Maxwell Institute

Contents

Maxwell Institute is an American research center affiliated with Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah focusing on studies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ancient Near Eastern texts, and religious scholarship. It supports scholarship that intersects with Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Book of Mormon studies, while engaging scholars from Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, and other institutions. The Institute publishes journals, monographs, and digital resources used by researchers at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Chicago, Columbia University, and regional universities.

History

The Institute was established in the early 2000s amid organizational changes at Brigham Young University and drew on prior centers such as the former Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies and initiatives tied to the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Early leadership included scholars with ties to University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Stanford University. Over time the Institute hosted conferences featuring specialists from Vanderbilt University, Duke University, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and international partners like University of Sydney and University of Toronto. It played a role in fostering collaboration with projects at the Israel Antiquities Authority and editorial work connected to the Journal of Biblical Literature and other periodicals.

The mission emphasizes rigorous scholarship bridging faith-based questions and critical methods, engaging topics such as Textual criticism, Biblical archaeology, ancient languages, and Latter-day Saint history. Research agendas have included study of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ugarit, and the cultural contexts of Second Temple Judaism, alongside analysis of American religious history and the development of Restorationism movements. Scholars affiliated with the Institute have published on subjects including the Dead Sea Scrolls, Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and archaeological reports from sites like Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar II's inscriptions, and excavation results linked to Wadi Murabba'at.

Programs include seminars, fellowships, and lecture series that have hosted visiting academics from Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and members of editorial boards for journals such as Religious Studies Review and Church History. The Institute produces monographs, edited volumes, and journals showcasing work on Doctrine and Covenants studies, Book of Mormon textual analysis, and ancient Near Eastern comparative research. Notable publication series have featured contributions by scholars associated with Harvard Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, and independent researchers from think tanks like the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation when addressing religious liberty and historical topics. Workshops have connected graduate students from University of Utah and Utah Valley University with curators from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and archaeologists from the Israel Exploration Society.

The Institute's governance involves directors and advisory boards composed of historians, biblical scholars, and archaeologists drawn from institutions such as Brigham Young University, University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Washington. Leadership transitions have included scholars who previously taught at George Washington University, Columbia University, and Northwestern University. Advisory committees have featured specialists affiliated with organizations like the American Schools of Oriental Research, the Society of Biblical Literature, and editorial members from the Journal for the Study of Judaism.

Physically located on the Brigham Young University campus, the Institute maintains research offices, conference rooms, and digital humanities labs collaborating with libraries such as the Hugh Nibley Library, the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, and external archives including the Library of Congress and the British Library. Partnerships extend to museums and archaeological institutions like the Israel Museum, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and academic collaborations with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Copenhagen, Leiden University, and Université Paris-Sorbonne.

Funding sources have included private donors, university allocations from Brigham Young University, grants from foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and project-specific gifts linked to alumni networks associated with Church Educational System programs. Governance involves oversight by boards with representatives from academic units at Brigham Young University, external scholars from Harvard University and Yale University, and liaisons coordinating with church-affiliated entities and secular funding organizations. Audit and compliance work has been coordinated with administrative offices that work with institutions like the Utah System of Higher Education.