Didsbury Lectures 2025

Christian Theology. Over the four evenings of 27-30 October, HRF Stephen Barton gave the Didsbury Lectures 2025 at the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, on the theme, ‘The conversion of the emotions in early Christianity’. The lectures were live-streamed and are accessible on here on YouTube. 

New Publication

Biblical Studies. Peter Oakes, ‘Did Paul Write for Asterix? The Extent of Celtic Ethnicity in Galatia and the Audience of Galatians’, in The First Urban Churches 8: Galatia and Lycaonia, ed. James R. Harrison and L.L. Welborn (Writings from the Greco-Roman World Supplement Series 13; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2025), 91-112. Oakes' article examines inscriptions and other evidence to assess the extent to which people in Galatia and among Paul’s audience might be seen as having Celtic ethnicity, in various senses ranging from genetics to language use, material culture and self-identification. Further information.

International Mentoring Award

Mentoring and Social Responsibility. A massive congratulations to Holly Morse who has been awarded the Society of Biblical Literature's 2025 Status of Women in the Profession Outstanding Service in Mentoring Award. Holly accepted the award this November in Boston. Further information.

Classics Research Seminar

Septuagint studies. The Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology (CAHAE) research seminar invites you to hear a paper by Thomas Ford from Münster titled ‘A Fragment of Septuagint Habakkuk from Trinity College, Cambridge’. Thursday 27 November, 5pm, Sam Alex A115. The seminar will be followed by a reception.

Religion & Theology Research Seminar

 

Religion & Theology. 8th December: Alex Samely (UoM) "The Two Worlds of the Reader: Text World and Life-world in a New Theory of Reading." 3–5pm in Samuel Alexander A116 and online. Email Siobhán Jolley or Holly Morse for the online link. 

Rylands Showcase

Community engagement. As part of the Rylands 125th Birthday Open Night, Jeremy Penner and Sarah Parkhouse will showcase a selection of manuscripts related to their upcoming 'Coptic in Manchester' UKRI project. Dec 4th, 5:30–8pm GMT, John Rylands Research Institute and Library, 150 Deansgate. Further information.

New Publication

Religion and theology. HRF Seoyoung Kim has published ‘Glocal Church Praxis on Water Justice’ in International Journal of Public Theology, Volume 19, Issue 2 (June 2025), Pages 169-184. The article explores the significant role of churches in advocating for and realizing water justice, particularly in the context of a glocal water crisis. Further information.

Chair of Trustees

Social responsibility. Peter Oakes is a Trustee at London School of Theology and has now been appointed as Chair of Trustees. LST is a non-denominational college providing training in theology, counselling and worship studies. The college currently has just under 370 students, drawn from a range of church denominations, largely across the evangelical spectrum. A particular distinctive is the Theology, Music and Worship degree, which draws on lecturers who are songwriters and performers in gospel music and other contemporary genres. 

Conversation with Yehudis Fletcher Event

Jewish studies. MA student Yehudis Fletcher will feature in the Sandra Seltzer Silberman Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Conversations Series on November 18, 2025 4.30pm (11:30 am EST), held online. Fletcher has recently published her memoir 'Chutzpah! A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality and Daring to Stay' with Penguin and is an author, scholar and activist within her Charedi community. Further information and zoom link here.

Career Spotlight: Editorial Assistant

For students. If you love working with language, ideas and getting things ready for publication, an editorial assistant role could be for you. Editorial assistants support the whole process of bringing content — whether books, journals, online articles or magazines — from manuscript to finished product. With your RELT degree, you’ve developed strong research and writing skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to think critically about meaning and context — all of which are useful in this role. A profile on the role is available on Prospects. Check it out for more details and then book a careers meeting to explore how your skills could map into editorial and publishing.

Event: Jewish Women and Women’s Rights at Manchester Jewish Museum

Jewish studies. On Thursday, 27 November, Manchester Jewish Museum is hosting a panel discussion on Jewish suffragettes and Jewish women’s experiences. The event is presented in collaboration with the Pankhurst Museum and will feature our Honorary Research Fellow and recent PhD grad, Sherry Ashworth. Along with Poppy Beswick (Pankhurst Museum), Robyn Ashworth-Steen (the first woman Rabbi appointed in Manchester) and Esty Bruck (The Friendship Circle), they will explore the pivotal role of Jewish women in the suffrage movement and their enduring influence on modern feminism. Discounted £5 tickets for attendees under 30. Further information.

Recruiter in Residence - Teach First

Employability. Part of the new Recruiter in Residence programme and open to all students, this is your chance to meet recruiters from Teach First and find out about their roles. This is a great opportunity to gain an insight into what a leading graduate recruiter looks for in a potential candidate and receive hints and tips for a successful application. You might also want to speak to them about their selection processes, their company culture, what a typical day would entail, or even find out more about their sector as a whole. Thursday 13th November, 11:00-15:00, Ground Floor University Place, no need to book. 

Faith Stories on Campus

Interfaith Week 2025. 'Faith Stories on Campus' is a collaborative event for the Faith and Belief Forum for sharing personal stories, taking part in group reflections, and co-creating a commitment of practical ways to make campuses more inclusive and supportive for people of all faiths and none. There will be hot drinks and snacks, but it is recommended to eat dinner before or after. Anyone who studies or works at a university in the North of England is welcome. Wednesday 12 November 6pm to 8:30pm Room 1.008, Roscoe Building, The University of Manchester, Brunswick Street, M13 9PL (accessible). Register for further details.