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Stretching the Heavens

The Life of Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern Mormonism

Terryl L. Givens

$76.99

Paperback

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English
The University of North Carolina Press
01 February 2025
Eugene England (1933-2001)—one of the most influential and controversial intellectuals in modern Mormonism—lived in the crossfire between religious tradition and reform. This first serious biography, by leading historian Terryl L. Givens, shimmers with the personal tensions felt deeply by England during the turmoil of the late twentieth century. Drawing on unprecedented access to England's personal papers, Givens paints a multifaceted portrait of a devout Latter-day Saint whose precarious position on the edge of church hierarchy was instrumental to his ability to shape the study of modern Mormonism.

A professor of literature at Brigham Young University, England also taught in the Church Educational System. And yet from the sixties on, he set church leaders' teeth on edge as he protested the Vietnam War, decried institutional racism and sexism, and supported Poland's Solidarity movement—all at a time when Latter-day Saints were ultra-patriotic and banned Black ordination. England could also be intemperate, proud of his own rectitude, and neglectful of political realities and relationships, and he was eventually forced from his academic position. His last days, as he suffered from brain cancer, were marked by a spiritual agony that church leaders were unable to help him resolve.
By:  
Imprint:   The University of North Carolina Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 235mm,  Width: 155mm,  Spine: 20mm
Weight:   531g
ISBN:   9781469688374
ISBN 10:   1469688379
Pages:   344
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Terryl L. Givens is Neal L. Maxwell Senior Fellow at Brigham Young University and Jabez A. Bostwick Professor of English Emeritus at the University of Richmond. Among his books are Wrestling the Angel and Feeding the Flock.

Reviews for Stretching the Heavens: The Life of Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern Mormonism

[A] carefully written biography . . . [that] paints an honest portrait of an important figure in the founding of Mormon studies."" --Choice Revealing, detailed . . . a solid biography that will illuminate key trends and moments in LDS history for scholars and general readers alike.""--Publishers Weekly [Stretching the Heavens] comes alive in its penetrating detail. . . . This is a remarkable biography.""--BYU Studies Quarterly A powerful exploration of how England maintained, on the one hand, devout loyalty to and genuine belief in the institutional church and, on the other hand, an indefatigable commitment to investigation and autonomy.""--Benjamin Park, By Common Consent Provides[s] insight into late-twentieth century Mormonism.""--Journal of Mormon History Stretching the Heavens pays tribute to a remarkable scholar and writer, and to a new openness on the part of the institutional church and its culture. It's an important contribution in understanding the environment in which the church and its members continue to operate and introduces a powerful voice to new generations of aspiring scholars and members at a dynamic time in the church's history.""--Association for Mormon Letters


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