Brief Update

The summer was great, and the opportunity to visit Poland unforgettable. Joe has (as always!) been very busy since then as well. Right now Joe is getting back to taking classes and teaching. He is teaching both Philosophy 101 and World Religions this semester.

One exciting announcement is that Salt Press has released its first two books: one on Alma 32, and one on 2 Nephi 26-27. Joe’s own book, An Other Testament, will be released from Salt Press within the next two months. All books published by Salt Press are available at Amazon.com:

An Experiment on the Word: Reading Alma 32 (link to Amazon)

Reading Nephi Reading Isaiah: Reading 2 Nephi 26-27 (link to Amazon)

(Both books are also available to download for free at saltpress.org.)

Joe recently updated his publications and writing projects pages, so check out those too if you’d like to know what else Joe’s been up to!

Research for the Wheatley Institution at BYU

Joe was awarded a fellowship for a research position at BYU through the Wheatley Institution. He will be working there this summer, then return to UNM this fall.

His research will be directed towards a paper for a conference in Poland! Here is a link for more information regarding the conference:

http://theologyphilosophycentre.co.uk/Krakow2011/

Joe will be joined by several other LDS students and professors at the conference. Note that BYU is even one of the sponsors now:

What is Life?:
Theology, Science, and PhilosophyKraków, Poland
24-28 June 2011

In partnership with: Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology, DePaul University; Pontical University of John Paul II, Kraków; Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Kraków; Evans Chair for Religious Understanding, Brigham Young University; Institute for Faith and Learning, Baylor University; Academia Internacional de Filosofía-Instituto de Filosofía Edith Stein, Granada; Athenaeum Centre for the Social Doctrine of the Church, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano.

Part 2 of the series on Abish

This post looks at Alma 19 itself and compares the queen and the servant Abish. Take a look at:

http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/?p=4799

A series of posts on Abish at FMH

Who’d have thought? Joe has been invited to do a series of posts at a blog called “Feminist Mormon Housewives”! He has prepared a series of posts on Abish in the Book of Mormon.

This grew out of a post he did on Feast Upon the Word about trying to find thoughtful, interesting feminist interpretation of the Book of Mormon.

For the original Feast post, see:

http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2011/03/06/where-are-all-the-feminist-interpreters-of-the-book-of-mormon/

For FMH (Feminist Mormon Housewives) response to the Feast post, see:

http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/?p=3669

For Joe’s introduction at FMH, see:

http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/?p=4659

And for Joe’s first post in the series on Abish, see:

http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/?p=4681

NY conference

Joe presented this past weekend at a conference on the future of religious theory within the discipline of continental philosophy. It was held in Syracuse, NY. He presented on Agamben and Badiou and how they deal with the gift of tongues (as atheists!) He said it was an interesting conference.

He received a travel grant from the University of New Mexico that covered most of his expenses.

Since he was only an hour from Palmyra, Joe stayed an extra day to see church history sites in Palmyra and in Harmony, PA.

He’ll be home in just a few hours!

BYU Studies publication!

Joe had the lead article in the latest issue of BYU studies! It is actually an edited version of the very first paper he presented back in 2008 at MSH. He loved the way it turned out, especially with the painting of Paul teaching. Here is the description on BYU Studies website:

“Volume 50, issue number 1, of BYU Studies begins with a philosophical look at what it means to be Mormon: what is the nature of the faith that binds a very diverse group of members? Joseph Spencer looks at four historical models of discourses that are present in Mormonism. Next is an article…” read the rest at https://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=8665

Journal of Mormon History publication

Joe recently published an article on Parley P. Pratt in the Journal of Mormon History.