Philosophy and religion chair discusses women’s religious leadership in American history

Geoffrey Pollick, an associate professor of religious studies and chair of Radford University’s Department of Philosophy and Religion, recently appeared on the “With Good Reason” public radio program to discuss his research on women's religious leadership in U.S. history.

Pollick’s interview focuses on Annis Ford Eastman, a 19th-century congregational minister and suffrage activist who was among the first women ordained in a mainstream American Protestant denomination.

“I trace how debates over women's religious leadership, from the 1880s to present-day prohibitions on women pastors, follow patterns rooted in deeper questions about the nature of religious authority and who gets to exercise it,” Pollick explained.

In addition to women’s religious leadership, Pollick’s research examines religion’s entanglements with political radicalism in the United States; the role and dimensions of religious liberalism; and religion in healthcare and popular culture. He works closely with Radford students in the philosophy and religious studies major as they pursue their own research on religion, culture and society. Pollick also works closely with students minoring in Radford’s religious diversity for care professions program.

Pollick’s interview is part of a show titled “Women at Work,” and can be heard on the “With Good Reason” website or your favorite podcast app. 

“With Good Reason” is produced by Virginia Humanities for the Virginia Higher Education Broadcasting Consortium, which comprises all of Virginia’s public colleges and universities.

The award-winning program is broadcast each week on 136 radio stations in 36 states, including Virginia and Washington, D.C. Thousands more download the episodes via iTunes.