LOGAN
— The academic study of religion has been a long time coming in the
Beehive State, but the religious studies program at Utah State
University is now home to its own scholarly journal on the topic —
founded not by professors, but by students.
The first issue of the Intermountain West Journal of Religious
Studies became available online last fall, offering undergrads and
graduate students pursuing the academic study of religion a place not
only to publish, but to have their work reviewed by a diverse group of
religious scholars.
Though the move may seem benign to those outside the discipline,
it's a testament to the determination of students — and faculty — who
are excited to view religion beyond the lens of their own faith
tradition.
As a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Christopher Blythe is so comfortable with his own Mormon faith — and with all
others — that he's gone beyond simply taking classes in comparative
religion. He and co-editor Jay Burton, also a Latter-day Saint, started
the journal with help from Charles Prebish, a Buddhist scholar who
oversees the school's religious studies program.
Prebish was the perfect mentor, Blythe said, because he started an
online academic journal in 1994 with a colleague at the University of
London: The Journal of Buddhist Ethics.
"People laughed at us and said no one would be interested," Prebish
recalls. "Now, 15 years later, it's become the prototype of
peer-reviewed online journals in religious studies. We've held three
online conferences," with scholarly participants from dozens of nations.
Prebish is delighted with the new journal and the editorial review
board that Blythe and Burton were able to assemble, despite Utah's
reputation as being somewhat averse to the academic study of religion.
"I think it's the first student-run religious studies journal in the
country."
Prebish said the journal's "design, logic and rationale is very
clear cut to people who would read and or consider submitting. I think
they've done a really professional job. As they gain more experience
doing it, things will get even better." Faculty members have created an
editorial internship within the religious studies program to perpetuate
its publication once the founders graduate and move on, he said. "It's
building itself into an ongoing presence."
A
program in religious studies had been discussed for at least two
decades within Utah academic circles, but until Prebish arrived at USU
three years ago to head up the program in Logan, the idea had only been
manifest in fits and starts, in part due to political forces concerned
about potential anti-Mormon sentiment.
The University of Utah also began offering a minor in religious
studies last year, following similar moves by Utah Valley University
and Westminster College.
Blythe, now a graduate student who has presented scholarly papers on
Mormonism at some academic conferences, said he came to USU after
earning a degree in anthropology at Texas A&M when he heard about
the school's plan to hire Philip Barlow, who holds the school's
Arrington Chair of Mormon history and culture.
As a transplant, and an LDS convert at age 14, Blythe has learned
that Logan's cultural environment makes "looking at religion the way we
do frightening to some people." But he believes "Mormonism has come to
a point where our church historian comes out and says there's nothing
to fear, and we can look at history academically. When I became LDS, I
went through a phase where I was scared of some things in high school.
Any time you're looking — especially when you're looking at lots of
religions — if you believe your faith is the true faith with exclusive
revelation from God, it's scary to see that other people claim that and
also have real spiritual experiences."
As he's studied, Blythe said he's come to the point where he knows
"there is a God and he has a relationship with many people — I like
that. It's a good thing. God is not prejudiced."
Prebish lauded Blythe's potential to have a real future impact as an
academic in religious studies, saying he's "an interesting case. He was
raised in Virginia in an Episcopal family, converted to the LDS Church,
served a mission and is absolutely open-minded about what he does.
"He represents the very best of what the church can do, and he has
an expansive thirst for learning. His has a very powerful personal
faith commitment, but that doesn't cloud his objectivity in being able
to be a real serious religious studies scholar."
Blythe said he and Burton did meet with some skepticism when they
began contacting religious studies scholars outside Utah to join the
journal's review board. "We got back only 25 percent of the e-mails we
sent out. This is something that hasn't been done the way we're doing
it ... and we met plenty of people that thought 'these kids are never
going to do it.'
"But those that did sign up are truly experts in their field from
throughout the U.S. I think it's amazing they would be willing to help
a new program start a project like this."
As a Latter-day Saint, Blythe is proud of the fact that "we treat
Mormonism equally with any world religion," noting members of the
review board represent various faith traditions in their expertise. "We
take Mormonism more seriously than many programs would, but it's
definitely not the sole focus."
At this point, the journal has received nearly 100 manuscript
submissions from universities as diverse as Berkeley, Claremont,
Duquesne, Edinburgh, Naropa, and the University of Utah. See the
journal online — digitalcommons.usu.edu/imwjournal/
— with papers in its inaugural issue on a variety of topics including
commentary on the Utah War, gnosticism and valentinianism, conversion
to Islam in the U.S., marriage and divorce in Islamic and Mormon
polygamy, and Joseph Smith's revision of two revelations.
E-mail: carrie@desnews.com