Online seminar, Oxford Three Faiths

Jewish Studies. CJS Hon. Research Fellow Michael Hilton will be contributing to an online webinar on the topic of 'Light in the Dark: A Three Faiths Celebration'. Oxford Three Faiths, 7.00-9.30pm, 29 November 2021. For registration, see further information.

ITL fellowship awarded to undergraduate student

Higher Education and new technologies. Congratulations to Emen Hussain (3rd year, Religions & Theology) who has been awarded a fellowship (FHEA) from the Institute of Teaching and Learning for her presentation at the HEA Teaching and Learning Conference 2021 entitled ‘Post COVID, does technology enhanced learning offer a more equitable and empowering learning space for students than the traditional classroom? A student-led, students' view.’ Further information.

Training Workshop, Methodist Church

Religion and racism. Andy Boakye will deliver a training workshop for a group of 25-30 Methodist ministers from across Greater Manchester with preaching responsibilities on the link between text and contemporary racial harmony issues. 28 November 2021.

PhD completion

Biblical Studies. The Department would like to congratulate Justin Daneshmand on the successful defence of his doctoral thesis 'The Elusive Jesus of Luke-Acts in Its Ancient Mediterranean Literary Context'. His supervisors were Prof. Peter Oakes and Prof. Stephen Todd (a Greek literature specialist from the Classics department), and the external examiner was Mikeal Parsons (Baylor University, Texas). Justin is now teaching (in between dodging fires and floods) at a college near Lake Tahoe, California.

Event Programme, Luther King House

Christian theology. Luther King House is one of our partner institutions and is located in nearby Fallowfield. It represents Baptist, Methodist, United Reformed and Unitarian traditions. Their programme of activities will be updated shortly.

Event programme, Nazarene Theological College

Christian theology. The Nazarene Theological College is one of our partner institutions and is located in nearby Didsbury. Associated with the Church of the Nazarene, which emerged in the nineteenth-century, NTC belongs to the World Methodist Council. See their programme of activities, including the Didsbury Lectures on 'Beyond Charity: Rethinking Gift and Community with Paul', 25-28 Oct 2021.

Centre for Jewish Studies research seminar

Modern Jewish history. Jaclyn Granick (Cardiff University), International Jewish Humanitarianism in the Age of the Great War. 16:00 - 18:00 25 November 2021. The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) and the Centre for Jewish Studies (CJS) are hosting this Seminar on Jewish humanitarianism. In 1914, seven million Jews across Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean were caught in the crossfire of warring empires in a disaster of stupendous, unprecedented proportions. In response, American Jew..

Religions & Theology Research Seminar

South Asian Studies. Dr Katherine Brown (University of Birmingham) “Extremist Myths and Extremist Masculinities in Indonesia, Philippines and Pakistan”. 16:00 - 17:30 25 November 2021. The Religions & Theology research seminar takes place on alternate Thursdays. This is a hybrid session and can be attended in person or online. Please register to receive the Zoom link by emailing andrew.boakye@manchester.ac.uk. Seminars last 90 minutes including a 30 minute Q&A session.

Public lecture, Poland

New Testament Studies. PhD student Mateusz Krzesinski gave an online presentation entitled 'A Phenomenon of Grace: Charis in the Theology of Paul the Apostle' as part of a series of lectures for the Polish Senior College of Theology and Humanities. 9 July 2021. Further information.

New publication

Religion and science. Helen R. Jacobus, Review of "The Art of Divination in the Ancient Near East: Reading the Signs of Heaven and Earth, by Stefan Maul. Translated by Brian McNeil and Alexander Johannes Edmonds (Waco: Baylor University Press, 2018)" in Aestimatio NS 2.1 (2021): 156-174. Further information.

Public event, Religion & Media

Public understanding of religion. Peter Scott will speak at the Creating Connections event organised by the Religion and Media Centre at Manchester’s Quaker Meeting House on 24 Nov 2021. Further information.

Social Responsibility, Trinity High School

Engaging with local education. Peter Scott has been re-elected Chair of Governors at Trinity Church of England High School & VIth Form for the academic year 2021-22.

Religious societies

Why not find out more about the Sikh society? Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh! This is a society formed to unify the Sikh community and spread the message of Sikhism - love, compassion and humility being at its forefront. Events range from socials to Gurdwara trips to talks and workshops - so there's a vast range of activities to get involved with and it gives you a chance to meet like-minded individuals! Membership is FREE so it is definitely worth signing up - we'll be able to add you to our mailing list and keep you updated with the latest events and socials! Further information.

Religious societies

Why not find out more about the Jewish Society? The aims of the Society are: To provide a quality Jewish experience for every Jewish student on campus, regardless of affiliation. To provide social, educational, cultural and religious events and activities throughout the year. To be proactive and lead the way in volunteering and raising money for a variety of different charities.  To help students combat anti-semitism on campus.  To give students the chance to lead a society themselves and play a large part in the running of their Jewish society. Further information.

Ehrhardt Seminar in Biblical Studies

New Testament Studies. Dr Stephen Barton (Durham University and University of Manchester) ‘Creation in the Synoptic Gospels’. 14:00 - 16:00 18 November 2021. The Centre for Biblical Studies weekly seminar series. All sessions will take place in a hybrid format - attendance is possible in person or online via Zoom. To register to attend online, please email siobhan.jolley@manchester.ac.uk.

Popular publications

Religious and theological studies. Browse the wide range of recent publications written by colleagues in the Department of Religions and Theology, University of Manchester. You can also access some of our department's all-time most downloaded publications via Research Explorer: God, the Past and Auschwitz (2011), Luther’s Legacy and the Origins of Kenotic Christology (2017), Jewish Evolutionary Perspectives on Judaism, Anti-Semitism and Race Science (2014), Abraham Ibn Ezra`s Astrological Works in Hebrew and Latin (2006), Jewish Studies and Reading (2016), Divine Revenge Porn, Slut-shaming, Ethnicity and Exile in Ezekiel 16 and 23 (2018), and Robo-theisms and Robot Theists (2018). Among our department's publications with the highest Scopus citations are: Wisdom-Laws: A Study of the Mishpatim of Exodus 21:1-22:16 (2006), The Exorcism Stories in Luke-Acts: A Sociostylistic Reading (2004), Defending Hindu Tradition: Sanatana Dharma as a Symbol of Orthodoxy in Colonial India (2011), The Books of Chronicles and the Scrolls from Qumran (2007), Śamkara's Advaita Vedānta: A Way of Teaching (2005), The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination (2010), and Re-mapping the Universe: Paul and the Emperor in 1 Thessalonians and Philippians (2005).

Public lectures, online

Jewish and Muslim Studies. CJS Hon. Research Fellow Michael Hilton announces a new course 'Judaism and Islam: A shared history' that he is leading with Dr Harith Ramli of Edge Hill University. The first lecture 'The story of Joseph in the Bible and the Quran: the most beautiful of stories', 12th October 2021, 8.10 – 9.30 pm, hybrid (on Zoom and in-person). Further information.

Blog entry, 50 Jewish Objects Project

50 Jewish Objects Artwork. Juliet Goodden is the new artist commissioned by the Centre to respond with her art and creative practice to the 50 Jewish Objects project and to one or more items held at the John Rylands Research Institute and Library. In her third and final blogpost she leads us through her journey of discovery of the collection. Further information

Jewish Chronicle, Jewish Women's spirituality

Jewish Studies. The work by Katja Stuerzenhofecker as part of the collaborative project Bric-19 has been covered in a Jewish Chronicle article entitled 'How women's spiritual life has thrived during pandemic: Study reveals the benefits of female-only prayer groups.' 15 Oct 2021. Further information.

Public lecture, Manchester Cathedral

Religion and Racism. Andy Boakye will give a keynote address on 'The Role of Faith Communities in Tackling Racism in the UK and Greater Manchester' commemorating the first Anti-Slavery address given by Thomas Clarkson in Manchester Cathedral on 28 Oct 1787. He will discuss contemporary challenges to racism from Clarkson’s address to the BLM movement. 28 Oct 2021, Manchester Cathedral. Further information.

Screen & Talk, Holocaust

Jewish Studies. The Centre for Jewish Studies at Manchester University is pleased to announce that the next Screen & Talk event will be the streaming of ‘The Black Book’ (2019) by Guillaume Ribot. Drafted while the Second World War was still raging, the Black Book contained numerous testimonies of the atrocities committed by the Nazis against Jews in the Soviet Union. Featuring a wealth of archival footage and told through the voices of the Jewish-Soviet intellectuals who gathered the testimonies, this important documentary sheds new light on the operations of two abhorrent totalitarian regimes, driven by blind hatred and prejudice. 10 – 14 Nov 2021, online as part of the UK Jewish Film Festival 2021. Further information.

Scriptural encounters

Reading challenging sacred texts. Scriptural Encounters bring together different faiths to debate and discuss controversial topics. This is a new series on Gender Diversity. This session will be led by Rabbi Ariel Abel as the presenter of Jewish texts. 1200-13:30 hybrid event, on campus (University Place 4.214) and on zoom. Thu 28 Oct 2021. Further information.

Public event, The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester

Jewish-Muslim relations. After briefly covering the wide diversity of languages spoken in Greater Manchester generally, Yaron Matras will focus on the languages of GM’s Muslims and Jews. His talk will be followed by short contributions from two Jewish speakers, including Alex Samely, and two Muslim speakers about their personal linguistic journey through life.The languages of Manchester’s Muslims and Jews Greater Manchester is a very diverse place, where many languages are spoken. That diversity extends to Greater Manchester’s Muslims and Jews, who have a very wide range of languages as either their first or second language. Zoom event, 19:00, Sun 14 Nov 2021. Further information.

Religious societies

Why not find out more about the Hindu Society? Namaste and welcome! We are a student society motivated by the aim of creating a ‘home away from home’ environment for students. Each year our calendar is filled with enticing events, including a multitude of weekly, monthly and termly activities featuring sport, culture, education and socialising – not to mention THE Chandni Ball. This enables us to have a positive impact on the local Manchester community, including the wider Hindu and non-Hindu community, as well as raising awareness of Hindu beliefs and festivals – Diwali, Navratri, Holi... Further information.

Religions & Theology Research Seminar

Christian theology. Elia Maggang (University of Manchester) "A Trinitarian Pneumatology of the Maritime". 16:00 - 17:30 11 November 2021. The Religions & Theology research seminar takes place on alternate Thursdays. This is a hybrid session and can be attended in person or online. Please register to receive the Zoom link by emailing andrew.boakye@manchester.ac.uk. Seminars last 90 minutes including a 30 minute Q&A session.

Ehrhardt Seminar in Biblical Studies

Dead Sea Scrolls. Jon Darby (Nazarene Theological College) ‘Singing and Textual Transmission in the Dead Scrolls: The Corporate Song of Praise in Psalm 154’. 14:00 - 16:00 11 November 2021. The Centre for Biblical Studies weekly seminar series. All sessions will take place in a hybrid format - attendance is possible in person or online via Zoom. To register to attend online, please email siobhan.jolley@manchester.ac.uk.

Public event, Bible, Gender and Church Research Centre

Biblical Studies. 'Preaching Problematic Passages: How to Teach Difficult Texts with Sensitivity'. The Bible, Gender and Church Research Centre, launched by Holly Morse and Kirsi Cobb, is hosting a free Online Seminar at 6:30pm, Thu 11 Nov 2021. Further information.

New publication

Christian theology. PhD student Tim Gough, 'How successful is Davison and Milbank’s critique of the Fresh Expressions movement in their book For the Parish (2010)?' in Missiology (September 2021), 1-14. Further information.

New publication

Japanese religion. Erica Baffelli (Japanese Studies) co-edited a special issue of the journal Numen on 'The Aesthetics and Emotions of Religious Belonging: Examples from the Buddhist World', 68:5-6 (Sep 2021). This includes her co-authored article (with Frederik Schröer) on “Communities of Absence: Emotions, Time, and Buddhism in the Creation of Belonging.” Further information. 

Conference paper, University of Heidelberg

Biblical Studies. Andy Boakye discussed African-American readings of Paul at the conference Christ Among the Disciplines. 1-4 Oct 2021. Further information.

Research project report, BRIC-19

Jewish Studies. The BRIC-19 project report British Ritual Innovation under COVID-19 is now available to download (www.tinyurl.com/bric19). It includes Dr Katja Stuerzenhofecker’s case study of two online prayer groups by Orthodox Jewish women and girls that are attracting a global following. The project report aims to share best practice of digital solutions across religious communities that are useful for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.

PhD completion and a new position

Islamic Studies. Congratulations to George Rawlinson who was awarded his PhD last month (“Contemporary Sufi-Sunni Revivalism and Sufi-Sunni Mosques in Manchester: Rethinking British Muslim Identities as Discursive and Affective Processes”), supervised by Kamran Karimullah and John Zavos. George is very much a product of the University of Manchester, having studied with us since his undergraduate days. Congratulations also to George for his appointment as temporary Lecturer in Modern Islam in the Dept of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies in September 2021.

Seminar series, Centre for Jewish Studies and JRRI

Jewish Studies. This academic year (2021-22) the John Rylands Research Institute will complete the online cataloguing of the codices in Hebrew script in the Rylands Library Manchester. Most of these manuscripts once belonged to Moses Gaster, who, with modest resources, assembled one of the most remarkable collections of Hebrew manuscripts of the 20th century. To mark the occasion the John Rylands Research Institute and the Manchester University Centre for Jewish Studies are hosting a series of seminars in autumn 2021 and spring 2022 which will explore aspects of the Rylands Gaster collection, and related collections. The first seminar will be Dr Zsofia Buda “The Rylands Gaster Codices and the problems of cataloguing them” and Dr Maria Cioata, “Moses Gaster: The Man and His Collections”. 2.00-3.30pm, 19 Oct 2021, online. Further information.

Public event, Church of England

Christian theology. Peter Scott offered a webinar on 'Planetary Theology' for York Minster's Creationtide 2021 series, where he reflects on the planet which we inhabit, and how we view our place in the created universe. York Minster, 30 Sep 2021. Watch again.

Religious societies

Why not find out more about the Christian Union? We are a group of Christian students at the University of Manchester with one aim: to give every student an opportunity to hear and respond to the message of Jesus Christ. We meet regularly on Tuesday evenings and hold events where the Christian message is explained from the Bible in a simple and approachable way. Hall groups meet every Friday all across campus and there are regular prayer meetings throughout term. Further information.

Research impact

Jewish Studies. Here we highlight a research project in our Dept that has had impact in wider society - The Rylands Genizah Collection: Opening a window on a thousand years of Jewish life in Cairo. Further information.

Research centres

Biblical Studies, Jewish Studies, Christian Theology. What do you know about the research centres associated with the Department of Religions & Theology at the University of Manchester? They might well be organising activities that would help your studies - or interest you more generally! Some events will be on-campus, others will be via Zoom. Further information.