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This afternoon I returned home after several wonderful days of mild San Diego weather and the AAR (American Academy of Religion)/ SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) Meeting. I attended to meet with a group of scholars who are trying to reframe the discussion of religions of the Roman Empire such that they are all on relatively equal footing and not simply "background" or "context" for Judaism and Christianity. Good luck to us, and I am determined to do what I can to make that happen.

Anyway, to switch over to what the rest of you may be more interested in--I spent some time at the Signature Books booth chatting with Tom Kimball and Robert Price (the New Testament scholar) and had a wonderful time. Toward the end of my time at the booth, Dan Wotherspoon of Sunstone spelled Tom while he went off to get some lunch. I went partly to pitch a book idea to Tom, and he was (I think understandably) skeptical, seeing as I am somewhat of an unknown quantity in the LDS microcosm. He recommended I go to Sunstone to present and get feedback first. Unfortunately, the timing of the meetings is crummy for me. Such is life.

Tom and Bob did invite me to drop by for Bob's book party. Bob has published his own translation of an expanded New Testament with Signature, and I love it. He has dropped canon altogether and sticks everything plus the kitchen sink in there, as I think one must do to get a sense of the complexity of the world of Christianities (if that word even applies any more) in the first centuries CE. Unfortunately, I did not have my copy with me for Bob to sign. I did drop by the party and had a fantastic time. Bob was talking with one of his friends about Tolkien, and I pushed the conversation into the area of Lovecraft, which is a subject Bob has published on. In addition to enjoying Bob's great sense of humor and extensive knowledge, the wine was decent too.

I also got a chance to talk with Ron Huggins, a member of the faculty at the Salt Lake Theological Seminary who has written on the subject of Joseph Smith's interest in Captain Kidd. Ron was a veritable font of information. We had a great time talking about him crossing swords on occasion with apologists, about modalism in the Book of Mormon, LDS splinter groups, etc. I could have talked with him all night, but I had to get up at 4 am to get ready to catch my plane home. We did run into Boyd Peterson on the way back to the hotel, but really only to get introduced and that is all.

Didn't see too many of the BYU gang, unfortunately. I did run into an old friend who works for the Neal Maxwell Institute, but he is not involved in apologetics, FARMS Reviews, and the stuff that gets my dander up. This guy is instead simply a scholar and a gentleman. I look forward to seeing him again when I visit Salt Lake City in the spring (crossing my fingers). If I had attended the Mormon Theology and Philosophy session, or the book party for the new Musser and Paulsen volume on LDS interactions with contemporary Christian theology, then I might have seen more of the BYU gang.

I did note that they were having a session on Mormons and the Bible, which would have been fun to see if I had not had to leave. Just seeing Margaret Barker alone would have made it worthwhile. Hopefully someone else who visits here now and then, like David Bokovoy, might have attended so we can get a report of that. I am basically only good for information on the fringers. The last time I attended--in San Antonio--I actually went to the BYU party and chatted with Welch and Gee, but that was a lifetime ago.

So what was your association with Dialogue and/or Sunstone? Or is that too personal?

Ray A wrote:So what was your association with Dialogue and/or Sunstone? Or is that too personal?

I am not sure what you are asking. Are you asking whether I am formally associated with either publication/foundation in any way?

Would you clarify?

Trevor wrote:I am not sure what you are asking. Are you asking whether I am formally associated with either publication/foundation in any way?

Would you clarify?

Yes.

What I'd like to know is whether you are/were associated with either, whether you have been published in either, and whether you were, for example, on the Sunstone or Dialogue board of directors, or even associated as an editor or sub-editor.

You don't have to answer any of this if you think it's too personal. Alternatively, you could PM me. I'm curious simply because I've been reading both publications since 1985, and I know, by name anyway, most of those associated with these publications.

Ray A wrote:Yes.

What I'd like to know is whether you are/were associated with either, whether you have been published in either, and whether you were, for example, on the Sunstone or Dialogue board of directors, or even associated as an editor or sub-editor.

You don't have to answer any of this if you think it's too personal. Alternatively, you could PM me. I'm curious simply because I've been reading both publications since 1985, and I know, by name anyway, most of those associated with these publications.

Nope. Never been formally associated with either organization. I do have relatives who have been pretty closely associated with it, friends too, but I have never been formally associated with either publication except in the capacity of subscriber and donor. Nor am I formally associated with Signature Books. I am simply a scholar who happened to be attending the AAR/SBL meeting for other purposes who dropped in on these guys for the halibut.

Trevor wrote:Nope. Never been formally associated with either organization. I do have relatives who have been pretty closely associated with it, friends too, but I have never been formally associated with either publication except in the capacity of subscriber and donor. Nor am I formally associated with Signature Books. I am simply a scholar who happened to be attending the AAR/SBL meeting for other purposes who dropped in on these guys for the halibut.

Thanks for the clarification. I had a very long, but sporadic, correspondence with Eugene England, who was one of the founders of Dialogue, and on a lesser level, with Lavinia Fielding Anderson. That's what sparked my interest.

Ray A wrote:Thanks for the clarification. I had a very long, but sporadic, correspondence with Eugene England, who was one of the founders of Dialogue, and on a lesser level, with Lavinia Fielding Anderson. That's what sparked my interest.

Well, I did say I was somewhat of an unknown quantity in the LDS microcosm, but I have no problem expanding on how that is true.

Trevor wrote:
Well, I did say I was somewhat of an unknown quantity in the LDS microcosm, but I have no problem expanding on how that is true.

Be my guest.

Ray A wrote:Be my guest.

Er, uh... I thought that is what I had done above. S'all I was saying.

I would love to go to a conference like that, sounds like it was alot of fun.