Literature Group

Being Jewish in Victorian Fiction. Run by Sherry Ashworth, a PhD student at the Centre for Jewish Studies, this course will serve as an introduction to three late-Victorian novels: Daniel Deronda on 26 Oct (register here), Reuben Sachs on 31 Oct (register here) and Children of the Ghetto on 14 Nov 2019 (register here). Each session will run from 6.00 - 7.30 pm in the Lower Ground Floor activity room at the Manchester Central Library. Please register for each session individually through the Eventbrite links. There is no charge for participants and places are limited. Further information.

Screen & Talk

Jewish film festival. Sponsored by the Centre for Jewish Studies, the screening of 'Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles'. Sunday 17 November 2019 3.40pm, HOME. Early booking is highly recommended. This screening is part of the UK Jewish Film Festival taking place on 6-21 November 2019. Further information.

Public debate, Humanism

Leaving Religion. Faith to Faithless (Humanists UK) present 'Leaving Religion in the UK', a special discussion event to be held at the University of Manchester, 13 November 2019. Further information. 

Public Lecture, Oxford

Christianity and Culture. As part of the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture's Theological Anthropology and Bioethics lecture series, Scott Midson (Manchester) will present 'Projection and Reciprocity in Social Robotics', 11 November 2019. Further information. 

Public event, Manchester Cathedral

Living with and loving machines. Scott Midson will be showcasing some short films based on his research on love and robots. 18 Nov, 7pm, Manchester Cathedral. Further information.

Conference paper, Leiden University

Abrahamic Faiths. Alan Williams will give a paper entitled ‘Exile and Absence from the True Homeland: the Topos of Exile in Religious Literature’, focused on the Abrahamic traditions. Day conference on 'Persian Diasporic Poetry', Leiden, 15 November 2019. Further information.

Research Seminar, Manchester

Religions and Theology. Thomas Harvey (Oxford Centre for Mission Studies) will discuss 'Back to the Future: Xi Jinping, Civil Society and Religious Policy'. 21 November 2019. Further information. 

Reading group, Phenomenology

Art and phenomenology. Alex Samely will convene the reading group on 'Phenomenological Engagements with Art', with works by Heidegger, Levinas, and Nancy. The next meeting will be 30 Oct at 5pm in  Seminar Room 1, Graduate School, Manchester University, Ellen Wilkinson Building Section C. Further information.

Application deadlines: visiting research fellows

Methodist Studies. Each year the Manchester Wesley Research Centre and the University of Manchester fund a visiting researcher to work on, amongst other things, the largest Methodist Archives in the world, which are held at our university's Rylands Library. Read the reflections of Dr Stéphanie Prévost, our most recent fellow. For descriptions of previous projects and more information for those interested in applying for the fellowships (deadlines 13 and 31 Jan 2020), see further information.

Call for papers, JMRN

Jewish-Muslim Relations. JMRN Conference 2020: Beyond ‘Jewish-Muslim Relations’ 19-20 May 2020, The University of Manchester. Keynote Speakers: Najwa al-Qattan (Loyola Marymount University), Seth Anziska (University College London), Yulia Egorova (Durham University), and Brian Klug (Oxford University).  Call for papers deadline for submissions 1 December 2019. Further information.

Research Seminar, Manchester

CANCELLED Religions and Theology. Aaron Hughes (Rochester, NY), will present 'The Shīʿa are the Jews of Our Umma: Rethinking Alterity in Medieval Islam'. 7 November 2019. Further information. 

Study Day, OxNet

Study Day at Ashton Sixth Form College. Scott Midson will present a talk entitled 'Why not marry a robot?' to A-level students belonging to the OxNet widening participation network in the northwest of the UK. Fri 8 November 2019.

Synagogue Music, Manchester

Jewish Voices. Dr Stefania Silvestri will introduce her current research project '50 Jewish Objects', and included in this is a unique musical manuscript that has been reinterpreted by Ruti Worrall, director and composer, which will be performed by the Menorah Synagogue Choir 5:30pm on 7 November. Further information. 

Funding, Impact development

REF Impact Case Study. Benedict Kent and Peter Oakes have been awarded School impact support funding of £1000 for their New Testament and Pompeii project.

New publication

South Asian Studies. Ketan Alder, 'Authority, ethics and service (seva) amongst Hindu nationalists in India’s assertive margins' in Neo-Hindutva Evolving Forms, Spaces, and Expressions of Hindu Nationalism. Eds, Edward Anderson, Arkotong Longkumer (Routledge: 2019). Further information.

Panel, Sheffield University

Biblical Studies. Holly Morse is a participant on a book review panel with Martin O’Kane to celebrate the publication of Cheryl Exum’s new book, Art as Biblical Commentary. Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, 4 November 2019. Further information.

50 Jewish Objects event

Jewish Voices: Songs from the collections. An evening event in the Historic Reading Room of the John Rylands Library with a talk by Stefania Silvestri and a performance by the Menorah Synagogue Choir directed by Ruti Worrall. 5.30pm 7 Nov 2019 at the John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester. The event is free but places are limited, book here.

Consultancy, Central European University

Political Theology. Michael Hoelzl has been appointed as external evaluator by the Central European University (Budapest/Vienna) for the 2020  Summer School 'Political Theology of the Early Church from the New Testament to Justinian'.  

Public Event, Luther King House

Ageing and Spirituality. A research symposium entitled 'Ageing and Spirituality' will be held at Luther King House in 14 November 2019. Further information. 

Teacher training

Christianity and Hinduism. Registration is open for 'Understanding Religious Lives Through Story: A CPD Event for School teachers New Resources for teaching Christianity and Hinduism', co-organised by John Zavos. 9am-5pm, Tuesday 5 November, University of Manchester. Contact Sonja Bernard for further information.

CIDRAL, Manchester

East Asian Studies. Mark Mullins (Auckland) presented ‘Neo-nationalism, Japanese Religions, and the Politics of Restoration’, 18 October 2019. Further information. 

Family Event, Manchester

Robots and Families. Scott Midson co-organised a fun family event, 'Meet the Robots', on Saturday 7 September at St Chad's Church, Withington. Further information. 

Research Seminar, Manchester

Religions and Theology. PhD student Caleb Gordon will present 'Theology, Aesthetics & Environmental Ethics: A Critical Proposal for the Inclusion of Aesthetic Experience in Theological Approaches to Environmental Ethics'. October 24 2019. Further information. 

Podcast, Bogdanow Lectures 2019

Holocaust Studies. The 2019 Bogdanow Lectures by Prof. Tony Kushner (University of Southampton) on 'Illegality: Jews and Other Humans' are now available to view online. The lectures are entitled: (1) The Concept of Illegality: Defining the ‘Other’, and (2) Illegality and the Migrant Experience: From Mandate Palestine to Lampedusa. Originally presented 23 and 24 Sept 2019. Further information.

Graduation, partner institution

Congratulations to all graduates of the Nazarene Theological College. Religions & Theology at the University of Manchester is proud to partner and validate the Nazarene Theological College. Watch the highlights of this year's graduation ceremony.

Events programme for Religions & Theology

Seminars and public lectures for 2019-20. Many of the department's planned events are available to see as a single online listing. Further information.

Seminar, Religions and Theology

Religion and Black Power. Kerry Pimblott (History) will present ‘Beyond De-Christianization: Rethinking the Religious Landscapes and Legacies of Black Power in the Age of #BlackLivesMatter’, 10 Oct, 2pm. Further information. 

Seminar, Ehrhardt Seminar

Biblical Studies. Mary Mills (Newman), will present ‘Memorialising Jeremiah’s Jerusalem: Walking the City with Walter Benjamin’. 10 Oct, 2pm. Further information. 

Blog entry, 50 Jewish Objects

Judaica artefacts.  As part of the 50 Jewish Objects project, in addition to 3 major artists' commissions, 10 artist will set up performances of song, dance and stage, deliver workshops, or create smaller-scale art, related to the items that Stefania Silvestri has selected from the John Rylands Library collections. Here is the first of a series of blogpost by the artist Helena Tomlin. Further information.

Centre for Biblical Studies, Ehrhardt Seminar

Biblical Studies. Mary Mills (Newman), ‘Memorialising Jeremiah’s Jerusalem: Walking the City with Walter Benjamin’. Ehrhardt Seminar series, 10 Oct, 2pm, Room 5.206, University Place. Further information.

Manson Memorial Public Lecture

New Testament Studies. Andréas Dettwiler  (Geneva) will present at the Manson Memorial Lecture on 'Pauline Churches as “Learning Spaces” – Colossians and Ephesians as a Test Case'. 2pm on 17 October 2019. Further information.

Research Seminar, University of Glasgow

Biblical Studies. Dr Holly Morse (Manchester) presented a paper entitled ‘The Desiring Eye: Seeing Sex in the Hebrew Bible’ at the Theology & Religious Studies seminar, University of Glasgow, 4 Oct 2019. 

Manchester Literature Festival

Jewish Literature. PhD student and novelist Sherry Ashworth will chair an event with the author Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, at the Manchester Literature Festival 2pm 20 Oct 2019 at Manchester Central Library. Further information.

Scriptural encounters

Reading challenging sacred texts. Scriptural Encounters bring together different faiths to debate and discuss controversial topics. The next meeting will on the theme of Holy Places. Come along and listen or take part in the discussion. 4:00-5:30pm, Thu 17 October 2019, in A115 Samuel Alexander building, University of Manchester.  Further information.

Seminar, Jean Monnet Centre

Religion and radicalisation. Dr Margarita Markoviti (Université Libre of Brussels) presented ‘From the Burqa to the Crucifix: Religious Freedoms and European Governance in a Context of Increasing Radicalisation’ at Manchester, 2 October 2019. Further information. 

Seminar, Department of Art History and Cultural Practices

Arts and religion. Emily Christensen (Courtauld Institute) presented ‘How Do You Induce a Sense of Revelation? Wassily Kandinsky’s Adaptation of Techniques from Persian Paintings’ at Manchester on 2 October 2019. Further information.

Beyond Belief, Radio 4

Islamic Studies. Alan Williams was invited to participate in a special Radio 4 Beyond Belief programme about the poetry of Rumi to be recorded on Sunday 29th September at in front of an audience at the BBC’s ‘Contains Strong Language’ Festival in Hull. Further information.

Academic Review, Netherlands

Islamic Studies. Alan Williams was a member of the Review Team for the University of Leiden Review of the Leiden Institute of Area Studies (LIAS) and Netherlands Inter-university School for Islamic Studies (NISIS) 11-13 June 2019.

Conference, Amsterdam

Abraham Faiths. Alan Williams was invited to contribute to the European Academy for Religion and Society (EARS) conference ‘Judeo-Christianity and Islam: contested narratives’, hosted by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam at the Doopsgezinde kerk in Amsterdam on the 17th and 18th of October (Keynote Speaker Prof. Graham Ward).