Department of Religion

Profile

At Whittier College Dr. Windham-Hughes designed an undergraduate major in Theatre History and Dramatic Criticism around her passion for the arts. A lifetime of experiences in church and at camp plus one life-changing course in Latin American Liberation Theologies in the spring of her junior year convinced her to pursue the study of religion in graduate school. Colleen completed a Master's degree in Divinity at Claremont School of Theology and shaped a doctoral degree in Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, around interdisciplinary connections among Christian thought, practical engagement, and critical reflection. A Deacon in the United Methodist Church, Colleen's experience includes university teaching, ministries with youth, children, and adults, and curriculum development for religious studies at an elementary school in Santa Barbara, California.

Education

Ph.D. in Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2010

M.Div., Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA, 2001

B.A., Theatre History and Dramatic Criticism, Whittier College, CA, 1996

Expertise

Dr. Windham-Hughes's dissertation, "The Horizon of Birth," brings together philosophical inquiry into existence, theology, and political participation. In addition, Dr. Windham-Hughes teaches courses in Christian thought, religion and modernity, and religion in culture.

As Director of the program in Theology and Christian Leadership Dr. Windham-Hughes works with students, congregations, and community organizations to develop internship experiences.

Publications

"Education," in Religion and Everyday Life and Culture, Volume Two, eds. Richard D. Hecht and Vincent F. Biondo. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2010.