Religion, Feminism, and Freedom of Conscience

Religion, Feminism, and Freedom of Conscience
A Mormon/Humanist Dialogue
GEORGE D. SMITH, EDITOR
Paperback. 192 Pages. / 1-56085-048-5 / $14.95

Mormonism is rooted in religious humanism, a belief in the innate goodness of individuals, and a respect for personal conscience. But as institutions grow, they tend to emphasize programs and conformity over individuality and creativity. In recent years this trend has been evident within the Mormon church as intellectuals have been excommunicated and feminists have been purged from the church school faculties.

This anthology includes essays by Cecilia Konchar Farr just prior to her dismissal from Brigham Young University, Lavina Fielding Anderson following her excommunication, Bonnie Bullough on feminism, and L. Jackson Newell on the environment and overpopulation. Paul Kurtz, editor of Free Inquiry, introduces the discussion, while an essay by the late Walter Lippmann provides an epilogue that reminds people of the importance of opposition in any society. There are eight other contributors to this volume.

George D. Smith (B.A., Stanford; M.B.A., New York University) is the publisher of Signature Books and president of Smith Research Associates. He is the editor of Faithful History: Essays on Writing Mormon History and An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton, as well as a contributing author in The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture and other anthologies. His writing has appeared in Free Inquiry, The John Whitmer Historical Journal, Journal of Mormon History, and elsewhere. He and his family live in San Francisco.