Mary-Joan Leith

Mary-Joan Leith

Professor of Religious Studies

mleith@stonehill.edu
508-565-1494
May 204
Religious Studies & Theology

Biography

Professor of Religious Studies and Theology Mary Joan Leith has taught at Stonehill College since 1993. As a graduate student at Harvard University, she participated in archaeological excavations in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and Jordan.

At Stonehill she teaches courses on the Bible and the religion, history and culture of the Ancient Near East and Greece. In addition, she offers a popular course on the Virgin Mary. 

Her research and publishing centers on three disparate areas: the archaeology and history of Israel in the Persian period (539-333 BCE); early Christian art and archaeology; and the Virgin Mary. She is the author of The Wadi Daliyeh Seal Impressions in the Discoveries in the Judean Desert series. She has written a number of articles about Israelite and Samarian identity. Her most recent book is The Virgin Mary, published in 2021 as part of Oxford’s Very Short Introductions series.

Education

  • B.A., Harvard/Radcliffe College
  • M.A., Ph.D., Harvard University

Courses Taught

  • God Doesn't Do Religion
  • Gods, Kings & Justice in the Ancient World
  • Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
  • Introduction to the Old Testament
  • Introduction to the New Testament
  • Mirror of the Renaissance (Learning Community with Prof. Allyson Sheckler, VPA)
  • Pagans and Christians (Learning Community with Prof. Allyson Sheckler, VPA)
  • Power and Propaganda in the Ancient World (Learning Community with Prof. Allyson Sheckler, VPA)
  • Renaissance Virgin Mary (Learning Community with Prof. Allyson Sheckler, VPA)
  • Sacred Space from Mt. Sinai to Ground Zero (Freshman Seminar)
  • Violence & Sex in the Bible
  • The Virgin Mary
If you think you know what to expect in a religious studies class, Associate Professor Mary Joan Leith would like you to think again. She challenges preconceived ideas by integrating new ways of learning into her classes.

For You