Mary Churchill
Contact
Office Hours
Dr. Mary C. Churchill is a lecturer at Sonoma State University whose teaching and scholarship explore the connections between religion, culture, gender, and Indigenous traditions. Her interdisciplinary approach encourages students to examine diverse perspectives and better understand the relationships between history, identity, and society.
Biography
Dr. Mary C. Churchill teaches in Liberal Studies, Native American Studies, American Multicultural Studies, and Women's and Gender Studies at Sonoma State University.
Her academic work focuses on American Indian religious traditions and women and religion, bringing together perspectives from religious studies, cultural history, and gender studies.
Before joining Sonoma State in 2007, she taught at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Iowa. She also held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Her scholarship has appeared in academic journals and edited collections exploring religion, gender, and Native American women's experiences.
Education
Ph.D., Religious Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara
M.A., Religious Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara
B.A., Social Welfare
University of California, Berkeley
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University
Academic Interests
- Native American Religious Traditions
- Women & Religion
- Religious Studies
- Indigenous Cultures & Histories
- Gender & Feminist Studies
- American Multicultural Studies
- Cultural Identity & Representation
- Religion, Society & Social Change
Concentrations
Native American Religious Traditions
Exploring the religious beliefs, practices, and cultural histories of Indigenous communities.
Women & Religion
Examining women's religious experiences and the relationships between gender, belief, and society.
Gender & Feminist Studies
Investigating gender, identity, representation, and feminist perspectives across cultures.
Multicultural & Interdisciplinary Studies
Connecting religion, history, culture, and social experiences to understand diverse communities.
Research
Dr. Churchill's scholarship examines American Indian religious traditions and the intersections of religion, gender, and cultural identity.
Her work contributes to interdisciplinary conversations about women's religious experiences, Native American cultural traditions, and the representation of Indigenous women.
Her research draws on religious studies, feminist scholarship, and multicultural perspectives to explore how beliefs, traditions, and social experiences shape communities.
Selected Publications & Presentations
Dr. Churchill's work has appeared in several academic journals and edited collections.
Academic Journals
- Journal of the American Academy of Religion
- Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion
- American Indian Quarterly
Book Contributions
- Sacred Rights: The Case for Contraception and Abortion in World Religions
- Reading Native American Women: Critical/Creative Representations
Her publications reflect her interdisciplinary research in religion, gender, Indigenous studies, and cultural representation.