''Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship'' (formerly known as "''Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture''") is a nonprofit,

peer-reviewed Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work ( peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer revie ...

, and educational

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...

published by the Interpreter Foundation primarily covering topics related to the canon of scriptures of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...

Mormon studies Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary academic study of the beliefs, practices, history and culture of individuals and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement, a religious movement associated with the Book of Mormon, though not ...

, and Latter-day Saint apologetics. It was established in July 2012 by the Interpreter Foundation with

Daniel C. Peterson Daniel Carl Peterson (born January 15, 1953) is a former professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University (BYU). Background A native of southern California, Peterson receiv ...

as founding

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

. Peterson had previously been the founding editor of the ''

FARMS Review ''Mormon Studies Review'' is an annual academic journal covering Mormon studies published by the University of Illinois Press. Previously, until and including its 2018 issue, the journal was published by Brigham Young University's Neal A. Maxwell ...

'', which in 2011 had been renamed the ''

Mormon Studies Review ''Mormon Studies Review'' is an annual academic journal covering Mormon studies published by the University of Illinois Press. Previously, until and including its 2018 issue, the journal was published by Brigham Young University's Neal A. Maxwell ...

'' (MSR) by the heads of the

Maxwell Institute The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, or Maxwell Institute, is a research institute at Brigham Young University (BYU). Made up of faculty and visiting scholars who study religion (primarily the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- ...

(MI). The ''MSR'' launched soon after Peterson's release from MI without direct apologetics as one of their goals. Peterson believed that direct apologetics was a necessary feature of a publication like the ''MSR'' while others did not. This philosophical difference between Peterson and the editors of the ''MSR'' led to the creation of the Interpreter Foundation, which retained apologetic content. The Interpreter Foundation sponsors debates and discussions. These have included two symposia focused on the relationship between science and

Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationism, Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to vari ...

. The journal publishes historical surveys, responses to critics, book reviews, personal essays, and other scholarly literature, all with the primary goals of increasing understanding of Latter-day Saint scripture and religion as well as defending it. The ''Interpreter'' also sometimes publishes material not directly related to

scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pract ...

Controversy

In 2013, a critical review of ''Mormon Stories'' by Gregory L. Smith was published in ''Interpreter''. In the review, Smith alleges that " Dehlin is frequently uninformed of the often controversial material he discusses with interviewees, and that he promotes views hostile to the foundational beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". The pending publication of the piece catalyzed within the

community a discussion (referred to by some as the ''Dehlin affair'') about the roles of apologetic and non-faith-based scholarship, respectively, within the academic study of Mormonism by Mormons.

References

External links

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About the Interpreter Foundation
( audio podcast interview) {{DEFAULTSORT:Interpreter 2012 establishments in Utah 2012 in Christianity English-language journals Mormon apologetics Mormon studies journals Publications established in 2012

Controversy

See also

References

Further reading

External links