Article in Church Times

Christian studies. David Law has written a public facing piece "Saint in Zanzibar, headache in Lambeth: Bishop Frank Weston (1871-1924)" for the Church Times. Further information.

Affective Artefacts Seminar

Magic. Wednesday 6th November, the Affective Artefacts Seminar welcomes archaeologist Nigel Jeffries (MOLA) and historians Owen Davies and Ceri Houlbrooke (Hertfordshire) to speak about their exciting interdisciplinary project, Early Modern Witch Bottles: Concealed and Revealed. Ellen Wilkinson, A3.7 at 4pm.

Spotlight on Ruth Hadley-See Toh, alumna

Religion and politics. Dr Ruth Hadley-See Toh was a student on our MA programme on Religion and Political Life and went on to complete a doctorate on the concept of tolerance, supervised by Dr Michael Hoelzl. She now works in the Civil Service in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and leads a small team representing the UK’s interests in multilateral agriculture reform negotiations at the World Trade Organization. Ruth was recently part of the UK team that attended the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi alongside the UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade, and regularly travels to Geneva to cover negotiations.

Research Seminar Talk

Islamic studies. Centre for Translation and Intercultural Studies talk welcomes Dr Kamran Khan (University of Birmingham) on the topic 'Regimes of Shibboleth Consciousness: Justice making, Language and ‘Muslims’. Thursday, 7 November, 2–3.30pm. Further information.

Abduction of Weizmann bronze busts, University of Manchester

Jewish history. The BBC reports: "Police are investigating reports of a burglary at a university in which two busts of the first president of Israel were taken. Footage circulating online showed two masked people smashing a glass display case in the University of Manchester's chemistry building and removing two busts of Chaim Weizmann, who had been a lecturer there in the early 1900s." The University has issued an appeal for tolerance. See the CJS's online exhibition on 'Manchester and Zionism' for more information on the role of Manchester and the University in the modern history of the Jewish national movement.

Ehrhardt Seminar

 

Biblical Studies.  7 Nov. Our recent PhD Awardee, Dr Anna Budhi-Thornton will give a paper titled "Jesus the Model Man? Ancient masculinities and the Jesus of the Johannine Passion Narrative". 4pm in Uni Place 6.207 and hybrid access. Tea and light refreshments will be served in the Religions and Theology Common Room on the first floor of the Samuel Alexander Building from 3pm. For further information and Zoom link, please email Lynne Potts.

Religion & Theology Seminar

Religion & Theology. 14th November, James Lorenz (York St John University) "Through the Attentive Lens: Film, Time, and Contemplation" in University Place 6.207 and online. 4-6pm. For online access, please email Siobhán Jolley or Scott Midson.

PhD Studentship

Christian theology. Applications for the Lincoln International Doctoral Studentship/Mark Gibbs Studentship (2025 entry) are now open. The funding is available to an international student undertaking study in the theological understanding of the church’s mission, broadly understood. The studentship covers tuition fees and an annual stipend. Further information.

Screen & Talk

UK Jewish Film Festival. The Centre for Jewish Studies is a proud sponsor of the screening of award-winning shorts programme British-Jewish Life on Film on Tuesday 19 November 2024, 18:00, at HOME, Manchester. This event includes a pre-screening pitching event for UKJF short film funding at 17:00, and a post-screening networking reception. This event is part of the UK Jewish Film Festival 2024.

NSS conversation appeal

National Student Survey. A few years back our department of Religions & Theology was one of very few subject areas in the University to achieve the legendary 100% student satisfaction score, and the only religious studies department with publishable results in the Russell Group to do so. We'd like to achieve this again and that means asking you, our students, for feedback and ideas on what we could do to improve your satisfaction. We're particularly interested in hearing about improving assessment and feedback, and also how encourage a  greater student voice. If you have a suggestion, please send it to our Head of Dept, Daniel Langton, or to our Staff-Student Liaison Officer, Eve Parker.

New Publication

Jewish history. Daniel Langton, 'Wandering Jews in England’s Green and Pleasant Land: Wissenschaft des Judentums in an Anglo-Jewish Context' in Hebrew Union College Annual 94 (2023), 235-284. Further information.

International Workshop Paper

Dead Sea Scrolls. George Brooke presented a paper on 'What the Manuscripts Indicate: Reading Backwards from the Dead Sea Scrolls' at a two-day workshop on 'How Hellenistic is the Pentateuch?' at the Collège de France, Paris, 8–9 October.

New Editors

Biblical studies. Holly Morse and Siobhán Jolley have been appointed Subject Area Editors for Visual Arts for the Encyclopaedia for the Bible and Its Reception.