Conference Paper

New Testament Studies. Peter Oakes presented a paper at the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas annual meeting at Durham, 'λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες (Philippians 2:16), an Elaborate Expression for "Having Life": Greek Idiom and Early Greek Exegesis'. He also responded to a paper by Timothy A. Brookins, '“Peace and Security” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) as a Religious Slogan: The Counter Gospel of a Heraclean Association’ and chaired a paper session.

Conference Poster

Coptic studies. Sarah Parkhouse showcased a poster demonstrating the progress of the 'Coptic in Manchester' project at the International Congress of Coptic Studies, Göttingen, 27 July – 1 Aug 2026. 

Conference Paper

Jewish studies. George Brooke contributed a paper on "Rethinking Midrash ha-Torah (1QS8:15)" to a Symposium on Communicating Torah in Ancient Jewish Culture and Early Christianity at the University of Münster in July.

Think Tank makes case for Theology and Religious Studies

For students. The think tank THEOS has produced a student-facing resource Big Questions. Real-World Skills, which highlights the importance of studying Theology and Religious Studies at university. “We live in a world shaped by rapid technological change, global interconnection, and deep differences in belief and identity. Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) is a subject that speaks directly to that world”, it says. The brochure argues for the importance and value of TRS courses and includes testimonies from recent TRS graduates on how the subject has been applied to careers in law, politics, the civil service and communications. It’s part of a suite of resources on RE and Theology / Religious Studies on the THEOS website.

New Publication

Buddhist studies. Erica Baffelli has published “‘Being with’: Support Networks During the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Journal of Global Buddhism 27.1 (2026): 1-18. Further information. 

Conference Papers

Biblical Studies. Presenting at this year's meeting of the British New Testament Society is Siobhán Jolley on ‘Curséd Is the Fruit: Afterlives of Eden in depictions of Anne and the Magdalene’ (with Maryanne Saunders, National Gallery), and Kate Bowen-Evans (PhD student at Nazarene Theological College) on ‘Sidelined in the Body and by the Body: Re-reading 1 Corinthians 12:22–26 through an Ableist-Critical Lens’. Siobhán also chairs the Reception, Critical Theory, & Interdisciplinary Studies Seminar and Andy Boakye chairs the Paul seminar. 24-26 August, St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth. Further information.

Conference Papers

Biblical studies. At the European Association of Biblical Studies Annual Meeting at KU Leuven, July 2026, Samuel Hildebrandt (NTC) presented "Receiving the Undead, Risen from the Wilderness: Moses' Wife and the Exodus Generation in Early 20th Century Literature," in the "The Biblical World and Its Reception: The Bible, Horror, and Monster" session, and George Brooke presented "The Dead Sea Scrolls and 'Biblical' Anthropology" to the Biblical Anthropology in Canonical Discourse workshop. 

New Publication

Religion in Japan. Guy Baldwin (Law) has published 'The Diffusion of Religious Freedom in Japan' with Ayako Hatano in the Asian Journal of Comparative Law 20.3: 545–64. Further information.

Church on Wheels Interview

Religion and AI. Scott Midson was interviewed by Bishop Mick Fleming of the Church on Wheels on about AI, robots, technology and God, and what it means to be human. See the filmed interview here.

International Workshop

Biblical studies. Sarah Parkhouse and Todd Klutz attended a workshop on Coptic Gospels at the University of Groningen, 23-25 July 2026.

Touring Art Exhibition

Biblical studies. The National Gallery has announced a major new touring exhibition, Mary Magdalene: Woman and Myth, curated by Siobhán Jolley. Opening at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, in February 2027 before travelling to Sheffield and Bishop Auckland, the exhibition brings together Renaissance and contemporary art to explore how Mary Magdalene's image has been shaped by belief, power and misrepresentation over nearly two millennia. Developed from research begun during Siobhán's PhD at Manchester, the exhibition examines the relationship between the historical woman and the myths that have grown around her, while exploring wider questions about women's authority, memory and representation. Further information.

Conference Paper

Jewish studies. Ion Popa, Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Jewish Studies, presented a paper at the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) Conference in Rome, “Greek Catholics, The Holy See, and the Holocaust: New Findings in the Pope Pius XII Collections," in a panel organized by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum under the title: “The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Vatican Archives Initiative: An Overview.” (June 30-July 3, 2026). Further information.

Manchester Odyssey

John Rylands News. Centre for Biblical Studies member Jeremy Penner recently partnered with Universal Pictures to promote The Odyssey movie. Part of a 1,700-year-old copy of Homer's poem, kept at Manchester's John Rylands Library, was taken to London and New York in a bespoke case for the stars of the movie to see and discuss. The copy is now on display in Manchester. Read more: BBC; ITV; UoM Website.

Magazine Article

Christian studies. Sarah Parkhouse has written a review of the 'Encountering Biblical Bodies' exhibition for in Art+Christianity Magazine. Held at the University of Manchester, the exhibition features the work of Sarah Lightman and was curated by Holly Morse and Siobhán Jolley. Further information.

New Publication

Biblical studies. Honorary Research Fellow Helen R. Jacobus, has published "Enochic Literature as a Vehicle for the Circulation of the Zodiac between Roman and Byzantine Egypt and Late Roman and Byzantine Palestine," in Enoch Studies in the 2000s: New Vistas, ed. Kelley Coblentz Bautch, Matthew Goff and Joshua Scott (Deuterocanonical and Cognate Studies. v. 63; DeGruyter: Berli, 2026), 285-321. Further information.

Undergraduate Excellence 2025-26

Student Prizes. Congratulations to this year’s prize-winners in Religions & Theology! Ethan Thompson (second year) receives the Bishop Lee Junior Greek Testament Prize for the best examination result in New Testament Greek. The David S. Bles Hebrew Prize goes to Daisy Oakley (second year). Archie McConnell (History) 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 Edward Bullock for his project ‘To what extent can Levinas’ philosophical position in Totality and Infinity withstand the critique of Infinity presented in Derrida’s ‘Violence and Metaphysics’?’. The Brandon Memorial Prize for the best work in comparative religion is awarded to Niamh Hardman for the dissertation ‘Writing in the Margins: An Autoethnographic and Discourse-Analytical Investigation of the Anglican Sunday School Teacher’. The Dastur Kutar Prize for best undergraduate dissertation in Non-Western Religious Studies is awarded to Noah Bouharri for his work on ‘The UK Degree as Moral and Ritual Achievement: A Confucian Reading of Chinese Overseas Student Experience’. 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 to Amelie Brooks for ‘From Vice to Idol: Greed and Christian Responses to the 2008 Financial Crisis’.

Talk at Muslim Arts and Culture Festival

Islamic studies. On 4th July, Kamran Karimullah collaborated with the John Rylands Library and MACFEST (Muslim Arts and Culture Festival) for a public-facing research event on Islamic scientific manuscripts. Further information.

New Publication

Biblical studies. Andy Boakye has published "Top Boy: Honour, Shame and Violence in the Biblical and Modern Manosphere" in the volume For Nothing is Hidden: Masculinities and Trauma in Church and Theology (SCM Press), edited by Will Rose Moore. Further information.

University League Table News

Latest Subject Area ranking announced. Our Dept of Religions and Theology has risen nine places in the rankings of the Complete University Guide 2027 to number 6 in the UK. Further information.

Robotics and AI Workshop Facilitation

Digital humanities. On 6-7th July, Scott Midson facilitated doctoral training workshops for Robotics and AI for Net Zero (RAINZ CDT), a funded 4-year PhD programme training multi-disciplinary robotic systems engineers. The CDT unites leading researchers from The University of Manchester, Glasgow and Oxford, to train in both research and commercialisation of Robotics and AI to help revolutionise lifecycle asset management of critical infrastructure in support of the UK’s Net Zero Strategy. Further information.

Career Spotlight: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer

For students. Interested in creating fairer and more inclusive workplaces or communities? Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officers help organisations review policies, raise awareness, support staff, and promote positive change. Through your Religion & Theology degree programme, you develop relevant skills by exploring belief, identity, ethics and society, considering different perspectives, and communicating sensitively about complex issues. These skills can be really valuable in roles focused on inclusion, fairness and helping people feel represented. Check out the Prospects page for more detailed information on this role and book a careers appointment to discuss your career ideas further.

Civic Service Sermon, Manchester Cathedral

Christian studies. Last month, Peter Scott gave the sermon at the Civic Service at Manchester Cathedral. An annual event, the Civic Service provides an opportunity to welcome the new Lord Mayor, to reflect on Manchester’s community and civic life, and to pray for the common good of the city. Representatives from Manchester’s religious traditions were present at the service to greet the new Lord Mayor, Councillor Shaukat Ali.

Research Presentation

Biblical studies. Siobhán Jolley is presenting at this year’s meeting of the Theology and the Visual Arts project at King's College London 6-9th July, on "A Creative Dialectic: Engaging Visual Art and Biblical Text in Pursuit of New Meaning Making." Further information.

Graduate Outcomes Survey

Employability. Did you finish your University of Manchester degree between 1 February-30 April 2025? You are invited to complete the Graduate Outcomes survey. It’s a quick 10-minute check-in to see where your career has taken you 15 months post-university. Your feedback is essential for helping us support the next generation of students and improving the graduate landscape for everyone. The survey is open until 31 August 2026.

New Publication

Early Christianity. Sarah Parkhouse has published 'Fatal Charades and the Christian Martyrological Imagination' in Classical Antiquity 45.1 (2026): 218–241. Further information.

New Postdoctoral Appointment

Lincoln Theological Institute. The Dept of Religions & Theology is delighted to announce that Dr Chrissie Thwaites has been appointed as the new postdoctoral researcher at the Lincoln Theological Institute, from 1 September 2026. Chrissie joins us from the University of Leeds, where she completed her PhD in 2025. Her research project, “Post-Institutional Religion: Informal Authority, Belonging and Religious Formation in Contemporary Christian Life”, will investigate how authority, belonging and religious formation are being reconfigured outside traditional institutional structures. The two-year project is funded by the LTI trustees and continues the long-standing and fruitful relationship between the Institute’s trustees and the Department of Religions and Theology.

Celebrating Sustainability Impact Ratings

Sustainability goals. The University of Manchester has been ranked first in the world in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings. This means we’re leading globally for our contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ranking first for: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities & Communities; Responsible Consumption & Production; Life Below Water; and Life on Land. We’re also the only university to feature in the global top ten every year since the rankings began. Further information.

Spotlight: Alumni Profile

Careers. Ilaria Di Vincenzo graduated with a degree in Religions, Theology and Ethics and now works as a Digital Inclusion and Community Engagement Manager at Conversations Over Borders. Ilaria writes: "My degree really helped me to work with people from a wide range of countries, cultures, religions, and language backgrounds, which really is at the heart of what I do now. By choosing modules on different faiths and traditions, I built a deeper cultural awareness that has helped me approach my work with care, sensitivity, and respect." Read about their journey here.

PhD Success

Biblical studies. Congratulations to Dr Lev Eakins who has successfully completed his PhD. The thesis is titled 'Reassessing the Date and Provenance of the Gospel of Mark' and was supervised by Todd Klutz and Sarah Parkhouse and examined by Andy Boakye and James Crossley (Cambridge).

Lunchtime Talk and Book Signing

Christian studies. On 27th July, Siobhán Jolley will give a National Gallery lunchtime lecture followed by a book signing to celebrate the launch of her newly published book Saints. Further information.

Conference Paper

Jewish Studies. The annual conference of the British and Irish Association for Jewish Studies takes place from 13–15 July at Birkbeck. Katja Stuerzenhofecker will deliver a paper entitled ‘The dislocation of place-based ritual community’. 

Collaborative Writing Workshop

Biblical studies. On 22–24th June, Sarah Parkhouse attended a writing workshop at the University of Copenhagen to develop a co-written book on biographies of Jesus (under contract with Bloomsbury) as part of a Royal Society of Edinburgh collaboration grant.

Research Presentation

Biblical studies. On 28th May, Siobhán Jolley presented "A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Traction: Rethinking “Holy Family” with Early Modern Magdalenes" at a National Gallery symposium about family in the visual arts. Further information.

Professional Development Session

Teaching development. In collaboration with the University of Manchester and validation partner Nazarene Theological College, our validation partner Cliff College held an event on 24th June on AI and thinking about its practical and ethical use amongst faculty and students. Pete Phillips offered a presentation on using digital theology to help think critically and creatively about the use of AI in teaching and learning in theology and religious studies.

New Publications

Theology and Religion. Our validation partner Nazarene Theological College is excited to see two postgraduate students published in the journal Theology in Scotland in a special edition on Theology and Mental Health: Jonathan Shamshad, a recent MA graduate, transformed a class assignment into "Be Still and Be Present: Psalm 46 and the Challenge of Super-Modern Anxiety" and Kate Bowen-Evans, a current lecturer and PhD student, shares in the same volume a dialogue with her brother Mark as "A Conversation on Faith and Mental Health: Breath, Presence, and the Imago Dei." Further information.

BBC Radio 4, Sunday

 

Religion and art. Siobhán Jolley has been interviewed on Radio 4's 'Sunday' programme about the new Anish Kapoor exhibition that opened this week at the Hayward Gallery in London. Siobhán's section starts around minute 20. Listen here.

New Publication

Biblical studies. Samuel Hildebrandt (NTC), “‘Let Us Strike Him with the Tongue!’ The Violence of Speech in Isaiah and Jeremiah.” In The Bible and Violence. Volume I: Violence in Biblical Texts. Edited by C. Greenough, J. Stiebert, J. Jodamus, and M.D. Kebaneilwe. London: T&T Clark, 2026. Further information.

Teaching Innovation

Undergraduate Scholars Project. Katja Stuerzenhofecker led the SALC Undergraduate Scholars Project ‘Generative AI – what does machine learning do in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures?’ The students presented their findings and recommendations at the SALC Undergraduate Scholars Showcase on 6 May, and at the international conference ‘Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Balancing Equity, Access and Innovation’ on 9-10 June. The Undergraduate Scholars Programme is an extra-curricular, non-credit bearing programme of interdisciplinary research for intellectually adventurous undergraduate students in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Research Presentations

Biblical studies. On 27th May, Siobhán Jolley presented "Wounded Yet Glorified: Reconfiguring Biblical Disability Through Artistic Depictions of Christ’s Body" at the University of Chester Theology & Religious Studies research seminar, followed by a presentation that evening to Chester Theological Society on "The Mother and the Magdalene: The Marys in Jesus Films."

Alumnus Research Activities

Alumni Activity. R&T alumnus Giles Briscoe (class of 2018-19) is giving a series of talks on his doctoral research at Edge Hill University, which explores drag as a sacred practice, reading RuPaul’s Drag Race and its associated spaces as sites of confession, transformation, and community. The idea first emerged during Giles’s undergraduate Theological Studies in Philosophy and Ethics, for whose teaching and support he remains warmly appreciative. Upcoming talks include a presentation to Australian audiences in James Cook University's Gender and Sexualities Seminar Series.

Research Visit in Berlin

Buddhist Studies.  From July 1–9, Erica Baffelli will be hosted by Dr Frederik Schröer in Berlin via the host programme at the Dahlem Humanities Center at Freie University. On July 3, they will be organising a workshop on "Feeling with the Trouble: Affective Entanglements in and Beyond the Human” to discuss a joint-publication focused on negative emotions and Buddhism.

Career Spotlight: Market Researcher

For students. Curious about why people think and behave the way they do? Market researchers gather and analyse information to help organisations understand their audiences and make informed decisions. Through your RELT degree, you’ve developed the ability to interpret complex information, evaluate different viewpoints, ask insightful questions, and communicate your findings clearly. These skills are invaluable when uncovering trends and turning data into meaningful recommendations. Check out the Prospects page for more detailed information on this role and book a careers appointment to discuss your career ideas further.

PhD Graduate Publication

Religion and philosophy. Darius Samadian, who graduated with a PhD in 2022 supervised by David Law, has recently published a revised version of his thesis with Peter Lang under the title The Mystical Philosophy of Karl Jaspers. Further information.

Share Your Experience of Studying

For students. What do you enjoy most about studying Theology and/or Religious Studies? Theology & Religious Studies UK are inviting undergraduate students to share their experiences by recording a short video (up to 60 secs) explaining what draws them to the subject and why it matters to them. They are looking for videos that are genuine, engaging, and accessible in tone—there’s no need for professional equipment - recordings made on a mobile phone are perfectly fine. Why take part? Your video could be featured on the TRS-UK website, and twenty entries will receive a £50 prize! Please email your video submissions to stefanie.sinclair@open.ac.uk by the 31st of July 2026.

New Booklet Publication

Religion and emotion. Erica Baffelli has published a booklet for the Fear and Belonging project titled Creating Community, which shares short reflections from the project. Erica writes: 'The aim of this publication is to capture some of the feelings, experiences, practices and atmospheres running through the stories participants shared with us during interviews and to reflect on some of what we have learnt. The artwork is by Sian Fan, the artist working with us on the project, who has created an image for each of the themes we reflect on in writing, exploring them from a visual perspective.' The booklet is available open access here.

New Book Publication

Christian studies. Siobhán Jolley, Saints (London: National Gallery / Yale University Press, 2026), 144pp. Saints explores the saints depicted in the collection at the National Gallery, charting not only a history of devotion but also the development of Western European art itself. Saints takes a close look at how some of the most splendid depictions of these figures still speak to us across the centuries. Further information.

Encountering Biblical Bodies Research Showcase

Biblical studies. On Tuesday 26 May in Ellen Wilkinson was the Centre for Biblical Studies/Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Arts and Languages "Encountering Biblical Bodies Showcase" with papers from Peter Oakes, Kate Bowen-Evans (Nazarene Theological College), Anke Bernau, Gillian Redfern, Cordelia Warr, Naomi Baker, Meaghan Allen, Rachel Miller, Siobhán Jolley, Scott Midson and Holly Morse. Further information.

Interdisciplinary Event on Faces

Interdisciplinary event. On 27th May, Scott Midson spoke on ‘Face/off: Self-identity and robot doppelgängers’ and the fifth event of the interdisciplinary seminar series on faces: '(Re)imagining faces: restoring humanity through art, archaeology, medicine & science'. Further information.

Public Talk

Biblical studies. On June 4th, Siobhán Jolley is leading a symposium with Paul Middleton (Chester) on 'Apocalypse Now: The Book of Revelation in the 21st Century' at Chester Cathedral. Further information.

Manchester Wesley Research Centre Annual Lecture

Methodist Studies. Please join our validation partner event: the  Manchester Wesley Research Centre annual lecture given by Priscilla Pope-Levison, Research Professor of Practical Theology, Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Her lecture is titled “The Emergence, Growth, and Decline of the International Methodist Deaconess Movement.” Watch her speak about the lecture here. 16th June, 5pm, Nazarene Theological College, in person and online. Register here.