Izabel Solis
izabelsolis@SanDiego.edu
(619) 260-4132
Chair and Professor, Theology and Religious Studies
- Ph.D., Boston College, Theology
- M.A., Boston College, Theology
- B.A., Gonzaga University, Psychology and Religious Studies
Karen Teel, PhD, has been a member of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies since 2007 and an affiliated faculty member with the Department of Ethnic Studies since 2013. Her courses in Christian and, more specifically, Catholic theology invite students to consider biblical, historical, and contemporary perspectives on the essential beliefs of Christianity. Dr. Teel’s research and teaching endeavors emphasize theological engagement with the problems of racism and white supremacy.
Scholarly Work
Dr. Teel speaks and writes on various dimensions of Christian complicity and participation in racism and white supremacy in the United States. Bringing Christian theology into critical, creative engagement with these problems, she strives to illuminate their historical and contemporary complexity. To this end, Dr. Teel works extensively with theologies from underrepresented groups, particularly black and womanist theologies, as well as with literature from relevant fields such as sociology, philosophy, and critical race theory. Her own identity as a white cisgender woman explicitly informs her interdisciplinary work.
In her book, Racism and the Image of God, Dr. Teel engages the works of womanist theologians to begin developing a theology of the body that compels white Christians to resist injustice, particularly the sin of racism. She regularly publishes book chapters and articles. Her essay “White Supremacy and Christian Theology” won the College Theology Society’s award for the best article published by its members in 2018. Her articles have appeared in journals including Black Theology, the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Theological Studies, and Critical Theology.
Dr. Teel is an active member of the American Academy of Religion, the Catholic Theological Society of America, and the College Theology Society. She is also an active affiliate member of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium.
Areas of Interest
Dr. Teel’s courses immerse students in diverse Catholic and Christian perspectives on essential beliefs of Christianity, such as God as Trinity, Jesus as savior, and the human person as the image of God. Students study foundational articulations of Christian faith, including the Bible, and encounter various contemporary perspectives. Liberation theologies are prominent, especially black, womanist, and feminist theologies, and other critical theological engagements with racism and white supremacy.