E-mail: Lelwica@cord.edu

Office Phone:

(281) 299-3436

Office:
Academy 205

Religion 100 Links

Michelle Lelwica

Education:

Th.D., Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MA, 1996

*Topic: Religion, Gender, and Culture

M.T.S., Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, MN, 1989

*Topic: Christianity and Culture

B.A., College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN 1986

*Major: Humanities

*Minor: Theology

Professional Experience:

*Associate Professor of Religion, Concordia College, 2001-present

*Co-Director of Women’s Studies, Concordia College, 2002-present

*Assistant Professor of Religion, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA, 1997-2001

*Director of Women’s Studies, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA, 1998-2001

*Teaching Assistant, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 1991-1996

Scholarly Projects and Publications:

CURRENT RESEARCH/PUBLISHING ACTIVITY

The Religion of Thinness: Unmaking Women’s Spiritual Hungers. With Cissy Brady-Rogers (Carlsbad, CA: Gürze Books, forthcoming 2007).

PUBLICATIONS

Redefining Womanhood(?): Gender, Power, and the “Religion of Thinness.” Anthropology of Food Journal (Spring 2006).

“The Violence of ‘Perfection’: Power, Images, and the Female Body in American Popular Culture,” in The Subjective Eye: Essays in Culture, Religion, and Gender, eds. Richard Valantasis and Janet Carlson (Edwin Mellin, 2006).

Starving for Salvation: The Spiritual Dimensions of Eating Problems among American Girls and Women. Oxford University Press (1999).

"Losing Their Way to Salvation: Women, Weight-Loss, and the Salvation Myth of Culture Lite," in Religion and Popular Culture in America, eds. Bruce Forbes and Jeffery Mahan, University of California Press (1999).

"Liberating Learning and Deepening Understanding: Reflections on Feminist Pedagogy -- as a Student, as a Teacher," in the Journal of the Center for Women and Religion, Volume 17 (Winter 1999).

"Fulfilling Femininity and Transcending the Flesh: Traditional Religious Beliefs and Gender Ideals in Popular Women's Magazines," in Journal of Religion and Society, an online journal published by the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Creighton University, Volume 1 (Summer 1999).

"From Superstition, to Enlightenment, to the Race for Pure Consciousness: Anti-Religious Currents in Popular and Academic Feminist Discourse." Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Volume 14, no. 3 (Fall, 1998).

"Nudity." Encyclopedia of Women and World Religions, edited by Serenity Young. Macmillan Publishing (1998).

CONFERENCE PAPERS

“Embodying Learning: Post-Cartesian Pedagogy and the Academic Study of Religion,” a paper to be presented at the annual American Academy of Religion conference in Washington, D.C. November 2006.

“The Spiritual Dimensions of Eating and Body Image Conflicts in the Clinical Setting,” a paper co-presented with Cissy Brady-Rogers at the Thirteenth Annual Renfrew Center Foundation Conference: “The Changing Face of Eating Disorders: Feminist Perspectives,” Philadelphia, PA, November 2003.

"Leg-lifts, Calories, and Other Spiritual Matters: Third Wave Feminism and an American Religion of the Body." Paper presented at the annual American Academy of Religion conference in Denver, CO, November 2001.

"Too Busy to Breathe: Negotiating the Boundaries between Life and Work." Paper presented at the national teleconference "Women's Lives, Women's Voices, Women's Solutions: Shaping a National Agenda for Women in Higher Education," Minneapolis, MN, March 2000.

"Facing Food: Denial of Health and Spirituality." Paper presented as part of the Keynote Panel of the "Soul 2 Soul II: Women, Spirituality, and Health" conference, sponsored by the Center for Women & Religion, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, October 2000.

“Fulfilling Femininity and Transcending the Flesh: Traditional Religious Beliefs and Gender Ideal in Popular Women’s Magazines.” Paper presented at the annual American Academy of Religion Conference, Orlando, FL, November 1999.

“Losing Their Way to Salvation: Women, Weight-loss, and the Soteriology of ‘Culture Lite.’” Paper presented at the international “After the Body” conference, Manchester, England, June 1998.

"Models of and for Womanhood: Popular Iconography of Femininity." Paper presented at the Upper Midwest regional American Academy of Religion conference in St. Paul, MN, April 1998.

"From Superstition, to Enlightenment, to the Race for Pure Consciousness: Anti-Religious Currents in Popular and Academic Feminist Discourse." Paper presented at the annual American Academy of Religion conference in Philadelphia, PA, November 1995.

"The Good, the True, the Beautiful Female Body: The Politics of Representation in Media Culture's 'Model' Women." Paper presented at the annual American Academy of Religion conference, Washington DC, November, 1993.

INVITED LECTURES AND PANEL PARTICIPATION

“Challenging the Religion of Thinness,” lecture presented at Morningside College, Sioux City, IO, October 2006.

“Indulge and Refrain: The Logic of Capitalism in the Religion of Thinness,” lecture presented at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, March 2006.

“Deconstructing the Myth of Thinness: Cultural Critique as Spiritual Practice,” lecture given as part of the “Girl Culture Lecture Series” at the Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center in Moorhead, MN, January 2006.

“Health is a Feminist Issue” panel participant at the Women in Action Conference at North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, October 2005

“Reproductive Rights” panel participant at North Dakota State University during Women’s History Week, March 2004.

“Third Wave Feminism” panel participant for the Women in Action Conference at Minnesota State University -- Moorhead, September 2003.

“Challenging the Religion of Thinness: What Christians Can Learn from the Jewish Tradition,” Lecture presented at the Jay Phillips Center for Jewish-Christian Relations, College of St. Benedict, October 2002.

“Postmodern Spirituality and the Faith of College Students.” Lecture presented to the Sisters of Mount St. Benedict, Crookston, MN, October 2002.

“The Power of Knowledge: Women’s Studies as An Intellectual Path and A Spiritual Journey.” Lecture presented in honor of Women’s History Month, St. Mary’s College of California, March 2002.

“The Spirituality of the Body.” Lecture presented at Princeton Theological Forum for Youth Ministry, Princeton University, NJ, May 2001.

“The Ritualization of the Female Body: Women’s Weight-Loss Practices” Lecture presented at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, March 2001.

“Secular Icons of Womanhood: A Critique of Media Images of Women,” Lecture presented to the Lamorinda chapter of NOW (National Organization of Women). Dublin, CA, February 2001.

“Body-Hatred as A Spiritual Crisis and Social Disease,” Paper presented to students, faculty, and staff at the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, February 2001.

Honors and Awards:

DISTINGUISHED ALUMANA AWARD, College of Saint Benedict (2006)

BRINGING THEORY TO PRACTICE START-UP GRANT, an Independent Project in Partnership with AAC&U and funded by the Charles Engelhard Foundation (2005-2007)

FACULTY APPRECIATION AWARD, voted on by seniors of Saint Mary's College (1998)

HARVARD DISSERTATION SERIES (declined), Harvard Divinity School (1997)

DEAN'S DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP, Harvard Divinity School (1993-1994)

TEACHING CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION, Harvard University (1992)

DISTINCTION ON GENERAL EXAMS, Harvard Divinity School (1992)

MAGNA CUM LAUDE, College of St. Benedict (1986)

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