Rylands Showcase

Community engagement. As part of the Rylands 125th Birthday Open Night, Jeremy Penner and Sarah Parkhouse will showcase a selection of manuscripts related to their upcoming 'Coptic in Manchester' UKRI project. Dec 4th, 5:30–8pm GMT, John Rylands Research Institute and Library, 150 Deansgate. Further information.

New Publication

Religion and theology. HRF Seoyoung Kim has published ‘Glocal Church Praxis on Water Justice’ in International Journal of Public Theology, Volume 19, Issue 2 (June 2025), Pages 169-184. The article explores the significant role of churches in advocating for and realizing water justice, particularly in the context of a glocal water crisis. Further information.

Chair of Trustees

Social responsibility. Peter Oakes is a Trustee at London School of Theology and has now been appointed as Chair of Trustees. LST is a non-denominational college providing training in theology, counselling and worship studies. The college currently has just under 370 students, drawn from a range of church denominations, largely across the evangelical spectrum. A particular distinctive is the Theology, Music and Worship degree, which draws on lecturers who are songwriters and performers in gospel music and other contemporary genres. 

Conversation with Yehudis Fletcher Event

Jewish studies. MA student Yehudis Fletcher will feature in the Sandra Seltzer Silberman Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Conversations Series on November 18, 2025 4.30pm (11:30 am EST), held online. Fletcher has recently published her memoir 'Chutzpah! A Memoir of Faith, Sexuality and Daring to Stay' with Penguin and is an author, scholar and activist within her Charedi community. Further information and zoom link here.

Career Spotlight: Editorial Assistant

For students. If you love working with language, ideas and getting things ready for publication, an editorial assistant role could be for you. Editorial assistants support the whole process of bringing content — whether books, journals, online articles or magazines — from manuscript to finished product. With your RELT degree, you’ve developed strong research and writing skills, cultural sensitivity, and the ability to think critically about meaning and context — all of which are useful in this role. A profile on the role is available on Prospects. Check it out for more details and then book a careers meeting to explore how your skills could map into editorial and publishing.

Event: Jewish Women and Women’s Rights at Manchester Jewish Museum

Jewish studies. On Thursday, 27 November, Manchester Jewish Museum is hosting a panel discussion on Jewish suffragettes and Jewish women’s experiences. The event is presented in collaboration with the Pankhurst Museum and will feature our Honorary Research Fellow and recent PhD grad, Sherry Ashworth. Along with Poppy Beswick (Pankhurst Museum), Robyn Ashworth-Steen (the first woman Rabbi appointed in Manchester) and Esty Bruck (The Friendship Circle), they will explore the pivotal role of Jewish women in the suffrage movement and their enduring influence on modern feminism. Discounted £5 tickets for attendees under 30. Further information.

Recruiter in Residence - Teach First

Employability. Part of the new Recruiter in Residence programme and open to all students, this is your chance to meet recruiters from Teach First and find out about their roles. This is a great opportunity to gain an insight into what a leading graduate recruiter looks for in a potential candidate and receive hints and tips for a successful application. You might also want to speak to them about their selection processes, their company culture, what a typical day would entail, or even find out more about their sector as a whole. Thursday 13th November, 11:00-15:00, Ground Floor University Place, no need to book. 

Faith Stories on Campus

Interfaith Week 2025. 'Faith Stories on Campus' is a collaborative event for the Faith and Belief Forum for sharing personal stories, taking part in group reflections, and co-creating a commitment of practical ways to make campuses more inclusive and supportive for people of all faiths and none. There will be hot drinks and snacks, but it is recommended to eat dinner before or after. Anyone who studies or works at a university in the North of England is welcome. Wednesday 12 November 6pm to 8:30pm Room 1.008, Roscoe Building, The University of Manchester, Brunswick Street, M13 9PL (accessible). Register for further details.

Papers at Society of Biblical Literature/American Association of Religion

Biblical Studies. Scholars of religion will congregate in Boston for the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting November 22–25, 2025. Siobhán Jolley is presenting two papers on the Bible and art; Holly Morse is presenting 'Encountering Eve: Feminist Reflections on the First Woman'; and Kengoro Goto (NTC) is presenting 'A Variationist Sociolinguistic Approach to Northwest Semitic Data for the Assessment of the Regional Association of Biblical Texts'. The Manchester Wesley Research Centre are hosting a session in the American Academy of Religion section on the theme 'Individuals and Institutions: Intersections of Gender, Culture and Historiography' with papers from David Bundy and Stephen Wright from NTC.

Religion & Theology Research Seminar

 

Religion & Theology. 24th November: Raj Patta (UoM alumni) "A Decolonial Reading of the Nicene Creed from a Dalit theological perspective." 3–5pm in Samuel Alexander A116 and online. Email Siobhán Jolley or Holly Morse for the online link. 

Screen & Talk

 

UK Jewish Film Festival. The Centre for Jewish Studies is a proud sponsor of the screening of the short programme British-Jewish Life on Film on Wednesday 3 December 2025, 18:30, at HOME, Manchester. The short films explore the diversity of British Jewish life and identity in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Norwich and Lincoln. Including the two winners of the Pears Short Film Fund at UK Jewish Film 2025, BESHERT, starring BAFTA-nominated actor Anton Lesser (WOLF HALL, GAME OF THRONES, THE CROWN) and TO FLY OR TO FLOAT starring Ben Caplan (SMALL AXE). This event is part of the UK Jewish Film Festival 2024.

National curriculum review in England

Religious studies in schools and colleges. The Guardian reports that 'the year-long curriculum and assessment review was asked by the government to look at primary, secondary and aged 16-19 phases of state education in England.' Proposal 5 of the ten key recommendations is 'Expand Religious Education. Religious education should be made part of the national curriculum at all stages, taking its content out of the hands of local advisory councils. The review heard evidence that RE provision in many schools “is not good enough and does not prepare pupils adequately for life beyond school”.' The Curriculum Review and Assessment report itself states 'Stakeholders’ responses to our Call for Evidence showed there was a strong consensus about the subject’s importance and its essential place in a school’s curriculum, stressing its important role in children and young people’s intellectual, personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. RE is a place where they encounter differing beliefs, sometimes for the first time, understand the tenets of major faiths, and learn how to reason and wrestle with existential questions... RE provides a space for pupils to learn about human mutuality and reciprocity, that it develops their capacity to understand one another, and that it supports strong, secure, and confident communities with good relationships. Given the role that religion, belief and values play in local, national, and international events, it continues to be vital for children and young people to have access to high-quality RE.'

BBC Radio 4, Sunday

Religious studies at university. Scott Midson has been interviewed on Radio 4's 'Sunday' programme with Robert Beckford about the future of TRS degrees on 2nd November. The segment starts about 11:30, with Scott on from about 16:00. Listen here.

Ehrhardt Seminar in Biblical Studies

 

Biblical studies. 17th November: Dr Katie Turner (Public Historian & Educator), "Putting on the New Self:Representing Conversion with Costume Change in Bible Films", 3-5pm – Room A116 Samuel Alexander Building and Zoom. For further information and Zoom link, please email Lynne Potts.

Religion & Theology Research Seminar

 

Religion & Theology. 10th November. Meghan Rose Donnelly (UoM) 'The Convent in the Community: How secular Use of Sacred Space Contributes to Catholic Nuns’ Pursuit of the Good in Eastern Indonesia." 3–5pm in Samuel Alexander A116 and online. Email Siobhán Jolley or Holly Morse for the online link. 

Manchester Momentum Coaching and Development Programme

Employability. Manchester Momentum is the University’s coaching and development programme for second-year undergraduate students of Black, Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage with home status. Benefit from: Personalised 1-1 coaching sessions; Learn how to set and meet your goals; Develop skills that matter to you; Grit workshop to develop your mindset; Community activities to build your network; Ongoing support to help you succeed at Manchester and beyond. Applications close on 24th November, 5PM. Apply here.

Polemics Reading Group

Philosophy. Students have set up a society called Polemics Reading Group aimed at students of all levels who have an interest in technical philosophy. The group convenes every two fridays (31st Oct, 14th Nov, and so forth). Follow them on Instagram, email for more information or scan the QR code on the image for the Whatsapp.

Student Law Fair

Employability. Interested in a career in law? Come along to the Law Fair on Tuesday 11 November, 11am–3pm in Whitworth Hall. Meet top legal employers including A&O Shearman, Clyde & Co, Express Solicitors, Linklaters, and Pinsent Masons. Open to both Law and non-Law students! Further information.

AHRC Project Religion, Theology and Climate Change

Christianity. As reported previously in this Blog, the Report of this project was published in September. It attracted press attention in the Church Times (News, 26 September) as well as responses in the letters page (Letters, 3 October). In his role as Principal Investigator, Peter Scott responded the following week Letters to the Editor, 10 October.

New Chairing Position

 

Biblical studies. Siobhán Jolley has been appointed as a co-chair of 'The Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact' unit for the International Society of Biblical Literature. Siobhán will serve from 2026–29 and the next meeting will take place in Adelaide, Australia, July 5–9th 2026.

Going Beyond Belief Highlights

Public resource. Are human beings free, or are their actions determined by larger forces over which they have no control? What exactly is "free will" and how does it play an important role in religious thinking? On our R&T-BBC collaborative resource, Going Beyond Belief, David Law takes a look at these questions in the context of Christian theology. A complementary page concentrates on the ideas of theologian Kierkegaard’s writings on predestination, providence, and governance. These pages can be used for a range of RS A level syllabi, and you can also listen here to the Beyond Belief radio feature on free will. David also teaches courses on these topics throughout our undergraduate degree programme.

Highlight: Fear and Belonging Project

Buddhist Studies. Fear is fundamental to human experience. It tends to be analysed as a negative and disempowering emotion, but it can also create solidarity and be a potent force for change. A project led by Erica Baffelli and Jane Caple, with Sian Fan as a collaborating artist, investigates the productive role of fear in contemporary religious belonging through studies of two distinct minority Buddhist communities in the UK and Japan. The project is funded by a Leverhulme Trust research project grant. Further information.

Careers Service News

For students. Interested in sustainable and ethical careers? Sign up to the career services' focus groups in November and get a £10 voucher for participating. Sign up here.

Research Paper

Biblical studies. Join the Feminist Theology Network online 28 October, 7pm, to hear from Holly Morse about her work on the biblical character of Eve: "Eve: (M)Other of All Living." Exploring how women have interpreted Eve and understood her maternity, Holly will present a radical 'counter-history' to interpretations of Genesis 1-3. Join the mailing list for the event link.

National Gallery Course

Religion and Art. In December, Siobhán Jolley is teaching a three-part online course "Sacred stories: Saints in art" through the National Gallery. Through close examination of masterpieces in the collection, the course will explore how saintly figures shaped both devotional practice and artistic development, discovering how their stories continue to speak to contemporary concerns about compassion, moral courage and our relationship with the natural world. Siobhán is also writing a book on this subject to be published in 2026. Further information.

Didsbury Lectures 2025

Christian Theology. The 2025 Didsbury Lectures will be delivered by UoM HRF Stephen C. Barton. The theme for the event is 'The Conversion of the Emotions in Early Christianity'. His case studies will be: anger, grief, and joy. October 27th - 30th, 2025, 7:00 PM, NTC Chapel. Further information and registration here.

Go Abroad Fair

Student event. Expand your horizons and discover exciting new places by studying abroad, attending a summer school or volunteering internationally. Enhance your employability, experience new learning styles and develop your confidence, communication skills and cultural awareness Come to the Go Abroad Fair and talk to students who have already experienced studying and living abroad; find out more about our partner universities in over 30 countries around the world; meet staff from the Placements and International Programmes team; talk to representatives from Volunteering, Student Union, Confucius and local societies; and find out next steps and how to apply. Tuesday 21st October 11-3pm, Whitworth Hall.

Career Spotlight: Charity Officer

For students. Interested in making a difference through your work? Charity officers help plan projects, raise awareness, and manage partnerships that support communities and causes. Your RELT degree gives you great communication skills, cultural understanding, and an ability to think about ethical and social issues, all key in this sector. 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, book Launch

Public event. On Monday 3rd Nov 2025, Manchester Cathedral will host a launch for Dominic Budhi-Thornton's book 'Public Theology in the Post Secular Age - Lessons Learned from Manchester Cathedral', published by Wipf & Stock. Dom's book is based on his PhD research that he completed in our department, supervised by Peter Scott. Professor Elaine Graham says of the book 'This study of Manchester Cathedral offers a model of religious public engagement that is practical and inclusive. Budhi-Thornton calls for the cultivation of a theological imagination that is attentive to a diversity of voices and informed by expansive visions of what makes a good city.' Further information.

SALC Placement Scheme

Employability. The SALC Placement Scheme allows SALC students on a 3-year programme to convert their course into a 4-year programme with the third year being a placement year. Successful completion of the placement year will allow you to graduate with ‘with Professional Experience’ added to your degree title. Taking a placement year provides a wide range of benefits including valuable experience for future job applications, insight into your potential career choices, and the opportunity to apply your academic learning in a professional setting. You can apply for the scheme during your second year and applications opened on the 1st September 2025. Further information.

Ehrhardt Seminar in Biblical Studies

 

Biblical studies.  Dr Andrew Mein (The Queen’s Foundation), "Mapping Biblical Reception: Questions, Answers, Stories". 27th October, 3-5pm – Room A116 Samuel Alexander Building and Zoom. For further information and Zoom link, please email Lynne Potts.

New publication

Judaism and science. Daniel R. Langton, Darwin in the Jewish Imagination: Jews' Engagement with Evolutionary Theory (Oxford University Press, 2025). This book offers the first major study of Jewish responses to Darwinian evolution, one of the most transformative and contested ideas of the industrial age. Spanning a century of intellectual and cultural history, it traces how Jewish thinkers—traditionalists, reformers, secularists, mystics, and philosophers—grappled with the profound implications of evolutionary theory for religious belief and cultural identity. Through close readings of key figures and debates across Europe, North America, and pre-state Israel, the book situates Jewish responses within wider contexts: the science–religion controversy, Jewish-Christian interfaith relations, and the challenges of modernity. A central theme is the tendency in Jewish thought to identify God with the evolving universe and its natural laws. The book explores how foundational concepts such as creation, divine action, and human morality were reinterpreted in light of Darwin’s ideas, and examines the impact of these reinterpretations on religious practice, ethical frameworks, and even internal Jewish eugenic discourse. Interdisciplinary in scope, this study not only shows how Jewish thought engaged creatively with evolutionary theory but also reveals the broader cultural and theological exchanges that helped shape modern Judaism. In doing so, it illuminates how science and Jewish religion entered into a dynamic and often enriching dialogue—very different from the experience of Christian religion and science—with lasting consequences for Jewish belief, identity, and intellectual life. Free access via Oxford Scholarship Online (with institutional sign-in) and available in hardback 4 Nov 2025 (discount code: AUFLY30). Further information.

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.