By Anne Clamp
Since her arrival at USC in August of 2005, Dr. Stephanie Y. Mitchem has been a tremendous asset to the Religious Studies Department. She stresses the need to study all aspects of culture in order to understand both religions and the plight of women, especially women of African-American descent.
As the author of Womanist Theology, she advocates use of theology as a tool to "liberate all people, regardless of race, gender or class," as well as the importance of emphasizing the voices of both black women and the black community. Dr. Mitchem currently serves as a co-editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion and serves on the American Academy of Religion's "Status of Women in the Profession" Committee. She is also the author of African American Women: Tapping Power and Spiritual Wellness and has just completed her newest work, African-American Folk Healing.
This semester, Dr. Mitchem is teaching an innovative course centered on the anthropological study of religions through their healing practices, SCCC 362R/ RELG594H: Proseminar in Religion & Healing (Anthropology and Religion). In this course, students are encouraged to study the faith healing practices of various religions and to present their findings in formal presentations at the end of the semester. In her joint appointment, Dr. Mitchem works with both the Religious Studies Department and the Women's Studies Program.
