Jenna Gray-Hildenbrand is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Middle Tennessee State University. She serves as co-director of the Religious Studies program. Gray-Hildenbrand is presently working on two projects. The first investigates the history of the criminalization of serpent-handling in Appalachian Christian churches. The second, in collaboration with Martha Smith Roberts, analyzes the various spiritualities emerging within the hula hooping subculture.

Research Interests:

Religion and law in the United States, new religious movements, religion and media, gender and religion, race and religion, and theory and method in religious studies.

Publications

Hula Hoop Spiritualities: Social Media, Embodied Experience, and Communities of Practice