Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In 2006, the BYU Board of Trustees renamed the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (ISPART) the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. A variety of academic initiatives have been brought under its umbrella. Executive directors have included Andrew C. Skinner (2006-2008) and M. Gerald Bradford (2008- ).

Variant names

Maxwell Institute

Description

Established: 2006

Location: Provo, Utah (2006- )

Functions

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship exists to describe and defend the Restoration through highest quality scholarship, provide critically edited, primary resources (ancient religious texts) to scholars and lay persons around the world, build bridges of understanding and goodwill to Muslim scholars by providing superior editions of primary texts, and provide an anchor of faith in a sea of LDS Studies.

Assets and Administrative Structure

The Maxwell Institute is an organized research unit on the Provo, Utah, campus. Its scholars (research fellows) focus their study on a select number of sacred and religious texts and the traditions within which they are situated. Under the direction of an executive director, who acts in the same capacity as a dean of an academic department, the scholars oversee the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (CPART), the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI), the Research Technology Group (RTG), BYU Studies, and the Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies. Each division functions under the direction of a director with the whole Institute functioning under the direction of an executive director.

Associated Units

Superior unit: Brigham Young University (2006-)

Earlier unit: Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (2006)

Subordinate unit: Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (2006-)

Subordinate unit: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (2006-2010)

Subordinate unit: Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (2006-)

Subordinate unit: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. Research Technology Group (2006-)

Subordinate unit: BYU Studies (2006-)

Subordinate unit: Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies (2007-)

Sources

Brigham Young University, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, via WWW, April 9, 2010 (In 2006, the BYU Board of Trustees renamed the Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (ISPART) the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. M. Gerald Bradford serves as the executive director of the institute;The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship exists to describe and defend the Restoration through highest quality scholarship, provide critically edited, primary resources (ancient religious texts) to scholars and lay persons around the world, build bridges of understanding and goodwill to Muslim scholars by providing superior editions of primary texts, and provide an anchor of faith in a sea of LDS Studies;The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship is the administering body for the Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (CPART), the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative (METI), the Research Technology Group (RTG), and BYU Studies. Each division functions under the direction of a director with the whole Institute functioning under the direction of an executive director. The executive director acts in the same capacity as a Dean of an academic department) http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/

Interview with Annette Samuelsen, Circulation Specialist for BYU Studies, 9 April 2010 (In 2006, BYU Studies became part of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship with M. Gerald Bradford functioning as Executive Director; The executive director acts in the same capacity as a Dean of an academic department.)

Brigham Young University, New Release, via WWW, April 12, 2010 (M. Gerald Bradford has served as the executive director of the institute since 2008. Prior to Bradford, Andrew C. Skinner served as the executive director) http://news.byu.edu/archive08-Jun-bradford.aspx

Maintenance Information

Record ID: EAC-2010-00051

Creator: CEP