Mormonism in Europe: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives ed. by Irén E. Annus, David M. Morris and Kim B. Östman (review)

Mormonism in Europe is a welcome addition to the growing body of works devoted to the development of the Latter-day Saints outside of the United States. Published as an eBook by the Department of American Studies at the University of Szeged in Hungary, it presents fourteen articles by a group of international scholars. Irén Annus' introductory essay sets the stage, explaining the book's two-part division—the history of Mormonism in Europe, and issues affecting the church today. Carter Charles and Bernadette Rigal-Cellard address the problematic fact that Mormonism seems uniquely American, and therefore alien, to European sensibilities. They explore how the faith has been inculturated in France. Walter E. A. van Beek also explores identity questions for European Mormons—or is it Mormon Europeans, he asks. The volume includes studies of the church in the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland, and Russia. A bibliographic essay by Michael J. Hunter is extremely comprehensive, covering, as it does, a range of nations and eras. An appendix at the end provides LDS membership figures for thirtynine countries between the years 1985 and 2015.

A collection like this is bound to be a bit uneven in style and tone. Moreover, five of the articles were previously published elsewhere. Nevertheless, pulling together disparate essays on a common topic into a single volume makes this a valuable book to acquire. Highly recommended.