Sharon Kimberly Williams, D.Litt

Dr. Sharon Kimberly Williams specializes in interdisciplinary courses in religion and cultures developed from the Africana, Black Church, and global south traditions. Her work grounds itself in the intersectionality of race, class, and gender. Dr. Williams' clinical research training was completed at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School through a partnership with the Religion and Global Health Forum at Drew Theological School. While serving as a doctoral research associate for the Forum, she developed programs and curriculums based on music and health, health equity/disparities, and music and spirituality in social activism. Her research also explores the study of peace and violence through the lens of spirit and justice. A former Justice Artist for the Social Justice Leadership Project at Drew, Sharon has performed sacred music and poetry all around the world. She is currently finishing her first book manuscript, a collection of creative non-fiction essays titled Breath | Voice | Fire.

• "A Theopoetics of Exodus and the Africana Spirit in Music," in Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquia: Africana Religious Studies, eds. Dr. Kenneth Ngwa, Dr. Arthur Pressley, and Dr. Aliou Niang. Fordham University Press, New York, (forthcoming 2023).

• The Inaugural Africana Faculty/Staff Recognition Award presented by the Black Ministerial Caucus (BMC) of Drew Theological
• Maxine Beach Excellence in Service Award was presented twice in Spring 2017 and Spring 2021 by the Student Association of the Graduate Division of Religion of The Theological School, Drew University, Madison, NJ, Spring 2021. 
• Dean Pain Community Service Award presented by the Graduate Student Association, The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, Drew University, Spring 2020.     
• Justice Artist, 2019-20, Social Justice Leadership Project, The Theological School, Drew University, Madison, NJ. 
• F. J. Yetter Prize in Old Testament Studies, Drew University, Spring 2019.  

• Panelist. Religion and Global Health Forum Panel. Global Health Catalyst Summit. Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Washington, DC. July 2022.
• Panelist. Religion and Global Health Forum Panel. Global Health Catalyst Summit. Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Washington, DC. November 2021. 
• Panelist. "Is Being Black Bad for Your Health?" 2020 Ronald H. Brown African Affairs Series, Health Forum. Presented by the Constituency for Africa, Johns Hopkins Medical Center Faculty event, September 2020. 
• Panelist. "What Does Breathing Mean to You?" Never Stop Breathing: A Movement for Health and Social Justice. Religion and Global Health Forum at Drew Theological School, Madison, New Jersey, August 2020.        
• Panelist, "Protest Songs as Catalyst for Change in the Struggle for Human Rights and the Restoration of Mental Health and Healing for Africana Communities. Religion and Health panel of the Global Health Catalyst Summit, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, May 2019. 
• Presentation, "This is MAGA Country?" Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium: Political Theology at the Edge: Collectivities of Crisis and Possibility, Drew University, Graduate Division of Religion, Madison, NJ, Spring 2019. 
• Presentation, "A Theopoetics of the Africana Spirit in Music." Transdisciplinary Theological Colloquium: Africana Religious Studies, Drew University, Graduate Division of Religion, Madison, NJ, Spring 2017. 

• Religion and Society
• Christian Social Ethics
• The Social Gospel
• Social Activism, Advocacy, and Reform
• Black Liberation Theology
• Black Church Studies 
• Africana Studies
• Post Colonialism/Global South
• Liberation Theology
• Progressive Theology
• Womanist Ethics/Theology
• Intersectionality
• Spirit and Justice
• Economic Justice
• Environmental Justice
• Music, Social Justice and Health Equity
• Spirituality and Healing 
• Africana Healing Arts