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Eugene England: A Mormon Liberal
Eugene England championed an optimistic Mormon faith open to liberalizing ideas from American culture. At the same time, he remained devoted to a conservative Mormonism that he saw as a vehicle for progress even as it narrowed the range of acceptable belief. Kristine L. Haglund views England’s writing through the tensions produced by his often-opposed intellectual and spiritual commitments. Though labeled a liberal, England had a traditional Latter-day Saint background and always sought to address fundamental questions in Mormon terms. His intellectually adventurous essays sometimes put him at odds with Church authorities and fellow believers. But he also influenced a generation of thinkers and cofounded Dialogue , a Mormon academic and literary journal acclaimed for the broad range of its thought. A fascinating portrait of a Mormon intellectual and his times, Eugene England reveals a believing scholar who emerged from the lived experiences of his faith to engage with the changes roiling Mormonism in the twentieth century.
152 pages, Hardcover
Published December 14, 2021
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January 11, 2022
Had Kristine Haglund managed to merely write a book about Eugene England--perhaps the most visible and influential Mormon intellectual of the last 50 years--it would have been an invaluable contribution to the burgeoning field of Mormon Studies. But the author has done much more than that. By setting England in conversation with the religious and intellectual spaces he inhabited, Haglund has created one of the most important guides we have to the development of Mormonism as an intellectual and cultural force in the 20th century.
The key to Haglund's portrayal of England lies in the subtitle: A Mormon Liberal. In clarifying this term, she brings us a picture of the man. England was not, she argues, a theological liberal in the way that most Catholics and Protestants would understand the term. Nor can his liberalism be described as a position along the American political spectrum. Even the classical liberalism of Locke and Rousseau doesn't quite fit when talking about Dr. England. To understand him, we must understand what a fundamentally Mormon variety of liberalism might look like.
As a Mormon liberal, Eugene England believed that Mormonism itself--its core doctrines and its spiritual tradition--created an ideal environment for what might be called a liberal approach to things like beauty, truth, and meaning. In such an approach, members of a spiritual community meet together, as spiritual equals, to create meaning together. The community values open dialogue, epistemic humility, and continual growth. England believed these things with all of his heart, and he increasingly found himself at odds with both a university and a corporate church that rejected them in favor of an illiberal and undemocratic model of authority and obedience. In this sense, Haglund argues, Eugene England was the last Mormon liberal--the final signpost for a path that Mormonism might have taken.
Haglund focuses her analysis of England's life and work through this highly focused lens of a Mormon liberalism that is both fully Mormon and fully liberal. She analyzes his work as an essayist--one of the founders and early practitioners of a distinctively Mormon style of theologically infused, spiritually grounded personal essay. She explores his role as a co-founder of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, which has been published continually for 55 years and remains the periodical of record of the intellectual and creative life of the Mormon people. And she examines his deep and lifelong commitment to a concept of atonement that brings people together and provides the opportunity for spiritual growth.
In the process of explaining Eugene England, Kristine Haglund also explains a lot about modern Mormonism as both the comprehensive spiritual tradition that he saw more clearly than anyone else of his time, and as the collection of correlated, bureaucratized institutional practices that he never saw quite clearly enough. This book is a rare gift to those who knew Eugene England and a perfect starting place for those who want to know him better.
The key to Haglund's portrayal of England lies in the subtitle: A Mormon Liberal. In clarifying this term, she brings us a picture of the man. England was not, she argues, a theological liberal in the way that most Catholics and Protestants would understand the term. Nor can his liberalism be described as a position along the American political spectrum. Even the classical liberalism of Locke and Rousseau doesn't quite fit when talking about Dr. England. To understand him, we must understand what a fundamentally Mormon variety of liberalism might look like.
As a Mormon liberal, Eugene England believed that Mormonism itself--its core doctrines and its spiritual tradition--created an ideal environment for what might be called a liberal approach to things like beauty, truth, and meaning. In such an approach, members of a spiritual community meet together, as spiritual equals, to create meaning together. The community values open dialogue, epistemic humility, and continual growth. England believed these things with all of his heart, and he increasingly found himself at odds with both a university and a corporate church that rejected them in favor of an illiberal and undemocratic model of authority and obedience. In this sense, Haglund argues, Eugene England was the last Mormon liberal--the final signpost for a path that Mormonism might have taken.
Haglund focuses her analysis of England's life and work through this highly focused lens of a Mormon liberalism that is both fully Mormon and fully liberal. She analyzes his work as an essayist--one of the founders and early practitioners of a distinctively Mormon style of theologically infused, spiritually grounded personal essay. She explores his role as a co-founder of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, which has been published continually for 55 years and remains the periodical of record of the intellectual and creative life of the Mormon people. And she examines his deep and lifelong commitment to a concept of atonement that brings people together and provides the opportunity for spiritual growth.
In the process of explaining Eugene England, Kristine Haglund also explains a lot about modern Mormonism as both the comprehensive spiritual tradition that he saw more clearly than anyone else of his time, and as the collection of correlated, bureaucratized institutional practices that he never saw quite clearly enough. This book is a rare gift to those who knew Eugene England and a perfect starting place for those who want to know him better.
June 21, 2022
Great biography and study of a great man. I did not really know him, but I read just about everything he wrote, starting with his "This People" literature columns in the mid-1980s. I had several interactions with him in 1986-87 and 1990 at BYU, attending lectures and visiting his house. Jenifer took his Mormon literature class, and he came to our wedding reception!
Anyway, I really enjoyed Haglund's book. She got into his ideas and criticism of Mormon literature much more than Givens, who focused more on theology. The Givens book is a fuller, more complete look at his life, but both books do full justice to the subject.
I did an interview with Kristine about the book for the Dialogue Book Report podcast. https://www.dialoguejournal.com/2021/...
Anyway, I really enjoyed Haglund's book. She got into his ideas and criticism of Mormon literature much more than Givens, who focused more on theology. The Givens book is a fuller, more complete look at his life, but both books do full justice to the subject.
I did an interview with Kristine about the book for the Dialogue Book Report podcast. https://www.dialoguejournal.com/2021/...
January 16, 2022
This is my second review of a book about Eugene England in three months. While it may not be fair, it is difficult not to make comparisons between the two. Terryl Givens’ Stretching the Heavens is a straight forward biography of the popular and at times controversial Mormon scholar and writer. Kristine Haglund’s Eugene England: A Mormon Liberal, the subject of this review, differs in being more a treatment of England’s scholarship, his theological musings, and his impact on Mormon thought.
And in spite of Givens’ fine writing and deep research that produced a volume of more than 300 pages, I came away with a sense that Givens never really caught the full essence of Eugene England, despite Given’s familiarity with his work and England’s obvious influence (one of Givens’ books with his wife Fiona Givens is titled The God Who Weeps, an echo of England’s last published essay, The Weeping God of Mormonism). At less than half the pages, Haglund captures a more accurate picture of who England was and why he was important,
The difference is in the treatment. Haglund’s volume is part of a series, Introductions to Mormon Thought, edited by Matthew Bowman and Joseph M. Spencer and published by the University of Illinois Press. Instead of a biography, Haglund chooses to focus on England’s contributions to theology and lived religion through his teaching, activism, and writing. In the process Haglund finds the key to England’s lasting influence over several generations of students, scholars, and lay church members.
Haglund has organized England’s life and thought into four chapters. The first is a brief biography and examination of the influences that shaped him. She uses the symbol of “safe valleys” to describe the material influence of growing up in the deeply Mormon corridor of Utah and Idaho, and also a spiritual sense of having a safe haven in a family of faith, grounded in awareness of one’s place in the eternal scheme of things. Haglund then provides three chapters devoted to the ideas that manifested themselves in England’s life. Chapter Two pairs the idea of integrity with England’s writing, particularly personal essays, and his hopes for a faithful, yet vibrant, Mormon literature. England was both a critical reviewer of Mormon literature, as well as personally developing and advancing the personal essay as a particular Mormon genre. His collections of essays continue to inspire and inform Mormon letters with his powerful, yet always respectful voice.
Chapter Three discusses dialogue as a tool for exploring theology and reconciling differences. England never shied away from an opportunity to thoughtfully engage difficult and often painful topics in conversation with others of different viewpoints. employed throughout his life. Haglund posits both the limitations and promise of dialogue, and how England balanced what he once described as “speculative theology” with a commitment to faithfulness and a hope for reconciling competing ideas. As Haglund describes it, England sat at the “…fault line between Mormonism as a regional communitarian church, and Mormonism as a worldwide church with strong centralized authority over both doctrine and procedure.” [p57] Dialogue was to England as breathing is to the rest of us, a “…central organizing principle of his life and work.” [p46] He viewed it as a way to draw together and seek understanding in the absence of complete agreement.
Chapter four ventures into “…how Mormons can be divided (always imperfectly), and have divided themselves, into categories liberal and conservative…” both theologically and politically, and how England hoped to bridge those gaps via reconciliation, with the Atonement as a type. England was politically conservative, a lifelong Republican, yet embraced liberal ideas such as pacifism and a commitment to international humanitarian relief that he felt were grounded in basic Christian principles. Haglund shows how England viewed reconciliation through the example of the Atonement as foundational to promoting a healthy tension between opposing viewpoints. Compassion and faithfulness always underscored his thoughts and writings. Haglund also shows how easily misunderstood and difficult these efforts could be in actual practice. England often found his words and motives misunderstood by others less interested in the dynamics of dialogue and mutual respect.
There is a final bibliographical appendix that lists England’s major written contributions, organized by topics such as pacifism, gender, and Mormon literature. It’s a good overview for anyone interested in a deeper look into England’s thinking and impact on Mormon Studies. A final observation is important. While Givens viewed England as naïve, a term he used repeatedly in his biography of England, Haglund viewed that apparent naivety rather as the paradox of England being caught between his desire for constructive dialogue over differences, and the need to remain faithful to the church and its hierarchical leadership invested in historical authority. Overall, Haglund’s brief Eugene England: A Mormon Liberal effectively frames England’s place in the greater trends of Mormon thought and theology in the latter half of the 20th century, providing us a model for dialogue that continues to be needed in the 21st.
And in spite of Givens’ fine writing and deep research that produced a volume of more than 300 pages, I came away with a sense that Givens never really caught the full essence of Eugene England, despite Given’s familiarity with his work and England’s obvious influence (one of Givens’ books with his wife Fiona Givens is titled The God Who Weeps, an echo of England’s last published essay, The Weeping God of Mormonism). At less than half the pages, Haglund captures a more accurate picture of who England was and why he was important,
The difference is in the treatment. Haglund’s volume is part of a series, Introductions to Mormon Thought, edited by Matthew Bowman and Joseph M. Spencer and published by the University of Illinois Press. Instead of a biography, Haglund chooses to focus on England’s contributions to theology and lived religion through his teaching, activism, and writing. In the process Haglund finds the key to England’s lasting influence over several generations of students, scholars, and lay church members.
Haglund has organized England’s life and thought into four chapters. The first is a brief biography and examination of the influences that shaped him. She uses the symbol of “safe valleys” to describe the material influence of growing up in the deeply Mormon corridor of Utah and Idaho, and also a spiritual sense of having a safe haven in a family of faith, grounded in awareness of one’s place in the eternal scheme of things. Haglund then provides three chapters devoted to the ideas that manifested themselves in England’s life. Chapter Two pairs the idea of integrity with England’s writing, particularly personal essays, and his hopes for a faithful, yet vibrant, Mormon literature. England was both a critical reviewer of Mormon literature, as well as personally developing and advancing the personal essay as a particular Mormon genre. His collections of essays continue to inspire and inform Mormon letters with his powerful, yet always respectful voice.
Chapter Three discusses dialogue as a tool for exploring theology and reconciling differences. England never shied away from an opportunity to thoughtfully engage difficult and often painful topics in conversation with others of different viewpoints. employed throughout his life. Haglund posits both the limitations and promise of dialogue, and how England balanced what he once described as “speculative theology” with a commitment to faithfulness and a hope for reconciling competing ideas. As Haglund describes it, England sat at the “…fault line between Mormonism as a regional communitarian church, and Mormonism as a worldwide church with strong centralized authority over both doctrine and procedure.” [p57] Dialogue was to England as breathing is to the rest of us, a “…central organizing principle of his life and work.” [p46] He viewed it as a way to draw together and seek understanding in the absence of complete agreement.
Chapter four ventures into “…how Mormons can be divided (always imperfectly), and have divided themselves, into categories liberal and conservative…” both theologically and politically, and how England hoped to bridge those gaps via reconciliation, with the Atonement as a type. England was politically conservative, a lifelong Republican, yet embraced liberal ideas such as pacifism and a commitment to international humanitarian relief that he felt were grounded in basic Christian principles. Haglund shows how England viewed reconciliation through the example of the Atonement as foundational to promoting a healthy tension between opposing viewpoints. Compassion and faithfulness always underscored his thoughts and writings. Haglund also shows how easily misunderstood and difficult these efforts could be in actual practice. England often found his words and motives misunderstood by others less interested in the dynamics of dialogue and mutual respect.
There is a final bibliographical appendix that lists England’s major written contributions, organized by topics such as pacifism, gender, and Mormon literature. It’s a good overview for anyone interested in a deeper look into England’s thinking and impact on Mormon Studies. A final observation is important. While Givens viewed England as naïve, a term he used repeatedly in his biography of England, Haglund viewed that apparent naivety rather as the paradox of England being caught between his desire for constructive dialogue over differences, and the need to remain faithful to the church and its hierarchical leadership invested in historical authority. Overall, Haglund’s brief Eugene England: A Mormon Liberal effectively frames England’s place in the greater trends of Mormon thought and theology in the latter half of the 20th century, providing us a model for dialogue that continues to be needed in the 21st.
June 27, 2023
Eugene England was singularly influential in my life, through his writings and the example of his life. The seeds of this influence were planted while he was a professor in my 1978/79 BYU Honors Program Freshman Colloquium. [Theology, Lived Religion, Mormon Literature, Pacifism, Race]
page 101
What England saw clearly, most of the time, was that Mormonism’s genius lies in refusing to conflate faithfulness and orthodoxy. England’s life, despite the conflict with authority that blighted the end of his career, is a testament to the liberal possibilities of Mormon theology and the difficult, hopeful path of remaining faithful to these ideas while making a home in a church with shifting orthodoxies.
page 102
. . scholars . . . inherit not only England’s thought, but the lessons of his life, particularly his appreciation for the kind of lived religion that always escapes efforts at correlation, and to which orthodoxy and heterodoxy are irrelevant. England’s greatest legacy will be his example of thinking differently than his fellow Saints and loving them just the same.
page 90
Near the end of his BYU career, he said, “I teach the Atonement in every class because I find it explored in all great literature.”
page 104
Lowell Bennion (UofU LDS Institute in 1950’s) taught religion not as “a dogmatic set of answers,” but as “a unified set of tools, principles, ideas, and feelings that can provide a permanent, growing basis for dealing with the bewildering variety of questions and challenges that life poses.”
page 101
What England saw clearly, most of the time, was that Mormonism’s genius lies in refusing to conflate faithfulness and orthodoxy. England’s life, despite the conflict with authority that blighted the end of his career, is a testament to the liberal possibilities of Mormon theology and the difficult, hopeful path of remaining faithful to these ideas while making a home in a church with shifting orthodoxies.
page 102
. . scholars . . . inherit not only England’s thought, but the lessons of his life, particularly his appreciation for the kind of lived religion that always escapes efforts at correlation, and to which orthodoxy and heterodoxy are irrelevant. England’s greatest legacy will be his example of thinking differently than his fellow Saints and loving them just the same.
page 90
Near the end of his BYU career, he said, “I teach the Atonement in every class because I find it explored in all great literature.”
page 104
Lowell Bennion (UofU LDS Institute in 1950’s) taught religion not as “a dogmatic set of answers,” but as “a unified set of tools, principles, ideas, and feelings that can provide a permanent, growing basis for dealing with the bewildering variety of questions and challenges that life poses.”
January 1, 2022
this book is GREAT. a fantastic overview and synthesis of gene england's thought, drawing on biography and historical context to excellent effect. kristine's work here made me eager to revisit england's work that i've read and to dive in to the wealths and treasures that I haven't yet discovered. kristine is an insightful and charitable reader of england, offering perspective and connection across england's many interests and endeavors. highly recommend for those interested in the shaping of current mormonism and the (re)discovery of some (lost?) traditions within the faith.
February 22, 2022
Really excellent treatment, not just of England but of literary and philosophical trends in the church in the 20th century. I got this from the library but will be buying it because of its value as a reference. Both thorough and succinct on every aspect of Gene's life and influence pertinent to the study of LDS literature and intellectual culture.
January 26, 2022
This book was a delight to read. Some great analysis and contextualizing of England's thoughts in Mormonism. Well worth a read if you were looking for sources to begin deeper studies on the character of God, Atonement, etc.
September 3, 2022
If you read Givens's biography of England, Stretching the Heavens, this is an excellent companion read. Haglund focuses on England's revolutionary thought in ways that both complement the conclusions Givens draws and sometimes adds more depth or even contradicts those conclusions.
July 23, 2023
I had heard of Eugene England but was not well acquainted with his thoughts. Much of what he was passionate about resonates with my personal feelings. I look forward to reading his essays, lectures, etc.
April 19, 2022
More academic than I expected it to be, but gave some really interesting insights into church history and Eugene England's writings.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews