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Itohan M. Idumwonyi

Leadership Team Member

Itohan M. Idumwonyi

Itohan M. Idumwonyi is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and a lively

interdisciplinary scholar. The pillars of her interdisciplinary scholarship intersect with

African religions, African diaspora religions, African studies, Sociology of religion,

African Womanist Theology, Women’s Religious History, and Religion and Gender.

The structure of these creative areas is characterized by the rigorous ethnographic

exploration of innovative acumens, which she maps out in her research, teaching, and

publications. She has authored over eighteen works in leading journals and book

chapters, including her most recently published monograph, Crashed Realities?: Gender

Dynamics in Nigerian Pentecostalism (Brill, Dec. 2023). Crashed Realities interrogates a

shifting goalpost for women in male-founded Pentecostal churches. Her second

project explores Widowhood succession in African Pentecostal churches. Her research

employs theories and articulations from African-womanist religious thought and

gender politics to highlight religious resources in negotiating boundaries of human

transformation and flourishing. Her research and scholarship have won generous

funding.


Idumwonyi comes to Gonzaga University with over a decade of teaching and research

experience from the University of Benin, Nigeria. She had served as a Research

Fellow and Program Officer for the African Women Empowerment Guild (AWEG),

a non-profit organization in Benin City.


With her excellent experience and strength in teaching and scholarship, Itohan M.

Idumwonyi is not just a role model for students, but also a source of inspiration. Her

commitment to ongoing learning and student mentorship is unwavering. Her

pedagogical style is designed to inspire students to challenge preconceived notions

and conventional boundaries, and to embrace the reality of the pluralized world. This

approach prepares them for a life-long journey of learning and growth.

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