Religion and Philosophy Alumnae
Read about what alumnae of Meredith's Religion and Philosophy program are doing now, or fill out our Alumnae Survey.
Meredith’s religion majors have taken varied paths after graduation. Here are just a few examples.
Phyllis Trible, ’54: Internationally known Biblical scholar Phyllis Trible earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion from Meredith in 1954. A professor of Biblical studies at the Wake Forest University Divinity School, Trible is considered a leader in the text-based exploration of women and gender in scripture. She is the author of the books “God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality,” “Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narrative,” and “Rhetorical Criticism: Context, Method and the Book of Jonah.” Read more about Phyllis Trible in a recent interview with Meredith Magazine.
Amelia Stinson-Wesley, ’90: Rev. Amelia Stinson-Wesley has used her Bachelor of Arts in religion and psychology in a variety of ways. She has worked as a pastor and a missionary in locations such as Cambodia, India, Thailand and Australia, founded two non-profit organizations, and directed a battered women’s shelter/rape crisis center. Currently, she is a stay-at-home mom and founder/director of World Connections for Women, an organization that works on sustainable development projects in developing countries. Of her work, she says “The most rewarding aspect of my non-profit work is being able to travel to developing countries and feeling like I’ve truly helped make a positive difference in the world.”
Dana Turnage, ’01: Turnage earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion from Meredith College. She now works for ARD, Inc., a Washington, D.C., international development consulting firm, helping prepare proposals to win US Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts for international development projects. She is also working part-time toward a master’s degree in international education at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with plans to graduate in August 2007. Turnage is the recipient of a David L. Boren Fellowship, which allowed her to spend September through December 2006 in Rabat, Morocco. The David L. Boren Fellowship is awarded to students who desire to study languages, cultures and regions that are important to or have an impact on the United States.
Kat Spangler, '05: Spangler, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion, with a minor in history, is a student at Duke Divinity School. She will graduate in May 2008. She chose to major in religion at Meredith because she planned to go to divinity school after earning an undergraduate degree. "I felt that majoring in religion would help prepare me more for divinity school." Spangler said her campus visit to Meredith was the deciding factor when she was choosing a college "I loved that it was a small campus; I met with some professors who put me at ease. It was such a welcoming place."
Lauren Byrd, ’06: Byrd earned a Bachelor of Arts in religion and history from Meredith College. She is in graduate school at Appalachian State University, earning a master’s degree in public history. Byrd said she chose religion as her major after taking the Biblical Literature and History course. “It is important to major in something you are passionate about [and] I really enjoyed the class,” Byrd said. “I took other religion courses and found they were my favorite classes so I knew I had to major in religion.” After graduate school Byrd plans to work in small museums with collections and exhibits that allow her to put the knowledge she gained at Meredith in both history and religion to use.
