Mormonism and Mexico: A Case Study in Religion and Borderlands

FAIN: EH-281226-21

Claremont Graduate University (Claremont, CA 91711-5909)
Matthew Bowman (Project Director: March 2021 to present)
Daniel Ramirez (Co Project Director: July 2021 to December 2022)

A three-week, hybrid institute for 25 higher education faculty to study religion and borders, with a focus on Mormonism in Mexico.

This three-week Institute will use the history of Mormonism in Mexico as a case study to explore the impact of borders and migration on religious change in the modern world. The concepts of borderlands and migration are central to many fields in the humanities, and the Institute will consider them in terms of religious, political, cultural, and social history. The Institute will proceed in three units: first, considering theoretical work on the topic of borderlands and its relationship to religion, as well as an introduction to the history of Mormonism in Mexico; second, focusing on major themes dealing with Mormonism in Mexico and pursuing projects related to the topic; third, discussing participants' projects and how they engage with the dynamic space of religion on the US-Mexico border. In examining Mormonism in Mexico, the Institute will engage in questions far beyond Mormonism itself, relevant to educators interested in a wide range of topics surrounding migration and borderlands.