New Publication

Biblical studies. Kent Brower (NTC) has recently published "'Am I my brother's keeper?:' Reflections on Identity and Love in Romans 14:1--15:13," Neotestamentica 58.2 (2024): 227-247. Further information.

International Conference Paper

Christian Studies. Steve Wright (NTC) is chairing the panel "Modern Transformations of Prayer" at the European Academy of Religion in Vienna (8-12 July) where he will also present the paper "Prayer at the Far Edge of Humanity: Finitude, Anxiety, and Prayer in Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard." Further information.

British New Testament Society at Manchester

Biblical studies. The University of Manchester will host the British New Testament Society annual meeting 2025, Monday 1 September - Wednesday 3 September 2025. Register for the conference here.

New Publication

Biblical studies. George J. Brooke has co-edited a volume "Missing Pieces: Essays in Honour of Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar" along with Arjen F. Bakker, Bärry Hartog, Hindy Najman, Mladen Popović, and Pierre Van Hecke. This collection of essays is dedicated to Eibert Tigchelaar. Individual studies engage with new approaches to materiality, hermeneutics, digital humanities, and philology in the context of biblical research. The articles reect on reading practices, methodological innovation, textual criticism, and ancient fragments. Particular attention has been given to new approaches to the material aspects of ancient manuscripts. There are also extensive treatments of translations and reconstructions across Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic biblical traditions. Overall, the essays honour the work of Eibert Tigchelaar in the ways they build on his incisive insights and exemplary contributions. George's chapter is titled: "Probing the Principles of Principal Editions of the Dead Sea Scrolls". It has been published by Brill. Further information.

Student Prize Winner - European Association of Biblical Studies

Biblical studies. Kengoro Goto (NTC; PhD candidate) was awarded the EABS student price 2025 for his paper "Introduction of Four External Benchmarks for the Assessment of the Regional Association of Biblical Texts." Congratulations Kengoro! Further information.

Planetary Humanity & Theological Inquiry Video

Religious Traditions. Peter Scott was interviewed for a film called “Planetary Humanity: Astrobiology’s Invitation to the Humanities”. The dialogue captured by the film was part of a research project organized by the Centre of Theological Inquiry in Princeton. A collection of essays from the project Astrobiology, Religion, and Society: Considering Life on a Planetary Scale is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press. Watch it here.

International Conference

Biblical studies. Thanks to a grant from Nijmeegs Fonds voor Feminisme en Religie, Siobhán Jolley and Tom de Bruin (Radboud University) hosted the "Liberating Biblical Women? Feminist Afterlives of the Bible in the 21st Century" symposium on 1 July 2025. From Manchester, Siobhán presented "Feminist Afterlives: A Haunting", and Holly Morse presented "Eve: The Fantasy and the Fear".

New Publication

Biblical studies. HRF Mary E. Mills has published "Transmutational spaces in Isaiah: between picture postcard and void" in Literature and Theology. Further information.

Going Beyond Belief Highlights

Public resource. Going Beyond Belief is an educational resource we in the Department of Religions and Theology have created in collaboration with the team behind BBC Radio 4’s ‘Beyond Belief’ programme. We have designed a series of webpages to support students in schools and colleges access a collection of innovative research produced by researchers at the University and the rich resource that is the Beyond Belief archive. “It’s a unique way to learn about Religions and Theology,” said Holly Morse, senior lecturer in Bible, Gender and Culture at The University of Manchester, who has co-ordinated the development of the resource. “We are particularly excited about the way the collaboration with the BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief team gives students access to different kinds of material beyond textbooks.” Over the next few months we will be highlighting in the newsletter different topics covered by Going Beyond Belief, so keep an eye out!

Book Talk, Manchester Jewish Museum

Jewish Studies. CJS HRF Professor Tony Kushner will present his latest book, 'The Jewish Pedlar: An Untold Criminal History' at Manchester Jewish Museum on 31st July at 6pm. This thought-provoking work offers an imaginative investigation into a little-known historical crime, shedding new light on themes of migration, marginality, and Jewish life in Britain. The talk promises to open up fresh perspectives on overlooked aspects of Jewish and British social history. The event will also be an opportunity to learn more about the services of Jewish Historical Society of England (JHSE) and their membership scheme. £5 tickets for Under 30s. Further information and tickets here.

Staffing Update

Religions & Theology. Congratulations to Dr Sarah Parkhouse on her appointment to the post of Lecturer in Biblical and Early Christian Studies (fixed term). She will complete her British Academy Fellowship and take up her post from 1 Sept 2025.

Undergraduate Excellence in Religions & Theology 2024–25

Student prizes. Congratulations to this year’s prize-winners in Religions & Theology! Asha Joseph (first year) receives the Bishop Lee Junior Greek Testament Prize for the best examination result in New Testament Greek. Edward Bullock (second year) receives the Philip Alexander Prize for the highest module grade in undergraduate Jewish Studies. The Undergraduate Dissertation Prize for Religious Studies for the best dissertation is awarded to Dorothy Brock for her project ‘Mothering Martyrs: did politico-religious discourses on 'Mothers of Martyrs' during the Second Palestinian Intifada influence expressions of grief among women in the West Bank?’. The Brandon Memorial Prize for the best work in comparative religion is awarded to Arrchana Lingarajah for the dissertation ‘Can religiousness in ethnic minority youth be attributed to an attachment to their cultural heritage? An analysis using UK university students' practice and perceptions of their religious identity since becoming independent.’ The Dastur Kutar Prize for best undergraduate dissertation in Non-Western Religious Studies is awarded to Katia Moussallati for her work on ‘The Indigenization of Christianity in the Pasifika: From Coconut Theology to the Climate Crisis - How did the form of Christianity brought by the colonialists differ from the version of Christianity that was adopted by the colonised peoples of the Pasifika?’. Finally, the Religion and Social Responsibility Dissertation Prize for the best undergraduate dissertation that explores a social or ethical challenge at the intersection of religion and social responsibility is awarded jointly to Natalie Newell for ‘Jokes, Identity and the Line We Draw: A critical investigation into how the identity of a stand-up comedian informs the acceptability of their comic material’ and Annabel Egberts for ‘Levinas's Philosophy and Its Relevance in Understanding Contemporary Forms of Evil and Moral Obligation’.

Nominations for Outstanding Staff Awards

Staff excellence. Has a lecturer, supervisor or member of staff this year had a positive impact on your learning? Why not nominate them for a Faculty of Humanities Outstanding Staff Award. Students can nominate in eight Award categories, including Outstanding Academic Advisor, Outstanding Dissertation Advisor (UG and PGT), and Outstanding Teaching. A list of categories and criteria, as well as further information and links for the nomination forms, can be found on the Outstanding Staff Awards student intranet webpage. The closing date for all nominations is midnight on 21 July 2025.