Newsletter, December 2024
As Semester 1 of 2024/2025 draws to an end, we look back on one vibrant semester and ahead to another.
Looking back…
CRPL Seminars of Semester 1
We have had presentations by Megan Robertson (University of Leeds), Séan Adams (Edge Hill University), Rebekah Welton (University of Exeter), Sebastian Rumsby (University of Birmingham), and Emmanuel Ossai (University of Lancaster). Details of each presentation are archived on the CRPL site.
CRPL seminar with Rebekah Welton (image courtesy of Robyn Ashworth-Steen)
CRPL seminar with Professor Ruby Sain
We also contributed to the Hook Lecture with Richard Reddie, hosted a book launch for Megan Robertson and an additional seminar with visiting professor Ruby Sain, and supported the photographic exhibition on Islamophobia organised by the Iqbal Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam.
Richard Reddie delivering the Hook Lecture (image courtesy of Yannis Ng)
The Opening of the photo exhibit on Islamophobia, University of Leeds
Coming up very soon
On 6 December there will be a day of celebrating and reflecting on the Community Religions Project and the work and contributions of our departing colleague Melanie Prideaux.
Our final CRPL seminar is on 12 December with Emma Wild-Wood (University of Edinburgh) – at the usual time, in the usual place. For full details, see the CRPL site.
Other announcements…
CRPL Postgraduates:
We have welcomed two new postgraduates – Emmanuel Erhijodo and Ellie Blythe.
Grace Nwamah and Gloria Adichie have both received funding from the Spalding Trust. Congratulations!
On the Religion in Public blog:
Please read all recent posts to keep up with what’s going on in our Centre.
Researchers of the Month:
October – Gloria Adichie
November – Kevin Ward
December – Alison Searle
Books and Major Publications by CRPL members:
Exploring Integrity in the Christian Church, by Simon Robinson
Blasphemous Art? Religion, Gender and Sexuality in Arts and Popular Culture, co-edited by Adriaan van Klinken
‘Cult’ Rhetoric in the 21st Century: Deconstructing the Study of New Religious Movements, co-edited by Aled Thomas
Stories of Change: Religious Leaders and LGBTIQ Inclusion in East Africa, co-edited by Adriaan van Klinken
Features
‘A Reflection on Rizpah bat Aiah,’ by Robyn Ashworth-Steen
Other Announcements…
Adriaan van Klinken has a new publication: ‘Transgender, Trans-human, Trans-religious: The Decolonial Queer Possibilities of Ọgbanje and Other African Spirits,’ see: https://read.dukeupress.edu/qtr/article/1/2/195/392718/Transgender-Trans-human-Trans-religiousThe
Aled Thomas has been elected as the new Honorary Treasurer of the British Association for the Study of Religions.
CRPL Visiting Fellow Gillian Chu is a 2025 Scholar of the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable, see: https://religion.artsandsciences.baylor.edu/affiliated-programs/baptist-studies-center-research/baptist-scholars-international-roundtable-bsir
Johanna Stiebert has been invited to the international working group on ‘The Ethics of Responsible Abortion,’ Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research.
For anyone with interest in ‘Scripture in the Public Square’, please consider answering this call for papers on the Global Network for Public Theology. For more information, please see the GNPT website, the 7th Global Network for Public Theology (GNPT) Consultation and the Call for Papers. The deadline is 31 December 2024.
Our own Andrea Still is running the London Marathon 2025! To sponsor Andrea, please see here:
Announcements and updates regarding CRPL events and news will continue to be posted on the University’s CRPL site, which can be accessed here.
Looking ahead…
The CRPL seminar series will resume on Thursday 6 February 2025 at the usual time (11.30-13.00), in the usual place (Botany House Seminar Room 1.03). Our line-up of speakers will be:
Thursday 6 February 2025 Professor Abiodun Alao (King’s College London)
Thursday 13 February 2025 Risaw Walis (University of Leeds) * venue to be announced
**there is no CRPL seminar scheduled on 20 February 2025
Thursday 6 March 2025 Dr Edd Graham-Hyde (University of Central Lancashire)
Thursday 20 March 2025 Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou (University of Exeter)
Thursday 1 May 2025 Dr Atif Imtiaz (University of Bradford)
Save the Dates!!
Professor Kristin Aune (Coventry University) will present as part of a special series on singles studies organised by Professor Tendai Mangena. The lecture will take place on 11 March 2025 from 16.00-17.30 in the Boardroom at 17 Blenheim Terrace. The title of the lecture is: ‘Singleness as Standpoint Epistemology, Methodology and Method: Unmarried Positionality and the Politics of Research.’ The presentation focuses on an ethnographic study on gender in a British evangelical Christian church movement.
There will be a CRPL Event on Christianity and the Far Right with Dr. Maria Power (Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford) and Dr. Helen Paynter (Centre for Study of Bible and Violence, Bristol Baptist College) on Friday 14 March 2025 at the University of Leeds Chaplaincy Emmanuel Centre, 16.30-18.30.
There will be a Postgraduate/Early Career Researcher training event led by Dr Gillian Chu (Hong Kong Baptist University) from 11.00-13.00 on 14 April 2025 – details to follow.
We have scheduled a CRPL Research Day organised by Dr. Jo Sadgrove: 5 June 2025. The venue is booked (Baines Wing 2.10) from 10am to 4pm and the rest of the details will follow soon.
There will be a second CRPL Research Day organised by Dr. Aled Thomas on Religious Literacy in Further Education. Details to follow!
Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful festive season together with those you hold dear and with fine food. See you soon and/or in the new year.
Johanna