Lesley A. Northup

Bio

My first love is ritual studies, particularly liturgics (religious ritual) and its relationship to secular ritual. Closely tied to this interest is the study of myth, especially theories of myth and ritual. Both of these fields connect with my work in American religion, where I focus on contemporary religious phenomena—for example, church, state and the constitution—and denominational studies but also cover 19th and 20th century US religious history. I am also interested in issues in women and religion, and have published Ritualizing Women and other works in the area of women's ritualizing. As a teacher, I bring a hands-on and personal approach to my students and to the course material. Some of my research has involved pedagogy, and I teach the department's pedagogy courses. As a Fellow and former Dean of FIU's Honors College, I am closely involved with undergraduate teaching. I have authored, edited, or co-edited seven books and lots of scholarly articles.