New Podcast

Religion and Theology. A brand new podcast has landed, hosted by Holly Morse. In World of Belief, Holly seeks out fascinating personal stories about how people of faith experience for themselves some of the big challenges facing us in the world today. Episode 1, Environment, is now out. Available on Acast or wherever you get your podcasts.

New Publication

World Christianity. Eve Parker has published “Contemplating the Lived Theology of the Devadāsīs as Decolonial Epistemology in World Christianity” in the latest issue of Studies in World Christianity. The paper contributes to decolonial efforts that seek to address the role of power and colonialism in knowledge production in Christian theology, with particular focus on the devadāsīs of South India. It argues that the hybrid religiosity and silenced epistemology of the subaltern women has the potential to challenge dominant ways of contemplating Christ in World Christianity. Available online here!

PhD Completion

Christian Theology. Many congratulations to Caleb Gordon on the successful defence of his doctoral thesis “Possibilities of Experience: An Aesthetic Approach to Environmental Ethics & Theology”. His supervisors were Peter Scott and Scott Midson.

Careers Service News

For Religions and Theology students. Are you a penultimate year student looking for paid work experience in the Summer? Check out the University of Manchester’s Student Experience Internship scheme, which offers the opportunity for an 8-week, full-time internship within the University or with a charity/not-for-profit organisation. For further details and how to apply, see https://manchester.ac.uk/sei

New Publication

Religion and Theology. PhD student Dominic Budhi has published 'Harvey Nichols Fashion Shows, Vintage Fairs, and the Holy Eucharist: Manchester Cathedral as Post-Secular Place' in Networking Knowledge 16: Conference 2021 Special Issue. Read it here!

Postgraduate Publishing

For postgraduate students and alumni. The Manchester Wesley Research Centre has published a number of blog articles about the experience and studies of recent University of Manchester/Nazarene Theological College PhD graduates who have published their theses as books. These might be useful for current or future doctoral students. They're available here: https://www.mwrc.ac.uk/blog.

New Publication

Dead Sea Scrolls. George Brooke has published "Orality and Written-ness in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Where Have We Got to and Where Are We Going?" in The Dead Sea Scrolls in Ancient Media Culture, edited by Travis B. Williams, Chris Keith and Loren T. Stuckenbruck (Leiden: Brill, 2023), pp. 358-84. Further information.

Interfaith Symposium, National Gallery

Religion and Art. Hon. Research Fellow Siobhán Jolley convened an Interfaith Symposium with members of the National Gallery's Interfaith Sacred Arts Forum on 2nd Feb, focusing on the art and religion research theme 'The Art of Creation', which explores themes of environmentalism and eco theology in relation to art. The paintings being are focused on are Rachel Ruysch - Flowers in a Vase, Claude Monet - Flood Waters, and Vincent van Gogh - Long Grass with Butterflies. Siobhán led the first event in this programme, bringing together speakers from a range of faith backgrounds who brought a sacred text or art from that tradition into dialogue with our paintings and theme. Siobhán also presented a short paper by way of introduction, ‘Reading the Sacred in “Secular” Art’.

PhD Completion

New Testament Studies. Many congratulations to Andy Wisdom on the successful defence of his doctoral thesis '"Weighed Down Beyond Our Strength", Trauma, Resilience and Hope in the Pauline Epistles.' His supervisors were Todd Klutz and Andy Boakye.

New Book Series

Biblical Studies and Early Christianity. Sarah Parkhouse, Kimberley Fowler (Groningen; Manchester PhD), and Francis Watson (Durham) will be editing a new book series titled 'Coptic Gospels and Associated Texts' to be published with Cambridge University Press. The series will provide new translations and discussions of Coptic gospel-related literature aimed at scholars and students of New Testament, early Christianity, and connected disciplines.

Wesley Research Centre annual lecture

Christian Studies. The next annual lecture of the Manchester Wesley Research Centre will be given by Dr Cheryl J. Sanders, Professor of Christian Ethics at Howard University School of Divinity, on Tuesday 20 June 2023 at 5pm. The title of the lecture is ‘Holiness and Black Consciousness: The Social Witness of Black Saints, Shepherds, and Sages’. This event will be both in person and online (via Zoom). If you plan to attend online, registration is required here.

Podcast, Religion and Art

Religion and Art. Hon. Research Fellow Siobhán Jolley chatted to the RE Podcast about her work at the National Gallery, the route she took from teaching in a school to a Manchester PhD to becoming a curatorial fellow of art and religion, and the gallery's current projects, the Fruits of the Spirit: Art from the Heart, and the Sin exhibition. Listen here.

Popular articles you might have missed

Jewish history. Daniel Langton’s article "God, the Past and Auschwitz: Jewish Holocaust Theologians’ Engagement with History" in the journal Holocaust Studies (2011) has just reached 6000 downloads. Further information.

Conference Paper, Tübingen

Political Theology. Michael Hoelzl will be giving a conference paper at the University of Tübingen on February 10th and February 11th 2023. The DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft) funded conference Political Theology II: discipleship of hope in solidarity, is a continuation of previous research conferences and organised by the University of Köln and The Marie-Domenique Chenu Institut, Berlin. Michael Hoelzl’s paper “Discipleship and Followers” suggests a comparative analysis of the theological concept and spiritual praxis of discipleship with the social media phenomenon of followers in its economic, social and political philosophical dimensions.

Short Course

Biblical Studies. Holly Morse and Kirsi Cobb are glad to announce that the Women in the Bible Short Course is running again at Cliff College from Friday the 19th to Sunday the 21st of May 2023. The theme this year is ‘Wise Women and Prophetesses’. They will take a peek at Lady Wisdom (Proverbs 8), Deborah (Judges 4) and the (not so wise?!?) woman of Tekoah (2 Samuel 14), among others. Promising to be both challenging and lots of fun, they would love to see you there. To book your place, please go to https://www.cliffcollege.ac.uk/shop/courses/women-in-the-bible.

Ehrhardt Seminar in Biblical Studies

Biblical Studies. 9th Feb, Joe Brennan (Nazarene Theological College) 'The Holy and Blameless Ephesian Matron' at 2.00-3.30pm. The seminar will take place both in Mansfield Cooper 4.08 and on Zoom. To register to attend online, please email lev.eakins@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk.