MAXINE HANKS BIO

Maxine Hanks is a theologian who researches, lectures and writes on religious studies. Her work explores gender, history and theology in LDS tradition and Christianity. 

She was a visiting fellow at Harvard Divinity School, and a research fellow with the Utah Humanities Council. She studied Humanities, English, Philosophy at BYU and earned a B.S. in Gender Studies with History minor at the University of Utah. Her graduate studies include gender and history at the U. of U. and ASU, and  theology/religion at Harvard, plus Clinical Pastoral Education, ministry and liturgical studies.


She has lectured at the U. of U. and guest lectured at UVU, BYU, Weber State, Harvard Divinity School, Claremont Grad. U., Iowa State U., and SLC Community College.  She has presented papers at the National Women's Studies Association, Mormon History Association, LDS Church History Conf. and Sunstone Theological Symposia.

Her first book, Women and Authority, excavated LDS women's history, theology, discourse, and authority. Subsequent books include Mormon Faith in America, and Getting Together With Yesterday, and others Her essays or chapters appear in several books and anthologies incl. Religion in America,  Secrets of Mary Magdalene, Latter-day Dissent, and A History of Sanpete County.

She was one of the "September Six" LDS scholars excommunicated in 1993, afterward studying Christian liturgy and clergy formation with Gnostic and Interfaith organizations, and serving in interfaith ministry at Holy Cross Chapel and the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable.  


She returned to LDS Church membership in 2012, while continuing in chaplain and interfaith work as well as religious studies.

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