Staff training, Antisemitism and Islamophobia

Religion and prejudice? If you’re curious about some of the ways that a large educational institution tackles these kind of complex religious-related topics, have a look at the current 30-min online courses on antisemitism and Islamophobia (under 'training' on the StaffNet EDI webpage). Feel free to share any suggestions for improvement with Daniel Langton (Head of R&T) since we can feed them back up to the EDI Directorate. 

New Publication

Church history. HRF Peter Nockles has just published 'Handing Down the Principles of Laud’: History and Propaganda in John Henry Newman’s Tractarian Battle for the Church of England' in Researching the English Reformation: Essays in Honour of W.B. Patterson, edited by Benjamin M. Guyer and William E. Engel (Brill, 2025). Further information.

Teaching Innovation

Undergraduate Scholars Project. Katja Stuerzenhofecker is leading a student project to review undergraduate teaching in the School of Arts Languages and Cultures. The Undergraduate Scholars Project encourages students to engage in (non-credit) funded research and writing on a variety of over-arching themes. Katja will direct students to investigate 'Generative AI – what does machine learning do in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures?' Using SALC and its subjects as a starting point, students are invited to reflect on the present and future of higher education in the light of technological change. Case studies will evaluate benefits, risks, limitations and future potential of Generative AI for research, and for learning, teaching and assessment. Teaching excellence, as reflected by high student satisfaction and teaching awards, is central to the departmental ethos.

Religion & Theology Research Seminar

 

Religion & Theology.  This semester's R&T research seminar continues on 20th October with Erica Baffelli (UoM) '"A place to belong, a place that needs you, a place you can go home to": (Negative) Emotions and Belonging in Minority Buddhist Communities in Japan'. 3–5pm in Samuel Alexander A116 and online. Email Siobhán Jolley or Holly Morse for the online link. 

Faith spaces, University of Manchester

On Campus. If you're interested to see where the various kinds of faith facilities are located on campus, see this interactive map and select 'multifaith prayer and contemplation spaces'. See also this recent study of the use and benfits of such spaces in Manchester and a brief overview of faith, belief and worship at the university.

Incident at Heaton Park Synagague, Yom Kippur

In solidarity. We express our heartfelt sympathy with those who died, their families, and all who have been affected by the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue on 2 October 2025. Rabbi Daniel Walker, the synagogue’s spiritual leader, is a former student of ours, and another of those present was the synagogue’s vice president Rob Kanter, a current PhD student with us, researching the history of Jewish-Muslim relations in the UK. Their ties to our community make this tragedy feel especially close. Education alone will not repair the world, but as we go about our work in the Department of Religions & Theology and in the Centre for Jewish Studies, attempting to understand religion, that most powerful of social forces, let us rededicate ourselves to building understanding, resisting hatred, and affirming the bonds of humanity that unite us. Here is the UoM President’s statement. 

BBC News

Judaism. R&T PhD student Rob Kanter, whose research is in Jewish-Muslim history, speaks to the BBC about the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue and continuing the Yom Kippur service. 2 Oct 2025. Further information.

Reading group, Phenomenology

Phenomenology. The Phenomenology Reading Group will resume this semester, reading Maurice Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception. The group will pick up reading from page 28, "Attention" and "Judgement" to page 65 - the end of the Introductory Chapter (Landes English Translation 2012, 2014 Routledge). The first meeting will take place online, Wednesday October 8th at 5pm. Please get in touch with the convenor Alex Samely (alex.samely@manchester.ac.uk) if you wish to join.

PhD Student Monday Meet Ups

For PhD students. Charlotte Gargett has set up an informal meet-up for R&T PhD students (and friends), as a space for informal peer support and networking. These meetings will be Mondays from 1pm in the new Ellen Wilkinson building commons space, with the idea that everyone then goes along together to the R&T/Ehrhardt Seminars at 3pm afterwards. Do join!

Career Mentoring

Employability. Looking for career support directly from an industry professional? Then check out @uomcareers mentoring scheme – Your mentor will help you plan and prepare for your future career! Apply now: bit.ly/uomcareermentor. Open to second-year and final-year undergraduates, and postgraduate students. Now open for applications.

Going Beyond Belief Highlights

Public resource. Did the Biblical God make women inferior to men? On our Going Beyond Belief page “And God Created Women…” Holly Morse explores the various ways in which religious interpreters have understood the gender dynamics at play in Genesis 1–3, as well as how Adam and Eve have been depicted in popular culture. These pages, aimed at RS A-level students, are based on Holly’s research into feminist interpretations of the Hebrew Bible. They are complementary to Radio 4’s Beyond Belief programmes on Eve and Christianity and Gender Identity.

Religion & Theology Research Seminar

 

Religion & Theology.  We begin this semester's R&T research seminar on the 6th October will Maryanne Saunders (the National Gallery) speaking on "'Whose line is it anyway?' Considering matrilineality in Christian art'. Seminars this year will take place Mondays 3–5pm in Samuel Alexander A116 and online. Email Siobhán Jolley or Holly Morse for the online link. As it's the beginning of term, the seminar will be followed by a social gathering in Kro Bar.

Alumnus Success

Alumni Activity. Congratulations to R&T alumnus Giles Briscoe (class of 2018-19), Graduate Teaching Assistant at Edge Hill University, on becoming a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and receiving his Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education. He is looking forward to applying this learning at Edge Hill University, where he teaches social science subjects including youth studies, psychology, and sociology.

Synagogue Campus Tour

Welcome Week. This September, students learned about the history of a former Orthodox Jewish synagogue located in a residential building on Oxford Road until the 1960s. The tour was led by Dr Tereza Ward, R&T alumna and curator of the Christian Brethren Archive in the UoM Library, and Dr John Piprani, Lab Technician for Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology.

Summer School Teaching

Jewish studies. George Brooke co-taught a summer school on Heteronomous Texts in Early Judaism at the Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena 2-5 September as part of a long-standing DFG research project on Autonomy and Heteronomy in Texts.

Manson Memorial Lecture

 

Biblical Studies. 16th October 2025, Professor Grant Macaskill (University of Durham) "Transcending Differences: Revisiting the Pseudepigrapha in the Study of Early Jewish and Christian Theology". 4–5.30pm; Room C1.18 Ellen Wilkinson Building.

Buddhist Studies Seminar

Buddhist studies. The Fear Research Network invites you to a seminar with Dr Sara Swenson (Dartmouth College) who will deliver a paper "Harsh Truths and Mistaken Vows: The Ugly Side of Buddhist Charisma". In this talk, Sara will examine "the ugly side" of Buddhist charisma through the case of an iconoclastic monk in Vietnam. Lay and monastic followers respected this monk for his extraordinary capacity to read minds and perceive karmic obstacles in the lives of others. He also defied conventional monastic vows by openly consuming meat and alcohol, wearing lay clothing, and teaching through insults. The paper will analyze the dynamics of this Buddhist community through theories of charisma and moral aesthetics. 16 October, 4–5.30pm, in room Williamson 2.05.

Career Fairs

Employability. This autumn, the University’s Careers Service offers two career fairs that might be of particular interest to students in Religions and Theology. (1) Autumn Careers Fair for those interested in humanities and business roles to meet with recruiters and learn about internships, placements, and graduate opportunities, on 28-29th October. (2) The Law Fair. Open to law and non-law students’ this is your chance to meet with law firms, professional bodies and education providers to chat about opportunities available such as training contracts and vacation schemes and much more, on 11th November.

New Publication

Religion and the Environment. The report from the Religion, Theology and Climate Change project, led by Peter Scott and Finlay Malcolm, was published in September. Their project explores the emerging creative ecotheological trends arising from environmentalist Christian groups and organisations as they respond to the climate crisis. The report outlines and summarises the main findings from the project, offers recommendations for policy and practice for religious groups and organisations, and contains a foreword from Chine McDonald, the Director of religion and society think tank Theos. Read it here.

Visiting Prof Appointment

Academic fellowship. HRF Youssef Choueiri has been invited by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to spend the period from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026 as a Visiting Professor based in the Department of International Relations.

Publication News

Dead sea scrolls. George Brooke's co-edited T&T Clark Companion to the Dead Sea Scrolls is now out in paperback (August 2025) at £30 instead of £180 in hadback. ALso available as an ebook at £27. Buy it here.

New Position - UKRI Research Associate

Coptic studies. Applications are invited for the post of Research Associate on the UKRI-funded project "Coptic in Manchester: Connecting Manuscripts and Communities". The applicant will be primarily working on Coptic manuscripts in the John Rylands Library and engaging with the local Coptic community. Part of this role will include translating select manuscripts into English and Arabic for a digital exhibition. The duration of the position: 1 Feb 2026–31 Jan 2027. Salary: £37,694. Closing date: 31 October 2025. Further information.

Beyond Belief Event

Public resource. Join our partners for Going Beyond Belief, the BBC Radio 4 programme Beyond Belief, for a new recording at St George’s Hall, Bradford, 10:30am on Sunday the 21st of September. Host Giles Fraser will lead the panel as they discuss ‘Have religions forgotten the working class?’ The recording will also feature some of Bradford’s best spoken word artists – giving their creative response to the discussion. Tickets available here.

Graduate Outcomes Survey.

For graduates. Did you graduate from UoM between 1 May and 31 July 2024? You’ve been sent the #GraduateOutcomes survey via email! It aims to understand your perspectives & your current status. Find out more here & @graduate outcome.

New Publication

Theology. Wren Radford has a chapter titled 'Theology in the making: A glossary of theopoetic practices (for relating to oneself, others, materials, traditions and the Sacred)’ in Theology Through Creative Practice: Engagements with the Work of Heather Walton, edited by Alison Jasper, David Jasper, and Doug Gay. The chapter takes an innovative glossary approach for exploring creative practices as signalling the constructive, ongoing nature of theological work; specifically playing with practices (arranging; attending; breaking; entangling; experimenting; failing; gathering and re-using; grieving; improvising; patterning; playing; remaking; sketching; writing) and using reflective writing and photographs to explore critical questions in practical and liberative theologies. The collection is published by Sacristy Press. Further information.

British New Testament Society at Manchester Success

Biblical studies. New Testament scholars from far and wide descended upon University Place in early September as the University of Manchester R&T department hosted the highly successful British New Testament Society Annual Meeting 2025. With thanks to the in-house organisers, Andy Boakye, Siobhán Jolley, Peter Oakes, and Sarah Parkhouse, and the wonderful team of PhD student volunteers, Dan Skuce, Kate Bowen-Evans, Lynne Potts, Josh Hunt and Josh Crosby.  

Student Activity

Volunteering. Recent R&T graduate Abigail Thomas (Philosophy & Religion, class of 2024-25) found that volunteering with Girls Friendly Society (GFS) Rusholme was one of the highlights of her time in Manchester. She helped create a safe space where girls could express themselves and think critically about the world. In the weekly sessions, she empowered young women by tackling topics such as self-confidence, women’s safety, and gender roles. She is excited to continue with GFS and support girls in her hometown.

Career Spotlight: Policy Officer

For students. Ever thought about working in policy? Policy officers help shape decisions in government, charities, and other organisations by researching issues and recommending solutions. With a RELT degree, you’ve built skills in critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and making sense of complex ideas, exactly what’s needed in this field. Check out the Prospects job profile for more detailed information on this role and book a careers meeting to discuss your career ideas further.

New Publication

Religion and technology. Scott Midson has written a forward for "In Robots We Trust Get" by Samuele Vinanzi, published by Oxford University Press (2025). The book introduces the reader to the issue of trust in relationships between humans and robots. Intelligent machines are becoming an integral part of our society: from self-driving cars to delivery drones, robots are an increasingly common presence in our daily lives. As we witness their rapid advance, our society faces a critical question: can we trust them?

The Conversation - Being funny helps populist politicians

Religion and politics. Recent PhD grad Adam North has published "Being funny helps populist politicians create bonds and get voters on board" in The Conversation. The piece is linked to Adam's previous work on truth-telling and upcoming postdoc project. Read it here.  

Post Graduation Careers Kickstart

Employability. The University’s Careers Service offers a one-hour workshop ‘Careers Kickstart: Getting started on planning your post graduation career’. The workshop focuses on: Identifying career goals; Highlighting upcoming opportunities; and Articulating your skills effectively when applying for roles Note places are limited! Further information and booking here.

Didsbury Lectures 2025

Christian Theology. The 2025 Didsbury Lectures, delivered by UoM HRF Stephen C. Barton, will explore how early Christianity shaped and transformed emotions, examining the connection between faith and feelings through insights from the New Testament, social sciences and ancient history. October 27th - 30th, 2025, 7:00 PM, NTC Chapel. Further information and registration here.

Editorial Consultant Appointment

Church History. Honorary research fellow Dr Peter Nockles has been appointed to the role of editorial consultant for the Newman Studies Journal.

New Publication

Religion and theology. Wren Radford has published 'Of bodyminds and blank pages: the transmutability of life writing and an ethic of reading with crip queer care' in Literature and Theology, Volume 39, Issue 1, (March 2025), Pages 4–19. The abstract: "Life writing, and particularly trans, queer, and disability life writing, remains a contested site, accused of being too personal to spur on social change and of feeding a public appetite for forms of confessional, apologetic writing that reinforces social scripts about bodies and selves. Yet queer, trans, and disabled life writers are also transmuting the genre, working with making unbearable conditions bearable. Recognizing life writing as a mode of theological construction and a site of debates around embodiment, selves, and epistemology, the article engages articulations of the material body as a locus of theological knowledge. The article develops an ethic of reading with crip queer care, refusing to read for diagnosis, disclosure, and cure, and instead reading with disorientation, dissociation, exhaustion, and familiarity." Further information.

Going Beyond Belief Highlights

Public resource. What is atheism? You might think there is a clear definition but what constitutes atheism is a contentious issue, as seen on Radio 4 programme's Beyond Belief: Atheism. On our complementary resource, Going Beyond Belief, Daniel Langton offers an overview of atheism from the ancient world to today, with discussions about its relationship to science and the problem of evil in the age of genocide. This resource can be used across a range of RS A level syllabi. You can find a link to Daniel's pages here.

Student Activity

Summer placement. Second-year student Ed Bullock has just completed a work experience project with the Genizah research unit in Cambridge. They worked there for 3 weeks in July, writing descriptions of fragments for a digital archive. Ed's activities included checking articles to identify given fragments and performing material analysis such as measuring the fragments, identifying the writing materials, etc. Ed also spent the first week comparing the spelling of two Bible manuscripts (one a scroll and one a codex) to the accepted text of the Ben Asher tradition, locating interesting material for further analysis.

Grant Success

Coptic studies. Sarah Parkhouse (PI) and Jeremy Penner (Co-I) have been awarded an UKRI Catalyst Grant for a project "Coptic in Manchester: Connecting Manuscripts and Communities" (£246,578.92) to run from February 2026 for two years. The funding bid was supported by a John Rylands pilot grant (2024).

BBC Radio 4, Sunday

Religion and Technology. Scott Midson was on Radio 4's Sunday programme chatting about chatbots, faith, and spiritual guidance. 10 August 2025. Listen again (Scott starts around 24 mins in).

Rowan Williams Public Lecture

Christian theology. As part of the 500th Anniversary Lectures of Christ Church Oxford, the third in the series of  "Humanist Learning: A Vision for Today?" will be given by The Right Reverend Dr Rowan Williams here in Manchester. Dr Williams will discuss faith in today's world and uncover education's integral role in the creation of human beliefs. The keynote lecture will be followed by responses and a Q&A with The Reverend Professor Andrew Davison and Professor Michael Symmons Roberts FRSL. Thursday 11 September, Carol Nash Hall, Stoller Hall, M3 1DA, 7pm. Further information and tickets.

Art & Christianity Retreat

Christian studies. Siobhán Jolley will be part of the team leading the Art+Christianity Annual Retreat in September. Siobhán's session will involve a visit to the Helen Chadwick exhibition at the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. It’s possible to join for all or part of the weekend. Further information.

Church Times Letter

Christian theology. David Law has had published a letter "Pronoun avoidance depersonalises the Holy Spirit" in the Church Times. Read it here.

Student Prize Award

European studies. Orla Kennedy, who has just completed a degree in Liberal Arts, has been awarded the Jean Monnet Centre UG Dissertation Prize for her engagement project, "Legal Redress and Trauma Informed Support for Survivors of Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland". The Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence UG Dissertation Prize awards £100 Blackwells vouchers to one outstanding individual to celebrate the hard work and insights of a new generation of scholars in European studies. Congratulations Orla on this fantastic achievement! 

The Conversation - Women Retelling Jesus

Biblical studies. Sarah Parkhouse has written "Cynthia Erivo will be the most talked about Jesus of 2025 – but women have long retold the gospel" for The Conversation. This is, in part, part of a project funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Read it here.

New Publication

Biblical studies. Siobhán Jolley has published the entry for Pontius Pilate in Visual Art for the Encyclopaedia of the Bible and its Reception, which is available online now ahead of the physical publication of Volume 24 in the autumn. Further information.

International Conference Papers

Asian Religions. Erica Baffelli will be presenting at the XXIII IAHR Congress in Kraków in August 2025, chairing a roundtable on “Recentring Fear in the Study of Religion: Theorising from Asia” and as discussant on two panels  “The Religious Aesthetics of Intense Devotion in the Ancient World” and "Methodologies in Global Religious History: Is there "Esotericism" in Japan?". Further information.

Going Beyond Belief Highlights

Public resource. Many A level RS students don’t get the opportunity to learn about the way that technology is influencing ideas about religion and humanity and vice versa in the modern world. On our resource, Going Beyond Belief, Dr Scott Midson has created an activity page on Roboethics that provides just such an opportunity! In it he helps to show how many of the ethical issues that A level students study as part of their RS syllabus are, in fact, crucial for thinking about big questions to do with AI and robotics. You can find a link to Scott's pages here.

New Publication

Religion and the Environment. Peter Scott has published the entry on "Ecology and the Environment" (June 2025) in The Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion at Oxford University Press. Further information.

New Publication and Conference Panel

Practical Theology. The volume Resisting Theologies and the Everyday: Addressing Inequalities in Constructive, Practical, and Liberative Approaches, edited by Wren Radford has just been published. Wren also provided the introduction to the volume which charts the possibilities of engaging with ‘the everyday’ in practical, constructive, and liberative theologies, alongside a chapter stemming from their own qualitative research, titled ‘Caring Hurts: The Everydayness of Navigating Poverty in the UK’. The collection includes a range of contributions ranging from different theological and global contexts. There was a panel for the volume at the International Association of Practical Theology (IAPT) Conference in June in Sakatoon, where Wren presented on the volume on their chapter, alongside Néstor Medina (La Lucha, Lo Cotidiano, and Fiesta: On Decolonial Theoethical Insights in Latina/o/x Theologies) and Heather Walton (Everyday Extremes: Encountering the Wild in Theological Discourses of Everyday Life) presenting on their respective chapters.

Manchester Graduate Talent (MGT) 2025 programme is open

For graduates. Our Manchester Graduate Talent (MGT) scheme sources paid graduate-level opportunities for 2024 and 2025 graduates. Find out more here.

International Workshop

Early Christian Studies. On 5–6th August, Sarah Parkhouse is participating in "Longing for Home: Exploring the Contemporary Significance of Late Antique Christian Notions of 'Home' in the Chester Beatty Collections", hosted by Dublin City University and the Chester Beatty Museum and funded by Research Ireland. Sarah will be working on the significance of "home" in Coptic martyr and monastic texts held in the Museum. Further information.