Season 3 Episode 2 of the Scholars & Saints Podcast Now Available

Nicholas Shrum discusses Latter-day Saint queer theology with Taylor Petrey

The third season of Scholars & Saints continues! 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 2 – Queering the Mormon Cosmos (feat. Taylor Petrey)

Mormonism has been stereotypically conceived of as a patriarchal, heteronormative religion, from its past polygamy to its male-only priesthood. But what happens if you apply a queer studies lens to the faith?

This task was taken up by Kalamazoo College’s Chair of Religion Taylor G. Petrey in his recent book, Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos. On today’s episode of Scholars & Saints, Dr. Petrey discusses the results of such an analysis with host Nicholas Shrum, focusing particularly on deep relationships of care known as kinship. From considering the gendered inter-relations of the Godhead to the role of Heavenly Mother, Dr. Petrey seeks to open up the world of Mormon theology to consider new cosmologies for underrepresented people groups.

To find out more about Dr. Petrey 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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