He previously taught at the American University in Cairo. His research focuses on Sufi Islam as it relates to gender, forms of knowledge, authority, and performance. Since 2001, Hill has conducted ethnographic research on the global Fayḍa Tijāniyya Sufi movement among the movement’s members in Senegal and Mauritania. His current publications examine the gendered performance of religious knowledge and authority among Fayḍa adherents, especially among its female leaders, and on the use of mystical discourses and practices to negotiate and resolve potential conflicts. Additionally, he has recently begun to examine the rise of performances genres such as hip hop and Sufi dance in the Fayda community as controversial yet effective vehicles for drawing young people into the religious community.