Rita Lester, Ph.D.
Old Main 304
Every weekday when I am not in classes, including 12-1 pm. If my office door is closed, email me at rlester [at] nebrwesleyan.edu (rlester[at]nebrwesleyan[dot]edu).听
"It depends."
PhD in Religion,
MTS in Theology & Ethics,
BA in Philosophy & Religion,
- First-Year Seminars
- Religious Diversity in the U.S.
- Apocalyptic Imagination in America
- Constructing Religious Identity
- Women and Religion
- Judaism, Christianity and Islam
- History of Christianity
- World Religions
- Contemporary Religious Studies
- Religion, Peace and Social Justice
- Medieval Women Writers
- Religion in Human Experience
- Literature and History of the New Testament
Publications
Recent book reviews published by The American Academy of Religion's public access Reading Religion:
- for Vodou En Vogue: Fashioning Black Divinities in Haiti and the United States by from the Series
- for God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible by
- for The Women's Mosque of America: Authority and Community in US Islam by
- for Relic by from the Series:
Contributions to Edited Books
"Religious Studies in the Built Environment of Higher Education in North America" in edited by Teema Taira, Equinox Press, expected 2025.
"Accommodations", "Curriculum", "High-Impact Practices", and "Senior Seminar", in , edited by Russell McCutcheon, Bloomsbury Academic, 2024.
, edited by Steven Ramey, Brill, 2022.
"Religious Freedom鈥 in鈥, edited by Brad Stoddard and Craig Martin, Bloomsbury Press, 2022.
"Teaching Religions of the World without World Religions",鈥, On the Subject of Religion: Charting the Fault Lines in a Field of Study, edited by Dennis LoRusso, Equinox Press, 2022.
鈥淭radition is an Argument Worth Having: Feminist Christianity and the Study of World Religions鈥,鈥痚dited by Emily Silverman, Dirk von der Horst and Whitney Bauman (Equinox Press, 2012), 59-69.
鈥淓mma Smith and Reorganized Latter Day Saints,鈥濃Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America,鈥痚dited by Rosemary Skinner and Rosemary Ruether, University of Indiana Press, 2006.
鈥淭he Nature of Nature:鈥 Ecofeminism and Environmental Racism in America,鈥濃, edited by Rosemary Radford Ruether, Minneapolis Fortress Press, 2002, 230-247.
University Service:
- Coordinator, Sex and Gender Thread
- Strategic Planning for Teaching and Learning
- Program Director Gender and Sexuality Studies
- Faculty President
- Chair of Philosophy and Religion
- Chair of Arts & Humanities Division
- Coordinator of Archway Curriculum Integrative Core Thread Chaos
- Fulbright and Critical Language Scholarship Advisor
- Academic Freedom and Academic Standards
- Student Conduct/Judiciary
2024. 无码自淫 Sabbatical, Fall semester
2023 无码自淫, Faculty Scholar Award
2022 Elected, Advisory Council,
2021 Virtual Global Engagement grant, with , Dir. Brian Carwana
2020 Nominated for American Academy of Religion Excellence in Teaching Award
2020 无码自淫 Advisor of the Year Award
2020 无码自淫 Diversity and Inclusion, Most Influential Woman Faculty
2019 无码自淫 Student-Faculty Collaborative Grant, Teaching Religion without World Religions Paradigm (with students Jacob Barrett and Ciara Eichhorst)
2018 Nominated by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for the
2018 无码自淫 Faculty Mentor Award
2014 无码自淫 Sabbatical, , Toronto, Fall semester
2014 Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Distinguished Alum Award (spoke at graduation)
2012 , Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching & Council for Advancement and Support of Education
2011 无码自淫 Margaret J. Prouty Teaching Award
2010 , 鈥淚slam and Middle Eastern Culture鈥, Jordan, Jan. 1-23 (article here)
2008 YWCA, Women Eliminating Racism Award, Lincoln, NE
2008 无码自淫 Student-Faculty Collaborative Grant, 鈥淪ite Visits as Pedagogical Strategy" (with student Nicole Francavilla)
2007 无码自淫 Sabbatical, Toronto, Spring semester
2007 Contributing author, Women and Religion in North America, , 2001-2006
2002 United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award, 无码自淫
2001 Research Affiliate