Scholars & 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.

Scholars & Saints is a education podcast hosted by UVA Mormon Studies, with 67 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

UVA Mormon Studies hosts Scholars & Saints, a education show with 67 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #5

  C. C. A. Christensen: Mormon Iconographer (feat. Jennifer Champoux)

  Aug 5, 20261h 11mS4

  Religious imagery—from Greco-Roman sculptures to The Chosen— has influenced the spiritual self-conception of generations of religious practitioners. But what innovations and contributions have Mormon artists made in this field, and how has it cultivated a distinct religious identity? Art historian Jennifer Champoux asserts that it was Danish-American artist C. C. A. Christensen who exerted the most influence over the visual trajectory of Mormonism. On this episode of Scholars & Saints , Champoux discusses her new book, C. C. A. Christensen: A Mormon Visionary (University of Illinois Press, 2026) with host Nicholas Shrum. Together, they explore Christensen's artistic style, his scriptural depictions in the 1890 Book of Mormon series, and his representation of Mormon experience and trauma in his Mormon panorama. More than just art history, Champoux dives deeply into how communal memory of trauma and shared religious identity are formed and communicated to Mormons by artistic visionaries like Christensen. Jennifer Champoux is the director of the Book of Mormon Art Catalog and scholar of Latter-day Saint art. In addition to her recent publication on Christensen, she is also the author of Approaching the Tree: Interpreting 1 Nehi 8 (Maxwell Institute, 2023) and co-author of Picturing Christ: Understanding Depictions of Jesus in History and Art (Deseret Books, 2026).

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #4

  The Life and Work of David O. McKay (feat. Brian Q. Cannon)

  Jul 8, 20261h 8mS4

  David O. McKay is one of the most famous presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But what about his writing and service make him, in the minds of many, the quintessential prophet? And how did his impact on the Church change its trajectory from previous generations? BYU History Professor Brian Q. Cannon, author of the most recent biography of David O McKay, Building a Global Zion: The Life and Vision of David O McKay (Signature Press, 2025) discusses these very questions with host Nicholas Shrum on today's episode of Scholars & Saints . The two examine the various primary sources documenting McKay's life — including the Clare Middlemiss diaries, his navigation of 20th century politics and anti-Mormon sentiment as a missionary and apostle, and, particularly, McKay's expansion of the Church to new peoples around the globe and the transition away from an American Zion to an ethnically and regionally plural religion. Brian Q. Cannon is the Lemuel Hardison Redd, Jr., Chair in Western American History at Brigham Young University, where he focuses on the social history of rural communities in the American West.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #3

  The Great Tradition of Mormon Oratory (feat. Richard Benjamin Crosby and Isaac James Richards)

  Jun 3, 20261h 7mS4

  The Latter-day Saint tradition features a prodigious number of eloquent speakers and famous speeches — from Brigham Young's sermons to Mitt Romney's "Faith in America" address. But how does this tradition, especially with its lack of formal homiletical training, boast such a rich, deeply ingrained, and democratic culture of public address? On today's episode of Scholars & Saints , host Nicholas Shrum probes these questions with Professor Richard Benjamin Crosby and PhD Student Isaac James Richards, editors of Latter-Day Eloquence: Two Centuries of Mormon Oratory (University of Illinois Press, 2026). Crosby and Richards discuss the oratorical culture in which Latter-day Saints are raised, as well as the different rhetorical topics commonly employed in public addresses, such as rhetorics of exaltation, Zion, and peculiarity. They also examine the adaptation of Mormon rhetoric and public image in response to cultural assimilation, as well as the impacts of the digital age on Latter-day Saint oratory and communication. Richard Benjamin Crosby is Associate Professor of English at Brigham Young University, where he studies and teaches rhetorical theory and practice, with an interest in political and religious communication. Isaac James Richards is a PhD Student in Communication Arts and Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University. He studies the history and theory of writing, rhetoric, media, and communication, with particular attention to the intersection of memory, religion, and democracy.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #2

  Mormon Temple Garments (feat. Nancy Ross & Jessica Finnigan)

  May 6, 20261h 17mS4

  Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have received special undergarments as part of their temple endowment ceremonies since the days of Jospeh Smith. But what are these garments? How do they fit and feel? How have they changed with fashion trends over the years? And how do Latter-day Saints perceive and experience these garments as an embodied practice of their religion? Researchers Nancy Ross and Jessica Finnigan sit down with host Nicholas Shrum to discuss these and many other questions from their brand-new book (co-authored with Larissa Kanno Kindred) Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret (University of Illinois Press). Having surveyed thousands of Latter-day Saints, Ross and Finnigan discuss their findings on the gendered difference in garment wearing, the ways in which garments make Mormonism feel embodied, the social costs of wearing — or not wearing — garments, the complexities of researching such a taboo topic, and the impact of these garments on the individual Latter-day Saints' relationship to the Church and God. Nancy Ross is an associate professor and the department chair of the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Department at Utah Tech University. She was also a 2024 Clyde Research Fellow in Mormonism and Gender in the UVA Mormon Studies Prince Collection. Jessica Finnigan is the founder of Fractional Project Manager and a seasoned researcher and data analyst. She has been researching and writing about Mormonism — particularly the experience of Mormon women — for over a decade.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #1

  The Latter-day Saint Legal Tradition (feat. Nathan Oman)

  Apr 1, 20261h 35mS4

  Perhaps no religion has had a more contentious or complex relationship with American law than Mormonism: from 19th century debates over polygamy to questions of church affiliated states. So how has Mormonism, particularly the Latter-day Saint tradition, negotiated the Western legal tradition within its own belief systems? And what is the Latter-day Saint legal tradition, whether explicit or implicit, that's emerged from these engagements? These are just a few of the many gripping questions William & Mary Law Schools' Rita Anne Rollins Professor of Law Nathan Oman asks in his 2026 book Living Oracles: Law and the Latter-day Saint Tradition . Professor Oman joins host Nicholas Shrum to kick off the newest season of Scholars & Saints through a comparative analysis and historical engagement of Latter-day Saint legal perspectives. Their conversation explores 19th and 20th century church courts, the evolving view of a divinely inspired U.S. Constitution, religious vs. secular views of marriage, and so much more. To learn more about Professor Nathan Oman, visit his faculty webpage .

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Scholars & Saints. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.