Chiasmus Jubilee
Thank you to all who were able to make it for the Chiasmus Jubilee. We had a fantastic turnout and it was truly an event to be remembered.
This year marks the 50th anniversary since John W. Welch discovered Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon. This discovery has changed the way we forever approach Book of Mormon scholarship. To celebrate this day, we held a gala event on August 16th, for a Chiasmus Jubilee hosted and organized by BYU Studies and Book of Mormon Central.
Special Guest Speakers
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Elder Kim B. Clark
President Kevin J. Worthen
John W. Welch
Jubilee Event Details
August 16, 2017
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Joseph Smith Building Auditorium
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84604
The Wednesday evening Chiasmus Jubilee will feature guest speakers, musical numbers, and special presentations on Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon.
Free Admission
Pre-registration encouraged
Chiasmus: An Open Conference on the State of the Art
There will be a two-day conference held in the Joseph Smith Building auditorium on BYU's campus on Tuesday, August 15th and Wednesday, August 16th. The conference sessions will have presentations by LDS and non-LDS scholars discussing chiasmus in the Bible and in other texts, including the Book of Mormon.
Conference participants are also invited to view materials on chiasmus at the Harold B. Lee Library on BYU’s campus from the beginning of August through mid-September. The Harold B. Lee Library will have a three-case display with personal and relevant items showing John Welch’s discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon while he was a missionary serving in Regensburg, Germany, 50 years ago, in 1967. For the jubilee on Wednesday evening, August 16th, items concerning the impact and aftermath of the discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, as well as progress in scholarship about chiasmus in the Bible and in other literatures will be on display in the Joseph Smith Building.
Free Admission
Pre-registration encouraged
Sponsors
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Co-Sponsors
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Book of Mormon Central BYU Studies |
Harold B. Lee Library Special Collections BYU Religious Education The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship The Interpreter Foundation The John A. Widtsoe Foundation |
Conference Schedule
Tuesday Schedule
Session 1: Chiasmus Methodology: Criteria, Character, and Terminology
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Daniel C. Peterson |
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Moderating Session 1 |
9:00 – 9:05 a.m. |
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Neal Rappleye |
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Chiasmus Criteria in Review |
9:05 – 9:35 a.m. |
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Boyd F. Edwards |
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Statistics, Probability, and Evaluation of Chiasmus |
9:40 – 10:10 a.m. |
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- 10 Minute Break - |
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Stephen Kent Ehat |
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Characteristics of Chiasms: Identifying, Evaluating, and Appreciating Chiastic Texts with Care, Concern, and Humility |
10:25 – 10:55 a.m. |
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Noel B. Reynolds |
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Chiasmus and Hebrew Rhetoric |
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. |
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Open Discussion |
When is a Chiasm a Chiasm? |
11:35 – 12:00 p.m. |
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- 1 Hour Lunch - |
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Session 2: Chiasmus and Textual Criticism
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Robert F. Smith |
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Moderating Session 2 |
1:00 – 1:05 p.m. |
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Bernard Levinson |
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The Pleasures and Perils of Chiasmus: Some Case Studies from Exodus and Deuteronomy |
1:05 – 1:35 p.m. |
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David Rolph Seely |
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“With Outstretched Hand and with Strong Arm” (Deut 4:34); “With Strong Arm and with Outstretched Hand” (Jer 21:5): Chiasmus in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah |
1:40 – 2:10 p.m. |
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- 10 Minute Break - |
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Donald W. Parry |
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Chiasmus in the Text of Isaiah: MT Isaiah Versus the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa) |
2:25 – 2:55 p.m. |
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Royal Skousen |
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Poetic Structures and Textual Criticism of the Book of Mormon |
3:00 – 3:30 p.m. |
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Open Discussion |
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3:35 – 4:00 p.m. |
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Wednesday Schedule
Session 3: Chiasmus and Ancient Cultures
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Jacob A. Rennaker |
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Moderating Session 3 |
9:00 – 9:05 a.m. |
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Gary A. Rendsburg |
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Chiasmus in the Book of Genesis |
9:05 – 9:35 a.m. |
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Steven R. Scott |
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Chiasmus in Gilgamesh and the Genesis Flood Story |
9:40 – 10:10 a.m. |
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- 10 Minute Break - |
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John W. Welch |
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Narrating Homicides Chiastically |
10:25 – 11:05 a.m. |
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Kerry Hull |
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Chiastic Messaging in Mesoamerican Texts |
11:10 – 11:40 a.m. |
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Open Discussion |
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11:45 – 12:00 p.m. |
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- 1 Hour Lunch - |
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Session 4: Chiasmus in the New Testament
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Eric D. Huntsman |
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Moderating Session 4 |
1:00 – 1:05 p.m. |
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George Mlakuzhyil S.J. |
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Chiasmus in the Christocentric Literary-Dramatic Structure of John's Gospel |
1:05 – 1:50 p.m.
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Steven R. Scott |
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Methodology and the Macro-Structure of John |
1:55 – 2:20 p.m. |
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Questions and Discussion |
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2:25 – 2:40 p.m. |
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- 10 Minute Break - |
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Wayne Brouwer |
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The Chiastic Structure of the Farewell Discourse in the Fourth Gospel |
2:50 – 3:20 p.m. |
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H. Douglas Buckwalter |
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Jesus and the Roman Centurion (Matt 8:5–13): A Window to Chiasmus and Apostolic Pedagogy |
3:25 – 3:55 p.m. |
Chiasmus Resources Now Online
Want to learn more about chiasmus? Check out some of the great resources on chiasmus particularly in the Bible, Book of Mormon and in the ancient world.
The Chiasmus Resources Website
Book of Mormon Central Chiasmus Materials Page