Monika Brodnicka, PhD
Dr. Brodnicka comes to SIT with experience teaching in large research universities and small liberal arts colleges in the United States, mainly The Ohio State University and Regis University. She received her PhD in philosophy, interpretation, and culture from SUNY Binghamton, with a specialization in African studies and a DEA (postmaster鈥檚 degree) in African philosophy and Islam from Universit茅 Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal. She is a founding member of The Dakar Institute of African Studies. She was awarded two Fulbright scholarships to study African spirituality in Serer, Bamana, Fulani, and Dagara traditions and continues to pursue research in those areas. Her monograph on the metaphysical dimension of West African traditional religions entitled, 鈥淟iving Tradition: Mystical Perception of Identity, Community, and Environment in West African Religions,鈥 addresses the fundamental aspects of this research. Dr. Brodnicka has also published articles, encyclopedia entries, and reviews in journals such as Journal of Religion in Africa, West Africa Review, Journal on African Philosophy, The Encyclopedia of Empire, and Contemporary French Civilization. Her most recent publications address mystical dimensions in African religions in countries such as Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Courses Taught
Rethinking Global Security: Religious Pluralism and Politics in Senegal
Senegal: Colonialism, the State and Society
Independent Study Project
Internship and Seminar
Select Publications
Brodnicka, M. (2021). 鈥淐reolizing the creolized through Amadou Hampat茅 B芒鈥檚 living tradition,鈥 Philosophy and Global Affairs, 1(2), 361-369 DOI: 10.5840/pga202192822
Brodnicka, M. (2020). 鈥淭he Ambiguous Path to Sacred Personhood: revisiting Ambiguous Adventure from the perspective of living tradition,鈥 Journal of World Philosophies, 5(Winter), 13-27.
Brodnicka, M. (2017). 鈥淪peech that Takes on Body and Shape: The World as Manifestation of Spirit in West African Religions,鈥 Journal of Religion in Africa, 47(3), 311-345.
Brodnicka, M. (2016). 鈥淚terations of the Divine: The Pursuit of Sacred Personhood in West African Spirituality,鈥 Journal of Academic Perspectives, 4, 1-20.
Select Presentations
鈥淯n dialogue de l鈥檜nit茅 脿 travers la diversit茅 dans la pens茅e 艙cum茅nique d鈥橝madou Hampat茅 B芒,鈥 Gingembre Litt茅raire 3eme 茅dition, 鈥淒ialogue des cultures et des religions,鈥 Mbour, S茅n茅gal 12/2021
鈥淎madou Hampat茅 B芒 and the Living Tradition,鈥 Colloque International: Amadou Hamp芒t茅 B芒: trente (30) ans d茅j脿, Universit茅 F茅lix Houphou毛t-Boigny, Abidjan, C么te d鈥橧voire 9/2021
鈥淭he deliberate power of speech: Amadou Hampat茅 Ba and the Hands that Have Ears,鈥 Caribbean Philosophical Association (CPA) conference, St. Croix, 4/2020 (cancelled)
鈥淒ecolonizing African Religions: The Synergistic Metaphysics of Senghor, B芒, and Hama,鈥 Caribbean Philosophical Association conference, Providence, Rhode Island 6/2019
鈥淭he Living Tradition: A Perspective on African Philosophy,鈥 Caribbean Philosophical Association, Dakar, Senegal 06/2018
鈥淭he Ambiguous Path to Sacred Personhood,鈥 Colloque International en Hommage au Professeur Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Soci茅t茅 S茅n茅galaise de Philosophie (SOSEPHI), Dakar, Senegal 12/2017
鈥淢apping Kaidara鈥檚 Mystical Path: The Tale of Initiation as a Mirror of Fulani Metaphysics,鈥 African Studies Association Conference, Chicago, IL 11/2017
鈥淎madou Hampat茅 B芒 and the Call to Indigenous Metaphysics,鈥 International Symposium 鈥淧resence Africaine: Towards New Political and Cultural Perspectives,鈥 Tokyo, Japan, 8/2017 鈥淢ysticism in African Philosophy,鈥 The Dakar Institute of African Studies Symposium, Dakar, Senegal 7/2017
Research Interests
West African religions, literature, and philosophy
Sufism and indigenous traditions in West Africa
Education
- PhD in philosophy, interpretation, and culture, SUNY Binghamton
- DEA in African philosophy and Islam, Universit茅 Cheikh Anta Diop
