Monday, May 18, 2009

Patrick Q. Mason

One of the most comprehensive studies of violence against Mormons in the Post Civil War South was a PhD dissertation by Patrick Q Mason. His work is thorough and well documented.

Mason earned a doctorate in history from the University of Notre Dame in 2005. He completed a bachelor's degree in history at Brigham Young University (1999), an M.A. in history at the University of Notre Dame (2003), and an M.A. in international peace studies at the Kroc Institute (2003). His research and teaching specialties include religion, race, and violence in U.S. history, and comparative religious violence and peace building.


His dissertation Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Mob: Violence against Religious outsiders in the US South, 1865-1910 is big so be warned. It deals with violence against Black, Jews, Catholics and Mormons. The Mormon section includes a part on the Cane Creek Massacre, and a part on the Joseph Standing Murder. It is a wonderful piece. Make sure not to miss the appendix which has statistical look at violence against Mormons for approximately the same period.

6 comments:

Christopher said...

Nice spotlight on Patricks's work, Bruce. FYI, Patrick, who has been teaching at the American University in Cairo, Egypt the last few years, will be headed back to Notre Dame in the fall at the Kroc Institute, where he was recently hired.

More importantly for those interested in his work, he is revising and expanding on his analysis of violence against the Mormons in the South into a book manuscript.

Bruce said...

Thanks for the heads up on Patrick Mason's work. I'm looking forward to it.

chester hawkins said...

I have had a chance to read Patrick's dissertation in full, and must I was totally happy with the fact that it was written with great clarity, and with good sources to cover many of his good bases. As an African-American LDS church members, I am appreciate for Patrick's writings, and I hope will keep plugging away with new informative articles and paper, hopefully, on Race and Religion. Again, Thanks!

chester hawkins said...

I noted in my previous comments, I left out a few words, that may nothave clearer. I am very appreciative of the writings of Patrick, and do hope that he consider writing a paper specially on Race and Religion (maybe about the LDS church's history regarding African-Americans in particular. It should be a dry history, but more scholarly type with good sources per se.

Bruce said...

I agree with your sentiments, Chester. And don't worry about dropping a few words. I do it all the time, here.

Bruce said...

FYI
Patrick has been selected as the new Hunter Chair of the Mormon Studies at Claremont University.