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WORK TITLE: Mormonism: A Guide for the Perplexed
WORK NOTES: with Robert L. Millet
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Orem
STATE: UT
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://religion.byu.edu/shon_hopkin * https://rsc.byu.edu/authors/hopkin-shon-d * https://www.linkedin.com/in/shon-hopkin-49ba218/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Denton, TX; son of Arden Hopkin (teacher) and Lorraine Hopkin; married; wife’s name Jennifer; children: four.
EDUCATION:Brigham Young University, B.A., M.A.; University of Texas at Austin, Ph.D.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Teacher and writer. Timpview High School, teacher, 1997-2001; Provo High School, 2001-05; Austin Institute, 2006-11; Brigham Young University, assistant professor of religious education; University of Texas Interfaith Council, president.
RELIGION: Mormon.WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Born in Denton, Texas, and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and Orem, Utah, Shon D. Hopkin is assistant professor of religious education at Brigham Young University. He writes about his faith in his Mormonism: A Guide for the Perplexed. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Brigham Young University with concentrations on Near East studies and the Hebrew Bible, and a Ph.D. in Medieval Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish literature from the University of Texas at Austin. Hopkin is a seminary high school teacher who taught at Timpview High School, Provo High School, and Austin Institute.
Hopkin has taught the Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, Isaiah, and Pearl of Great Price. He has also published and presented papers on the Jewish concept of a premortal life and the Jewish longing for Zion, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Psalm 22, ordinance and ritual in the law of Moses and in the book of Isaiah, and the connections between Jewish and Mormon beliefs and viewpoints. Hopkin also has a strong interest in interfaith outreach, and he was president of the University of Texas Interfaith Council.
In 2015 Hopkin published Mormonism with collaborator Robert L. Millet, coordinator of religious outreach and Abraham O. Smoot professor emeritus of religious education at Brigham Young University. The book is part of the “Guide for the Perplexed” series by Bloomsbury Academic, which provides concise and accessible introductions to world religions that some readers may find challenging or bewildering. Mormonism is an introduction to the central facets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and presents a guide for those who want an understanding of the religion. The authors also discuss the growth of Mormonism to more than fifteen million practitioners worldwide, and how some church leaders and theologians debate whether Mormonism is a valid part of Christianity. Because Mormonism is sometimes confusing and misunderstood by outsiders, the authors offer clarification.
The authors explain Mormonism as a distinct form of Christianity. In twenty thematic chapters, they describe historical concepts, the revelations of founder Joseph Smith, basic tenets and practices of Mormonism, the early years of Mormonism and modern Mormonism, insight into Mormon life, the concept of heaven, the church’s ideas about revelation, and things that are to come. Writing in Choice, reviewer M.A. Granquist observed that the authors are insiders, so they are in a position to explain this religious movement and noted how “the book stresses commonalities between the LDS and Christianity rather than differences.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Choice, June, 2016, M.A. Granquist, review of Mormonism: A Guide for the Perplexed, p. 1488.
ONLINE
Brigham Young University, Department of Religious Education Web site, https://religion.byu.edu/ (May 16, 2017), author faculty profile.
Shon D. Hopkin
sdh7's picture
Department: Ancient Scripture
Title: Assistant Professor
Office: 316L JSB
Phone number: (801) 422-2445
Contact: Send message
Born: Denton, TX
Raised: Ft. Worth, TX and Orem, UT; Attended Southwest High School in Ft. Worth and graduated from Orem High
Bachelor’s Degree: Brigham Young University in Near Eastern Studies, focus on Hebrew Bible
Master’s Degree: Brigham Young University in Near Eastern Studies, focus on Hebrew Bible
PhD: University of Texas at Austin in Hebrew Studies – Focus on Medieval Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish literature
Previous career: Taught for Seminaries and Institutes – 4 years at Timpview High School (1997-2001), 4 years at Provo High School (2001-2005), 6 years at Austin Institute (2006-2011)
Family: Wife, Jennifer and 4 children; Son of Lorraine Hopkin and Arden Hopkin (who currently teaches in the BYU School of Music)
Classes taught: Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, Isaiah, Pearl of Great Price
Research interests: Judaism and Islam; Medieval cultures and literature; Biblical studies; Religions of the World
Languages: Spanish; Hebrew; Arabic; Aramaic
Other interests and hobbies: I love to teach! Teaching and directing in the EFY program; Interfaith dialogue; BYU and University of Texas sports programs; Basketball; Home improvement projects; Reading, reading, and reading
Shon D. Hopkin is an assistant professor of ancient scripture at BYU. Shon Hopkin received a PhD in Hebrew studies from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis on medieval literature. His course work focused on Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish literature from medieval Spain. Shon has published and presented papers on the Jewish concept of a premortal life and the Jewish longing for Zion, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Psalm 22, ordinance and ritual in the law of Moses and in the book of Isaiah, and the connections between Jewish and LDS beliefs and viewpoints. He is currently engaged in research on attitudes toward women in the law of Moses, on discovering Christ in the book of Leviticus, on Psalm 22, and on the multiple voices of the Book of Mormon. Shon also has a strong interest in interfaith outreach, understanding, and cooperation and served as president of the University of Texas Interfaith Council while at UT. His interfaith experiences include an interfaith trip to Turkey and a summer-long visit to Damascus, Syria. Before coming to BYU, Shon worked for fourteen years as a seminary and institute instructor. He lives in Orem with his wife, Jennifer, and four children.
Millet, Robert L.: Mormonism: a guide for the perplexed
M.A. Granquist
53.10 (June 2016): p1488.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association CHOICE
http://www.ala.org/acrl/choice/about
Millet, Robert L. Mormonism: a guide for the perplexed, by Robert L. Millet and Shon D. Hopkin. Bloomsbury Academic, 2015. 271 p bibl index ISBN 9781441156600 cloth, $86.00; ISBN 9781441163899 pbk, $29.95; ISBN 9781441132147 ebook, $21.99
(cc) 53-4340
BX8635
CIP
Millet and Hopkin provide an introduction to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), more commonly known as Mormons. Both authors are LDS insiders, so they are in a position to explain this religious movement from within. In 20 thematic chapters, they move readers through the history and theology of Mormonism, from its beginnings with the revelations to Joseph Smith and the early years of the LDS community through the modern Mormon Church, along the way providing a glimpse of the church's ideas about revelation, heaven, and things that are to come. Millet and Hopkin attempt to picture the Mormon religion as a distinctive form of Christianity, a viewpoint common to LDS practitioners but not accepted by most Christian groups. Thus, the book stresses commonalities between the LDS and Christianity rather than differences. Summing Up: ** Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; graduate students; general readers.--M. A. Granquist, Luther Seminary
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Granquist, M.A. "Millet, Robert L.: Mormonism: a guide for the perplexed." CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, June 2016, p. 1488+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA454942751&it=r&asid=1bea78d8ca9c3d0d161aaefa99abb104. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A454942751