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.

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.

Conference Presentation

Pedagogical approaches. Wren Radford presented at the University’s Teaching and Learning conference at the start of July, facilitating a workshop ‘Fragile, Messy, Slow, Fun: Interdisciplinary Inclusive Education’, which drew on participatory research with students on the Liberal Arts programme. The workshop used design cards collaboratively created with students that present a mix of images, experience-based quotes, and academic readings to promote reflection on practices of inclusion and interdisciplinarity in teaching and learning.

PhD Success

Religion and Theology. Warm congratulations to Al Lowe, who has successfully completed his part-time doctoral studies and graduated in July. His thesis title is "A Critical Theological Appraisal of Discipleship in the Fresh Expressions Literature, 2000-2023: Exploring Concept, Formation and Practices". His supervisors were Peter Scott and Scott Midson.

John Heywood Thomas, 1926–2025

Philosophy of Religion. The department is saddened by the news that John Heywood Thomas has passed away at the age of 98. Professor Heywood Thomas was a lecturer in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Manchester between 1957–65, where he published his seminal book interpreting and critiquing his own teacher Paul Tillich, alongside a number of important journal articles. You can read 'Paul Tillich: An Appraisal' here. Following his time at Manchester, John became a Reader in Divinity at Durham (1964–74) and Professor and Head of the Department of Theology at Nottingham University (1974–92). In retirement, John held an honorary professorship at the University of Wales. Robert Pope has published an obituary in the Guardian.

Faith on Failure Workshop

Religious studies. Erica Baffelli was one of the invited speakers at the “Faith on Failure: The 2025 Heythrop Institute Workshop” (July 17-18). Further information.

New Publication and Launch Event

Philosophy. Alex Samely has published "Philosophising While Reading Texts Across Cultures" in Doing Metaphysics in a Diverse World: How We Make Sense of Things Across Cultures, edited by Stephen Green and published by Bloomsbury. The book was launched by an event at the British Academy on 25 June, which at the same time served as the launch event of the Intercultural Philosophy Association, of which Alex is a founding member.

Research Supervisor Accreditation

Department news. Katja Stuerzenhofecker has been awarded accreditation as Recognised Associate Research Supervisor by the UK Council for Graduate Education.

Grant Success

Environment and Religion. Congratulations to Peter Scott and Finlay Malcolm on a successful application to the UKRI’s Impact Accelerator Account. This funding supports the secondment of Finlay to the Diocese of Salford for six months to embed some of the findings in ecotheology from Peter Scott’s AHRC project, Religion, Theology and Climate Change (2022-25).

Career Support and Mentoring for Graduates

Employability. Did you know that the University Careers Service is available to you for two years after graduation? Find out more here. Career mentoring for graduates is open to students graduating in summer or winter 2025, and our student mentoring programme matches 2025 graduates with industry professionals. Find out more here. Applications close: Thursday, 31 July.

The Conversation - Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully

Biblical studies. Siobhán Jolley has written with Dawn Llewellyn (University of Chester) "Biblical Women Ageing Disgracefully: artist Sarah Lightman reimagines characters battling midlife, motherhood and menopause" – reflections on the exhibition now on at Chester Visual Arts, Grovesnor Shopping Centre. Read it here on The Conversation.

Student Success Story - Emerging Leaders Academy

Student activities. Second-year R&T student Niamh Hardman has recently been accepted onto USPG and the Anglican Communion Youth Network's Emerging Leaders Academy due to her excellent work in children's ministry in Hulme and her position as a trustee for Greater Together Manchester. This summer/autumn, she'll be going to Kenya for 3 weeks for a cross-cultural training residential in contextual theology.

New Publication

Biblical studies. Kent Brower (NTC) has recently published "'Am I my brother's keeper?:' Reflections on Identity and Love in Romans 14:1--15:13," Neotestamentica 58.2 (2024): 227-247. Further information.

International Conference Paper

Christian Studies. Steve Wright (NTC) is chairing the panel "Modern Transformations of Prayer" at the European Academy of Religion in Vienna (8-12 July) where he will also present the paper "Prayer at the Far Edge of Humanity: Finitude, Anxiety, and Prayer in Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard." Further information.

British New Testament Society at Manchester

Biblical studies. The University of Manchester will host the British New Testament Society annual meeting 2025, Monday 1 September - Wednesday 3 September 2025. Register for the conference here.

New Publication

Biblical studies. George J. Brooke has co-edited a volume "Missing Pieces: Essays in Honour of Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar" along with Arjen F. Bakker, Bärry Hartog, Hindy Najman, Mladen Popović, and Pierre Van Hecke. This collection of essays is dedicated to Eibert Tigchelaar. Individual studies engage with new approaches to materiality, hermeneutics, digital humanities, and philology in the context of biblical research. The articles reect on reading practices, methodological innovation, textual criticism, and ancient fragments. Particular attention has been given to new approaches to the material aspects of ancient manuscripts. There are also extensive treatments of translations and reconstructions across Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic biblical traditions. Overall, the essays honour the work of Eibert Tigchelaar in the ways they build on his incisive insights and exemplary contributions. George's chapter is titled: "Probing the Principles of Principal Editions of the Dead Sea Scrolls". It has been published by Brill. Further information.

Student Prize Winner - European Association of Biblical Studies

Biblical studies. Kengoro Goto (NTC; PhD candidate) was awarded the EABS student price 2025 for his paper "Introduction of Four External Benchmarks for the Assessment of the Regional Association of Biblical Texts." Congratulations Kengoro! Further information.

Planetary Humanity & Theological Inquiry Video

Religious Traditions. Peter Scott was interviewed for a film called “Planetary Humanity: Astrobiology’s Invitation to the Humanities”. The dialogue captured by the film was part of a research project organized by the Centre of Theological Inquiry in Princeton. A collection of essays from the project Astrobiology, Religion, and Society: Considering Life on a Planetary Scale is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press. Watch it here.

International Conference

Biblical studies. Thanks to a grant from Nijmeegs Fonds voor Feminisme en Religie, Siobhán Jolley and Tom de Bruin (Radboud University) hosted the "Liberating Biblical Women? Feminist Afterlives of the Bible in the 21st Century" symposium on 1 July 2025. From Manchester, Siobhán presented "Feminist Afterlives: A Haunting", and Holly Morse presented "Eve: The Fantasy and the Fear".

New Publication

Biblical studies. HRF Mary E. Mills has published "Transmutational spaces in Isaiah: between picture postcard and void" in Literature and Theology. Further information.

Going Beyond Belief Highlights

Public resource. Going Beyond Belief is an educational resource we in the Department of Religions and Theology have created in collaboration with the team behind BBC Radio 4’s ‘Beyond Belief’ programme. We have designed a series of webpages to support students in schools and colleges access a collection of innovative research produced by researchers at the University and the rich resource that is the Beyond Belief archive. “It’s a unique way to learn about Religions and Theology,” said Holly Morse, senior lecturer in Bible, Gender and Culture at The University of Manchester, who has co-ordinated the development of the resource. “We are particularly excited about the way the collaboration with the BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief team gives students access to different kinds of material beyond textbooks.” Over the next few months we will be highlighting in the newsletter different topics covered by Going Beyond Belief, so keep an eye out!

Book Talk, Manchester Jewish Museum

Jewish Studies. CJS HRF Professor Tony Kushner will present his latest book, 'The Jewish Pedlar: An Untold Criminal History' at Manchester Jewish Museum on 31st July at 6pm. This thought-provoking work offers an imaginative investigation into a little-known historical crime, shedding new light on themes of migration, marginality, and Jewish life in Britain. The talk promises to open up fresh perspectives on overlooked aspects of Jewish and British social history. The event will also be an opportunity to learn more about the services of Jewish Historical Society of England (JHSE) and their membership scheme. £5 tickets for Under 30s. Further information and tickets here.

Staffing Update

Religions & Theology. Congratulations to Dr Sarah Parkhouse on her appointment to the post of Lecturer in Biblical and Early Christian Studies (fixed term). She will complete her British Academy Fellowship and take up her post from 1 Sept 2025.

Undergraduate Excellence in Religions & Theology 2024–25

Student prizes. Congratulations to this year’s prize-winners in Religions & Theology! Asha Joseph (first year) receives the Bishop Lee Junior Greek Testament Prize for the best examination result in New Testament Greek. Edward Bullock (second year) receives the Philip Alexander Prize for the highest module grade in undergraduate Jewish Studies. The Undergraduate Dissertation Prize for Religious Studies for the best dissertation is awarded to Dorothy Brock for her project ‘Mothering Martyrs: did politico-religious discourses on 'Mothers of Martyrs' during the Second Palestinian Intifada influence expressions of grief among women in the West Bank?’. The Brandon Memorial Prize for the best work in comparative religion is awarded to Arrchana Lingarajah for the dissertation ‘Can religiousness in ethnic minority youth be attributed to an attachment to their cultural heritage? An analysis using UK university students' practice and perceptions of their religious identity since becoming independent.’ The Dastur Kutar Prize for best undergraduate dissertation in Non-Western Religious Studies is awarded to Katia Moussallati for her work on ‘The Indigenization of Christianity in the Pasifika: From Coconut Theology to the Climate Crisis - How did the form of Christianity brought by the colonialists differ from the version of Christianity that was adopted by the colonised peoples of the Pasifika?’. Finally, the Religion and Social Responsibility Dissertation Prize for the best undergraduate dissertation that explores a social or ethical challenge at the intersection of religion and social responsibility is awarded jointly to Natalie Newell for ‘Jokes, Identity and the Line We Draw: A critical investigation into how the identity of a stand-up comedian informs the acceptability of their comic material’ and Annabel Egberts for ‘Levinas's Philosophy and Its Relevance in Understanding Contemporary Forms of Evil and Moral Obligation’.