On Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 2:00pm in the Betty Strong Encounter Center auditorium, author and historian Scott Culpepper will lead a guided tour of Mary Queen of Scots’ (1542-1587) remarkable life and times in this interactive presentation. Admission is free, but freewill donations encouraged.

Mary lived an ironic life marked by early triumph, painful tragedy, shocking scandals, and a surprising posthumous victory. She inherited the Scottish throne as an infant and lost it as an adult only to have her heirs inherit the whole of England and Scotland.

Scott Culpepper is an author, historian, and speaker creatively exploring the history and mystery of human experiences. He holds a Ph.D. from Baylor University and specializes in the history of the early modern Atlantic world, focusing on how fear and faith have shaped and been shaped by history from early modern Britain to modern America. The Demonologists’ Daughters, his debut novel, was published by Scotland Publications in 2024 and the sequel, The Demonologists’ Legacy, was released in 2025. His nonfiction book Francis Johnson and the English Separatist Influence was published by Mercer University Press in 2011. He teaches courses in history and religious studies at Dordt University in Iowa where he lives with his wife, Ginger. He loves history, spooky tales, reading, writing, swimming, and spending time with his amazing family.