Jana Riess


Jana Kathryn Riess is an American writer and editor.
Riess's writings have focused on American religions, usually on organized movements such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Church of Christ, Scientist.

Background

Riess was born in the US Midwest, one of two children. Her father abandoned the family without warning in 1984.
Riess has a Bachelor's degree from Wellesley College. She received a Master's degree in theology from the Princeton Theological Seminary and a PhD in American Religious studies from Columbia University. Riess is a Religion and American Studies professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She and husband Phil Smith reside in Cincinnati. A convert to the LDS Church, Riess has spoken at Brigham Young University Women's Conference and other gatherings of the LDS Church, as well as professional conferences.

Writings

Among the books by Riess are What Would Buffy Do? and an abridgment of the Book of Mormon with commentary. Riess is a member of the LDS Church, having converted as an adult. Riess is an expert on religion in literature. In 2001 she moderated a debate over whether the Harry Potter books were a tract for witchcraft. In her 2019 The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church, which received critical praise, Riess and her colleague Benjamin Knoll published a landmark analysis which questioned the accuracy of reports that LDS membership was growing. She has been the religion book editor for Publishers Weekly.

Tweeting the Bible

On October 4, 2009, Riess began a project to tweet the bible. Her "Twible" quest concluded in January 2013. Each tweet summarizes a chapter of the bible. Riess tweets the bible in order and plans to hit all 1,189 chapters in 140 characters.

Works

;Books
;Articles
;Other

Footnotes