subject nationality name article_title citizenship occupation alma_mater
theology united states of america rita gross rita gross
 united states of america retired university of chicago
rita gross

rita gross -lrb- born 1943 -rrb- is an american buddhist feminist theologian and author .
before retiring , she was professor of comparative studies in religion at the university of wisconsin -- eau claire .
in 1974 gross was named the head of `` women and religion '' , a newly created section of the american academy of religion .
she earned her phd in 1975 from the university of chicago in history of religions , with the dissertation `` exclusion and participation : the role of women in aboriginal australian religion . ''
this was the first dissertation ever on women 's studies in religion .
in 1976 she published the article `` female god language in a jewish context '' -lrb- davka magazine 17 -rrb- , which jewish scholar and feminist judith plaskow considers `` probably the first article to deal theoretically with the issue of female god-language in a jewish context '' .
gross was jewish herself at this time .
in 1977 gross took refuge with chögyam trungpa rinpoche , becoming a tibetan buddhist .
in 2005 she was made a lopön -lrb- senior teacher -rrb- by jetsün khandro rinpoche , and she now teaches at jetsun khandro rinpoche 's lotus garden center , located in the united states .
