Digital Exhibition

Buddhist studies. The digital artwork connected to the Leverhulme-funded “Fear and Belonging in Minority Buddhist Communities” project is now online. ‘grasp, grasp’ by Sian Fan is a digital artwork which draws on the anonymised life stories of members of two different Buddhist communities, collected by University of Manchester researchers Erica Baffelli and Jane Caple. The work is a web-based experience filled with emotive photography and soundscapes, which traverses multiple pathways. It changes shape, operating in different sequences and moving in different directions, inviting viewers to reflect on the ephemerality of emotions. “It hopes to emulate the feeling of being submerged in all the stories all at once, creating an undefined but reflective wash of emotion and experience. It explores how, in people’s everyday lives, fear exists as an undercurrent, weaving in and out of quotidian experiences. It considers fear’s entanglement with belonging and explores how these states coexist in tension. Without attempting to pin it down, the work hopes to assert the complicated beauty of human experience. It seeks to form a blurry vision of lives lived, that, with your gaze soft and your grip gentle, you can find yourself enveloped within.” ‘grasp, grasp’ is made to be experienced on desktop; it works best on Chrome. Please take your time in exploring it here.

Keynote Paper

Biblical studies. Siobhán Jolley gave a keynote at the Bible and Contemporary World conference in St Andrews. The lecture was called 'Reading the Magdalene Otherwise: Contemporary Art and Liberative Meaning-Making', and brought together Magdalene reception, contemporary art, and the ways biblical figures are continually reinterpreted and reimagined. Further information.

New Publication

Intellectual history. Former Leverhulme Fellow and current Academic Affiliate Visitor Dr Samuel O'Connor Perks has published 'Narrating crisis: World War I, American labour and Ammon Hennacy’s conversion to Christianity, 1914–1940' in Intellectual History Review, 1–18. Further information.

New Book Publication

Biblical studies. Honorary research fellow Walter Houston has published God’s World, Our Work: A Study of Work in the Bible and in Today’s World with Cascade Books. The book introduces readers to the extensive material concerning work in the Bible, some of it viewing work positively as the will of God for humanity, some of it negatively as violent and exploitative. The book is aimed at both scholars and a wide readership. Further information.

Paper Presentation

Religion and politics. Michael Hoelzl gave a paper at a networking symposium at Florence (24th-27th of September, 2026). The Symposium analysed the role of religion in authoritarian and neo-colonial political systems today. The overall title of the networking symposium was "Political Theology of Authoritarianism". Speakers from Italy, the US, Brazil, India and the UK discussed the emergence and existence of new forms of authoritarianism with regards to the role of religion. The meeting was funded by Diaconia Valdese and NYU.

Spotlight: Alumni Profile

Careers. Izabela Mogielska graduated with a BA Philosophy and Religion degree and now works as a Campaign Media Executive at This is Gain. On her journey from degree to career, Izabela writes, 'My degree prepared me for the role of Campaign Media Executive by developing my critical thinking skills, which are particularly valuable when creating plans involving complex strategies. Additionally, it has helped me build confidence in presenting, which is especially useful when working directly with clients.' Read more about Izabela's job and advice for current students.

BBC Culture Interview

Bible and art. Siobhán Jolley was interviewed for a BBC Culture feature 'Penitent sinner or fiery saint? Mary Magdalene is one of the Bible's most divisive figures'. As well as speaking about the art featured in the article, Siobhán is also curating a touring art exhibition Mary Magdalene: Woman and Myth. Further information.

New Book Publication

Religion, Philosophy, and Law. Guy Baldwin (Law) has published Liberty of Conscience: Justification and Limits with Bloomsbury. The book shows that protection of liberty of conscience (often called religious freedom) is warranted because of its importance to the exercise and development of the two moral powers of individuals that comprise their moral personality: the power to judge right and justice, and the power to form and pursue a conception of the good. However, some possible limitations for the right relating to the rights of others and the common interest flow from this rationale. Utilising this theoretical account, the book analyses two case studies at the limits of religious freedom in the law of the UK and USA: pandemic lockdown restrictions on religious gatherings, and non-discrimination laws in their application to same-sex couples. Further information.

Biblical Bodies Event

Biblical studies. Please join the Centre for Biblical Studies for the next event in the Biblical Bodies project, a guest lecture from Professor David Tombs on "Scraps of Dignity: The Crucifixion Loincloth and a Blue Plastic Bag." Weds 28th October, 4-6pm. Samuel Alexander SG16. The event is hybrid, but since David will be visiting from Aotearoa New Zealand it would be great to see as many of you in person as possible. For those beyond the University, a quick RSVP to Siobhán will help with planning, especially if you are able to join us in person. If you have any access needs, please also email Siobhán.

New Publication

Biblical studies. Honorary fellow Prof Loveday Alexander has published “Luke’s Urban Imagination” in John Kloppenborg (ed.), Early Christianity in Civic Space (BETL 343; Leuven: Peeters, 2026). This was a contribution to the 2023 Colloquium held at KU Leuven in July 2023.

Careers Service: Support for new and returning students

For students. Did you know we have a dedicated Careers Service here at UoM? Check out @uomcareers for support with part-time jobs, exploring career options, help with job applications and much more: bit.ly/uom-careers. We also have an Autumn Careers Fair upcoming on 20th & 21st October, 11am-4pm Whitworth Hall.

Sisters of Sinai Prize Judge

International collaboration. Sarah Parkhouse is serving as a judge for the Sisters of Sinai Prize for outstanding scholarship in Christian apocrypha. The prize is named in honor of Agnes Smith Lewis and Margaret Dunlop Gibson, sisters who are responsible for a number of significant collections of texts and translations based on manuscripts they viewed or acquired in their travels to Egypt and the Sinai in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Further information.

Sherman Community Lecture 2026

Jewish Studies. Dr Jonathan Boyd (London Institute for Jewish Policy Research) will give the next Sherman Community Lecture (co-sponsored by the Jewish Rep Council of Greater Manchester) entitled "British Jews in 2026: Where are we now, and what might the future hold?". Monday 19 October 2026 8pm (online). Further information.