Gale Kenny

Gale Kenny is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Barnard College. Her research examines the intersections of religion, race, and gender in the United States, alongside the imperial and transnational dimensions of American religious movements. She has authored two notable books and published in leading journals such as Slavery and Abolition and Journal of the Civil War Era.

Her work critically analyzes liberal religion, focusing on Protestant foreign missions, antislavery activism, and early campaigns for women's rights. Currently, she is researching the life and career of theosophist leader Katherine Tingley, exploring her controversial influence on spiritual movements.

At Barnard, she teaches foundational courses like Religion in America I and II, Religious Histories of New York City, and seminars on themes such as 'Cults.' She also leads the department’s methodology courses, Religion Lab and Senior Seminar.