Olson, Camille Fronk

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Olson, Camille Fronk

PERSONAL:

Born in Tremonton, UT; married Paul Olson. Education: Utah State University, B.A.; Brigham Young University, M.A., Ph.D.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Brigham Young University, 270G JSB, Joseph Smith Building, Provo, UT 84602.

CAREER:

LDS Business College, dean of students; Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, associate professor of religion, 1993—.

WRITINGS:

In the Hands of the Potter, Deseret Book (Salt Lake City, UT), 2003.

Mary, Martha, and Me: Seeking the One Thing That Is Needful, Deseret Book (Salt Lake City, UT), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

In Mary, Martha, and Me: Seeking the One Thing That Is Needful, religion professor Camille Fronk Olson explores the biblical story of the sisters Martha and Mary who, according to the gospel of Luke, receive Jesus as a guest in their home. While Mary sits listening to Jesus, Martha is burdened with all the necessary housework and she asks Jesus to direct Mary to help her. But he answers that only one thing is needful, and that Mary has chosen "that good part." Examining the meaning of this scripture for contemporary women, Olson argues that neither Martha's nor Mary's path is necessarily better if God remains the first priority. Olson moves beyond the story in Luke to consider the meanings of the sisters' other interactions with Jesus, including Martha's plea that he come to raise their brother, Lazarus, from the dead. Olson also draws from her own experience to connect her argument to the concerns of ordinary women who often feel overwhelmed by the various demands of work and family. Although the book is aimed at a Mormon readership, a contributor to Publishers Weekly concluded that Martha, Mary, and Me "deserves a wider readership for its fresh and thoughtful rendering of familiar New Testament stories."