Season 3 Episode 1 of the Scholars & Saints Podcast Now Available

Scholars & Saints Returns for an Exciting Third Season

The third season of Scholars & Saints has begun! Host Nicholas Shrum (PhD Student in American Religions at the University of Virginia), continues to explore some of the most pressing issues, unique histories, and cutting-edge methods in Mormon Studies.

Season 3 Episode 1 – Where Mormonism Meets Tax Law (feat. Sam Brunson)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always been a great case study in the limits of religious liberty and tolerance in America. But what can the history of Mormonism tell us about U.S. tax history? According to Loyola University Chicago School of Law Professor Sam Brunson, quite a lot!

Kicking off this new season of Scholars & Saints, Dr. Brunson sits down with host Nicholas Shrum to discuss his new book, Between the Temple and the Tax Collector: The Intersection of Mormonism and the State. Dr. Brunson details the rich history of tax law as it relates to the LDS Church, from tithing in Nauvoo to Brigham Young’s hefty federal income tax liability. Throughout this history, Dr. Brunson examines specifically how taxable status—notably tax exemptions—are a cornerstone of American religious liberty that tie the church and the state together more intricately than the Jeffersonian doctrine of a “wall of separation” might imply.

To find out more about Dr. Brunson 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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Listen to Previous Episodes of Scholars & Saints