a master’s or doctoral program at a certified public or private college or university.
Student papers must address a topic relevant to the scholarly understanding of Mormon life, including either the social, cultural, or religious dimensions of Mormonism. Learn more at mormonsocialscience.org.
In lieu of our 2020 conference, which was cancelled because of the COVID pandemic, the Mormon Social Science Association will conduct a virtual business meeting via Zoom, Saturday, October 24 at 1:00 PM, EST. Following the business meeting, a tribute session hosted by Jana Riess will convene to honor the professional lives and legacies of Armand Mauss and Kendall White, both of whom were former MSSA presidents. Tribute speakers will be Gary and Gordon Shepherd, Daryl White, and David Knowlton. All MSSA members and other interested parties are encouraged to join with us virtually by clicking on the link below. We anticipate the tribute session will run from 2:15 to 3:30 PM, EST. Any Questions concerning these two events may be directed to Jana Riess (flunkingsainthood@gmail.com) or Gordon Shepherd (gordons@uca.edu).
Armand L. Mauss, MSSA pioneer, patron, and mentor, passed away at his home in Irvine, California August 1, 2020, concluding a long struggle with cancer at age 92. The immediate cause of his death was heart failure. Armand placed himself in home hospice care just a little over a year ago and survived far longer than initial expectations. His yearlong vigil was blessed with an absence of pain and retention of a clear mind. He communicated regularly with family, friends, and colleagues through phone calls, emails, and letters, and he welcomed visitors to his Irvine condo. During this time Armand maintained a typically detached and pragmatic view of himself and his circumstances. He confronted his dying with equanimity and, although certainly not a conventional believer, did fondly anticipate reuniting with his beloved Ruth, who had passed away a few months prior to Armand’s own entry into hospice care.
Perhaps Armand’s greatest satisfaction during his final year of life derived from his capacity to continue fully engaging in multiple conversations with others. He stayed current on events religious and political; dispensed sage advice and spot-on suggestions to colleagues working on a wide range of scholarly projects that interested him; and offered assessments of his personal involvements and encounters with significant people and events over his lifetime that were fascinating and insightful without lapsing into self-aggrandizement.
Most MSSA members are well aware of Armand’s many signal accomplishments and contributions. In subsequent days, a number of eulogistic accounts of his life and work will no doubt appear in newspapers, social media, and various scholarly venues. Our own on-line virtual MSSA conference proceedings in late October will include an Armand Mauss in memoriam session. For those who would like to see immediate summaries of some of Armand’s contributions, we offer below Gary Shepherd’s assessment of Armand’s specific contributions to Mormon Studies at the 2002 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) meetings and Gordon Shepherd’s review of Armand’s 2012 autobiography, Shifting Borders and a Tattered Passport: Intellectual Journeys of a Mormon Academic.
The Journal of the Mormon Social Science Association (JMSSA) is accepting submissions for our inaugural issue in 2021. Papers accepted for the inaugural issue will receive a $500 honorarium. To be considered for the inaugural issue, the initial submission must be received no later than March 1, 2021. JMSSA is a peer-reviewed academic journal sponsored by the Mormon Social Science Association. Founded in 1979, the MSSA is an interdisciplinary scholarly society promoting the study of social life within the Latter Day Saint movement.
Aims and Scope
The Journal of the Mormon Social Science Association publishes original research, synthetic reviews, and theoretical or methodological essays on topics relevant to the Latter Day Saint movement from a social science perspective. We welcome papers from all social science disciplines, as well as work in other disciplines with a social science approach. We encourage submissions from students, junior scholars, and underrepresented voices in Mormon Studies. The journal is atheological and nonpolemical. The journal does not consider previously published work except by invitation. The journal does not consider papers simultaneously submitted elsewhere for review.
Submissions
Journal of the Mormon Social Science Association accepts papers of any length, including research notes. All submissions are screened by the editor or editorial board to determine their suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are forwarded for peer-review. Subsequent to peer-review, papers may be rejected, returned for revision, or accepted for publication.
The journal conforms to the “author-date” citation system outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (Chapter 15). All submissions must be accompanied by an abstract not to exceed 250 words. Abstracts should state the research question(s), identify basic methods, and summarize main findings. Footnotes should be used for essential clarification only, and not for excurses.
Send submissions in MS Word format to: benjamin.knoll@centre.edu For more information, contact Rick Phillips, rick.phillips@unf.edu
October 23-25, 2020 | Westin Convention Center | Pittsburgh, PA
The Mormon Social Science Association (MSSA) invites proposals for individual papers, panels or author meets critics sessions for the 2020 annual conference, held conjointly with the meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association (SSSR). We invite contributions on all topics relevant to the social scientific study of Mormonism, with special interest in those featuring multiculturalism, gender/sexuality, post-colonialism, generational change, and questions of disaffiliation/retention. Proposals should include a paper/panel title, a 250-word abstract, and the names, contact information, and institutional affiliation of all participants.
Submissions Open: January 10, 2020 Submissions Close: April 20, 2020 Decision Notification: April 30, 2020
As an interdisciplinary and international association, the MSSA promotes the social scientific study of Mormonism and facilitates communication and collaboration among researchers, educators and students. Membership is open to all. We sponsor scholarly conferences, publications, panel discussions, paper sessions, and the biennial Glenn M. Vernon Lecture. Join us today.
The Mormon Social Science Association (MSSA) invites individual papers for our 5th Annual One-Day Conference 2020. We invite contributions on all topics relevant to the social scientific study of Mormonism, with special interest in those featuring:
gender/sexuality
multiculturalism
globalism
disaffiliation/retention
concerns
Proposals should include a paper title, a 250-word abstract, and the
names, contact information, and institutional affiliation of all authors.
Submissions Open: November 15, 2019
Submissions Close: February 15, 2020
Decision Notification: March 1, 2020
The Mormon
Social Science Association (MSSA) promotes the social scientific study of
study of Mormonism. The MSSA is
interdisciplinary and international, and facilitates communication and
collaboration among researchers, educators, and students. Membership is open
to all. Our annual meeting is held conjointly with the Society for the
Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR).
Pulling toward Zion: Mormonism in its Global Dimensions
Laurie Maffly-Kipp is the Archer Alexander Distinguished Professor at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics. She also serves as the Director of the Religious Studies program at Washington University in St. Louis.
The Mormon Social Science Association (MSSA) invites proposals for individual papers, panels or author meets critics sessions for the 2019 annual conference, held conjointly with the meetings of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association (SSSR/RRA). We invite contributions on all topics relevant to the social scientific study of Mormonism, with special interest in those featuring multiculturalism, gender/sexuality, post-colonialism, and questions of disaffiliation/retention. Proposals should include a paper/panel title, a 250-word abstract, and the names, contact information, and institutional affiliation of all participants.
Submissions Open: January 25, 2019 Submissions Close: March 20, 2019 Decision Notification: April 30, 2018
Please submit proposals to Gordon Shepherd at: gordons@uca.edu
2019 MSSA KEYNOTE ADDRESS | We are delighted to announce that Dr. Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp, Archer Alexander Distinguished Professor at the John C. Danforth Center for Religion and Politics, will deliver the 2019 Vernon Lecture at the upcoming Annual Meeting in Saint Louis.
As an interdisciplinary and international association, the MSSA promotes the social scientific study of study of Mormonism and facilitates communication and collaboration among researchers, educators and students. Membership is open to all. We sponsor scholarly conferences, publications, panel discussions, paper sessions, and the biennial Glenn M. Vernon Lecture. Join us today. #MormonStudies
