Natalie Readnour
Graduate Candidate in Religion and Culture
Natalie Readnour is a Ph.D. candidate in Religion and Culture at Southern Methodist University. Her dissertation, titled Altars of Desire: Latina Feminist Perspectives on Altar Building, Motherhood, and Embodied Knowledge, uses Black and Chicana feminist theory to articulate how domestic altar making constitutes a form of “(m)otherwork” among Mexican American Catholic women, as they use the home altar to communicate values of justice and relationality to their families and wider communities. She received a B.A. in Religious Studies and Sociology from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and a Master of Divinity from the Boston University School of Theology, where she also received a certificate in Theology and Latinx Studies.
Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Harold J. Recinos
Publications:
“Women Giving Birth to Themselves: Liminal Motherhood and Liberation in the Work of Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Frida Kahlo.” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. Under revision with the journal editor.
Presentations:
“Nuestra Señora de un Poquito de Justicia.” Paper presented at The American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Denver, CO, November 2026.
“Mothering La Raza: Guadalupan Altarcitos and Epistemological Authority.” Paper presented at The American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Denver, CO, November 2026.
“Altars of Desire: Embodied Liberative Practice among Latina Women.” Paper presented at The Southwest Commission on Religious Studies Annual Meeting. Las Colinas, TX. March 2026.
“Women Giving Birth to Themselves: Liminal Motherhood and Liberation in the Work of Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Frida Kahlo.” Paper presented at The American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA. November 2024.
“Connecting to God After Abuse: Altars of La Virgen de Guadalupe Among Survivors of IPV.” Paper presented at The American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA. November 2024.
“She-Preachers: Austin College Women in Ministry.” Panelist. The R. Girard Lowe Lectureship, Austin College. Sherman, Texas. February 2024.
Fellowships/Awards:
HTI/Lilly Dissertation Fellowship
Hispanic Theological Initiative | 2026
Madeleva Fellowship
St. Mary’s College Notre Dame | 2025
En Conjunto Fellowship
Hispanic Theological Initiative | 2023–Present
Raíces Latinas Fellowship
Boston University School of Theology | 2020–2023
Phi Alpha Theta
National History Honor Society
The Catherine Rosalie Fincher Kucera Scholarship for an Outstanding Student in Religious Studies
Austin College | 2019
The John S. and Rachel Heard Fellowship for an Outstanding Student in History
Austin College | 2019
The Russell V. Rogers Sr. Memorial Scholarship for an Outstanding Student Studying for the Ministry
Austin College | 2018
