LOGAN — The USU Libraries have announced that renowned religious scholar Jana Riess will be part of the 2024 Arrington Mormon History Lecture. Riess’ lecture is titled “Latter-day Saint Women and the Quiet Erosion of Certainty” and will take place on Thursday, October 10, at 7 p.m. in the Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall.
Historically, women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States have been significantly more committed to their faith and more actively involved in the church than their male counterparts. However, in her talk, Riess will examine the latest results from the 2022-23 Next Mormons Survey, which reveal a notable shift among women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as recent data indicate that this gender advantage in religious belief has diminished. Riess will discuss how this shift affects women’s perceptions of their spiritual lives and roles within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jana Riess, senior columnist at Religion News Service and featured contributor to The Salt Lake Tribune, is an acclaimed author with a deep understanding of American religious history. Her notable works include The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church and the comedic memoir Flunking Sainthood. Riess holds a PhD in American religious history from Columbia University and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, making her uniquely qualified to provide insightful analysis on this evolving topic.
Riess’s talk promises to offer valuable perspectives on the changing dynamics of faith and gender in Latter-day Saint communities in comparison to general religious trends in America.
Event details:
- Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024.
- Time: 7pm
- Location: Russell/Wanlass Performance Hall, Utah State University, Logan Campus.
