Sociologist and Mormon scholar Armand Mauss says that as a relatively new religious movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has followed a developmental trajectory similar to many other such movements. In the next few years, however, as the church enters its third century it is likely to face many new and unprecedented challenges. Mauss will consider how the church and its members might cope with these challenges, including the definition of gender in church life, and navigating issues of faith vs. doubt, in a lecture, “Mormonism’s Third Century: Coping with the Contingencies,” sponsored by USU’s Religious Studies Program this afternoon at 4:00 in Old Main 121 on the Utah State University campus.
Armand Mauss began his post-doctoral career at USU as a sociology professor and is professor emeritus of sociology and religious studies at Washington State University.
Mauss is the former editor of The Journal for Scientific Study of Religion and served for more than 30 years on the editorial board and board of directors of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the major scholarly journal in Mormon studies independent of church auspices. He has also served as president of the Mormon History Association.
Mauss is the author of several books, including “All Abraham’s Children,” an analysis of Mormonism’s evolving and conflicted perspectives on race and lineages. His most recent book, “Shifting Borders and a Tattered Passport: Intellectual Journeys of a Mormon Academic,” offers a penetrating look at Mormonism and the issues navigated by those who study it.
