Faculty

Susan Setta

Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Office: 365 Holmes
Phone: 617-373-7699
Email: s.setta@neu.edu

Since I first entered kindergarten in Pennsylvania—I’ve loved the classroom and never left. In the over twenty-five years that I have taught at Northeastern, I have been privileged to help students discover the joy of studying religion from an academic perspective.

As a professor of religious studies, I see my task as twofold. One is rather obvious: to open the world of the academic study of religion to students. The second flows from that and focuses on teaching tolerance. Every student in my class is reminded that before they ask a question of another tradition, they must first face the question themselves.

In class, I aim to teach students basic factual material so their fluency in theology and practice increases. More importantly, I try to show them how to analyze religions on their own.

My own research focuses mainly on marginal religions. Because of this, I am particularly interested in groups founded by women. My earliest research was on Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers. I am currently studying charismatic authority in a variety of new religious movements.

Education:

A. B. Wilson College, 1971
M. A. Hartford Seminary Foundation, 1973
Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University, 1979