Leslie Dorrough Smith, Ph.D., is the Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Religious Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. She specializes in the study of American evangelicalism and gender, race, and politics and publishes widely on a variety of topics. Her two latest books include Compromising Positions: Sex Scandals, Politics, and American Christianity (Oxford 2020), which examines the racial and gendered dynamics of American Christianity that influence the shape of the American political system. Her newest work (with Dr. Steven Ramey, University of Alabama) is Religions of the World: Questions, Challenges, and New Directions (Equinox 2024), which is a World Religions textbook that examines, among other things, the politics behind how we approach the world’s religions. Dr. Smith is a frequent speaker for both local and national organizations and events.
Publications:
Books:
2020 (author) Compromising Positions: Sex Scandals, Politics, and American Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press.
2020 (co-edited with Steffen Führding and Adrian Hermann). Hijacked: Examining the Rhetoric of Good and Bad Religion. Sheffield: Equinox.
2019 (editor) Constructing “Data” in Religious Studies: Examining the Architecture of the Academy. Sheffield: Equinox.
2014 (author) Righteous Rhetoric: Sex, Speech, and the Politics of Concerned Women for America. New York: Oxford University Press.
Forthcoming book (with Prof. Steven Ramey). A Critical Approach to the World’s Religions. Sheffield: Equinox
I have also authored numerous articles, chapters, and blogposts having to do with religion, gender, and popular culture.
Awards:
Professor of the Year, 2020
Distinguished Scholar Award, 2020
Medal of Honor, 2018