Season 2 Episode 5 of the Scholars & Saints Podcast Now Available

University of Virginia, Mormon Studies Program

The second season of Scholars & Saints continues as new host, UVA Ph.D. student, Nicholas Shrum, explores some of the most pressing issues and cutting-edge methods in Mormon Studies.

Season 2 Episode 5 – America’s Homegrown Faith (feat. Benjamin Park)

How is it that Mormonism can be considered “America’s most successful, homegrown religion” and yet have undergone vast assimilation to American culture in the late 19th and 20th centuries? Dr. Benjamin Park, Associate Professor of History at Sam Houston State University, details Mormonism’s evolutions and transitions from its inception to today on this episode of Scholars & Saints. Drawing on his book, American Zion: A New History of Mormonism, Dr. Park takes host Nicholas Shrum on a historical tour of Mormon history. He investigates instances of Mormon cultural assimilation, racial relations, educational practices, and the broader role that Mormonism plays in understanding American history and its undergirding religious influences.

To find out more about Dr. Park and his upcoming projects, click here.

What is Scholars and Saints?

Scholars & Saints is the official podcast of the University of Virginia’s Mormon Studies program, housed in the Department of Religious Studies. Scholars & Saints is a venue of public scholarship that promotes respectful dialogue about Latter Day Saint traditions among laypersons and academics. On this podcast, we dive into the academic study of Mormonism, engage recent and classic scholarship, interview prominent and up-and-coming thinkers in the field and reflect on Mormonism’s relevance to the broader study of religion.

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