Church History & Doctrine-Foundations of the Restoration, CFS Professorial Faculty Position

Brigham Young University • Provo, UT

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Religious Education plays a central role in the mission of Brigham Young University, which is “to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life” by providing an educational experience that is spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, and leads to lifelong learning and service. The distinctive purpose of Religious Education has been outlined in the Board of Education-approved document, “Strengthening Religious Education in Institutions of Higher Education” (referred to hereafter as SRE). The SRE document guides all hiring decisions in Religious Education. Candidates should be familiar with the purpose of Religious Education as outlined in SRE and demonstrate a commitment to its principles and guidelines. Application materials should explicitly speak to the SRE while addressing the required experience and duties/qualifications for the position. All candidates must be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing, be grounded in the doctrines of the Church, and have the personal character, faith, testimony, and qualities of life to provide a powerful role model for students.
Foundations of the Restoration (Rel C 225) is one of two cornerstone religion courses offered by Church History & Doctrine (CH&D). All undergraduate students are required to take this course. The course seeks to help students learn, analyze, and apply the foundational revelations, doctrines, and historical events of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The successful applicant will teach this course consistently. As a result, we are in search of a religious educator with training, experience, and expertise in the history and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Applicants must demonstrate their capacity for the highest quality of teaching, scholarship, and citizenship in relation to the experience and duties outlined below.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in history, religious studies or related field from an accredited university, completed by the start date.
• Mission alignment statement.
• Curriculum vitae.
• Letter of intent.
• Evidence of teaching.
• Samples of scholarship.
• Contact information for at least three professional references.
• Familiarity with the purpose of Religious Education as outlined in SRE and a commitment to its principles and guidelines.
• Demonstrate capacity for the highest quality of teaching, scholarship, and citizenship.
• Training, experience, and expertise in the history and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• Demonstrated unusual potential for excellent teaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (SRE).
• Potential for scholarly work that is of high quality and advances the purposes of religious education (SRE).
• Ability to produce scholarship that advances the purposes of religious education (SRE) and specifically elucidates the doctrine and history of the restored Church.
• Commitment to citizenship.
• Commitment to fostering belonging and inclusion.
• Plan (i.e., concrete pedagogical practices) to create a learning environment that will help to accomplish the purposes of Religious Education for all students.
• Must be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing.
• Must be grounded in the doctrines of the Church.
• Must have the personal character, faith, testimony, and qualities of life to provide a powerful role model for students.
• Must hold and be worthy to hold a current temple recommend (if a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
• Must abide by the university’s Honor Code and Dress & Grooming Standards.
• Successful candidates are expected to support and contribute to the academic and religious missions of the university within the context of the principles and doctrine of the affiliated church.

Nice To Haves

• Teaching experience related to Foundations of the Restoration (Rel C 225).
• Teaching experience related to the Doctrine and Covenants.
• Student-centered mentoring experience.
• Ability to teach other courses offered in CH&D.
• Scholarly work and publications related to the history and doctrine of the restored Church.
• Active in academic disciplines.
• Produce pedagogical scholarship aimed at improving teaching and learning.

Responsibilities

• Teach Foundations of the Restoration (Rel C 225) consistently.
• Teach four sections (two credits each) of primarily the Foundations of the Restoration course during each fall and winter semester and two sections (two credits each) during either spring or summer term.
• Provide student-centered mentoring.
• Potentially teach other courses offered in the department as part of normal teaching requirements.
• Produce gospel scholarship directed to Latter-day Saints.
• Remain active in academic disciplines and produce scholarship directed to an academic audience.
• Publish an average of one peer-reviewed publication per year.
• Represent BYU and Religious Education.
• Live personal lives and perform professional responsibilities in accordance with the teaching and practices of the Church.
• Treat faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader civic and religious communities with respect and kindness.
• Be loyal to the leadership of the Church and the university.
• Be active citizens in CH&D, the college (BYU Religious Education), university, and other professional settings.
• Attend department, college, and university faculty meetings.
• Fulfill committee obligations and other ad-hoc assignments.

Benefits

• Modest funds provided by Religious Education are available by application for research.
• Modest funds provided by Religious Education are available by application for travel to participate in academic conferences.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree