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.