Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Report

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

History

Committee Chair(s)

Afsane Rezaei (Committee Chair)

Committee

Afsane Rezaei

Committee

Jeannie Thomas

Committee

Patrick Mason

Abstract

This thesis is a study on women’s religious communities, and the vernacularized traditions practiced by the women themselves from a folkloric perspective. Examining the creative and meaningful ways women find to interact with their faith on a daily basis, this thesis proposes a natural cycle of religious participation which allows the women to move between active and passive participation roles within their religious communities, and creates equitable spaces for women by relying on the communal reciprocity of the group.

By focusing on individual women and their experiences and belief practices as part of a larger community of religious practice, this thesis gains insights into how women function within, and influence, their religious groups. The lens of vernacular religion, with its emphasis on the individual’s interpretation and practice of faith, helps see the value in centering experiences and stories of a singular person. This “slice of life” perspective focuses on two women and their experiences, gives insights into larger patterns of communication and practice within women’s religious communities, and how women actively shape their own engagement in religious performance. Foodways, religious tradition, and personal interpretation of participation emphasizes the fact that when creating their religious communities, women often favor gender over shared religious denomination.

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