Maria Tedesco, PhD

Maria Tedesco is Associate Teaching Professor of Islam at Seattle University. She holds a BA and an MA in Islamic Studies from the University of Naples “L’Orientale” in Naples, Italy and a Ph.D. in Social and Political Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. Her research interests lie at the intersection of Islamic studies, political theology, and political science, with a particular focus on contemporary Islamic political movements in the Middle East and in the US. At Seattle University she teaches courses on religion, such as “Introduction to Islam”, “Gender and Sexuality in Islam”, “Islam and Politics” and “Religion, Conflict and Peace”. In all of her classes she strives for a student-centered pedagogical approach that is interactive and inclusive, and she aims at exposing students to a multiplicity of religious interpretations, practices, and movements. Her work has been published in the Journal of Political Theology and in several edited collections.