Shon Hopkin

Department Chair for Religious Education; Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University, United States

Shon Hopkin received a PhD in Hebrew studies from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis on medieval literature. His coursework focused on Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish literature from medieval Spain. Dr. Hopkin has published and presented papers on the Jewish concept of a premortal life and the Jewish longing for Zion, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Psalm 22, ordinance and ritual in the law of Moses and in the book of Isaiah, and the connections between Jewish and Latter-day Saint beliefs and viewpoints. He is currently engaged in research on attitudes toward women in the law of Moses, on discovering Christ in the book of Leviticus, on Psalm 22, and on the multiple voices of the Book of Mormon. Dr. Hopkin also has a strong interest in interfaith outreach, understanding, and cooperation. While at the University of Texas, he served as president of the university’s interfaith council. His interfaith experiences include an interfaith trip to Turkey and a summerlong visit to Damascus, Syria. Before coming to BYU, Dr. Hopkin worked for fourteen years as a seminary and institute instructor in the Church Educational System. He lives in Orem, Utah, USA, with his wife, Jennifer, and their four children.