VC visit

Slide1: 

a short presentation for the Vice-Chancellor’s visit to the School on June 14, 2006 Current Research in Religious and Theological Studies

Research Groups: 

Research Groups

The School has three main research groupings: 

The School has three main research groupings RELIG Religion in the Contemporary World Patristics and Late Antiquity Indian Religions

Most staff members are primarily located in one area but some are involved in more than one: 

Most staff members are primarily located in one area but some are involved in more than one Religion in the Contemporary World Patristics and Late Antiquity Indian Religions Josef Lössl Frank Trombley Christine Trevett John Watt (also Max Deeg) Max Deeg James Hegarty Will Johnson Geoffrey Samuel Sophie Gilliat-Ray Stephen Pattison Geoffrey Samuel Paul Ballard (Emeritus Professor) Yulia Egorova (research fellow) Santi Rozario (research fellow)

Late Antique Religion and Culture: 

Late Antique Religion and Culture Late Antique Religion and Culture Josef Lössl and Nicholas Baker-Brian review recent CLARC publications Commentarial traditions in Latin and Syriac Women and early church history Transition from Paganism to Christianity and Islam Theories of war and conflict in European religions Early Christian Texts in Chinese CLARC Includes the Centre for Late Antique Religion and Culture (CLARC) (joint with HISAR) directed by Josef Lössl

Indian Religions: 

Indian Religions Indian Religions Indian epic traditions, especially the Mahabharata; narrative traditions and Indian religions Jain religion and culture Performance and Indian religions History of Indian religions, especially Buddhism Chinese sources for Indian religious history Health and yogic practices in Asian religions - “subtle body” workshops Religion in Tibetan and Himalayan societies Research areas include: 17th century South Indian manuscript of the Mahabharata

Indian Religions: 

Indian Religions Will Johnson’s translation of Kalidasa’s play Sakuntala in a recent performance at Pomona College, Claremont, California

Religion in the Contemporary World: 

Religion in the Contemporary World Religion in the Contemporary World Sophie Gilliat-Ray was presented with the Sankore University Award for Excellence in Education at the Muslim News Awards in London on 27th march 2006 Research with Muslim communities in the UK, including ESRC project with UK Bangladeshis Meanings of Genetics Project: ethics, the humanities and genetics Chaplaincy studies: plans for Chaplaincy Centre The Bible and Pastoral Practice project Alternative and complementary medicine: Asian healing practices in contemporary societies CSI-UK Includes the Centre for Study of Islam in the UK (CSI-UK) directed by Sophie Gilliat-Ray Research areas include:

Links with Other Schools and Colleges: 

Links with Other Schools and Colleges

RELIG has close research links with several other Schools at Cardiff: 

RELIG has close research links with several other Schools at Cardiff English, Communication & Philosophy History & Archaeology Religious and Theological Studies Joint research centre (CLARC) Social Sciences Medicine Joint research programme on Meanings of Genetics; joint research on ethics Joint research grant on Islam & genetic disorders; Meanings of Genetics Joint research grant on Islam & genetic disorders; Meanings of Genetics; joint PhD supervision Architecture Joint PhD supervision

We are working to strengthen these links and to develop further links with other Cardiff University Schools, for example: 

We are working to strengthen these links and to develop further links with other Cardiff University Schools, for example Music European Studies Religious and Theological Studies Religion and cultural studies Welsh Law Ethnomusicology; music and religion Legal aspects of Islam Preaching in Welsh culture

We also have close relationships through the Faculty of Religious and Theological Studies with two theological colleges in Cardiff, St Michael’s College Llandaff and South Wales Baptist College. : 

School of Religious & Theological Studies St Michael’s College Llandaff South Wales Baptist College Faculty of Religious and Theological Studies We also have close relationships through the Faculty of Religious and Theological Studies with two theological colleges in Cardiff, St Michael’s College Llandaff and South Wales Baptist College. Stephen Roberts Peter Sedgwick Graeme Smith Roy Kearsley John Weaver Simon Woodman Karen Smith We are developing collaborative research projects with staff at the colleges, particularly in the area of chaplaincy studies. College staff are also involved in supervising PGR students at Cardiff University

Funded Research Projects: 

Funded Research Projects

Major current funded projects: 

Major current funded projects The Meanings of Genetics This is a Cardiff University funded project (£90K, 2003-6) involving Stephen Pattison, Yulia Egorova and Andrew Edgar (ENCAP) It investigates the ways in which contemporary scholars in the sciences and humanities are working with the radical changes in human self-understanding brought about by recent advances in genetics

Major current funded projects: 

Major current funded projects Genetics, Religion and Identity: A Study of Bangladeshi Muslims in Britain This is a Economic and Social Research Council funded project (£133K, 2004-7) involving Sophie Gilliat-Ray, Santi Rozario, Stephen Pattison and staff from SOCSI and Medicine It investigates the ways in which Bangladeshi families with genetic disorders understand genetics and how they use religious and health resources to cope with their situation Bangladeshi wedding, Cardiff

New Funded Projects (just awarded) 1: 

New Funded Projects (just awarded) 1 The New Testament in Syriac (Peshitta) The Latin and Syriac Commentary Project This is an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project (£232K, 2006-8) involving John Watt, Josef Lössl and two co-workers. It will explore the roots of modern western and Islamic attitudes to religion, science, and learning. The translation of Greek texts into Latin and Syriac and the development of a commentarial tradition in these languages was a critical stage in the transmission and development of classical knowledge to the Islamic world and so on to Europe.

New Funded Projects (just awarded) 2: 

New Funded Projects (just awarded) 2 White Tara: a Tibetan deity invoked in longevity practices Longevity Practices and Concepts in Tibet This is an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project (£206K, 2006-8) involving Geoffrey Samuel, Robert Mayer and Cathy Cantwell. Longevity and good health are topics of central concern within Tibetan religion, medicine and life. The project will study a significant set of 19th and 20th century texts of these practices, those of the Dudjom tradition, and examine how they are understood by contemporary Tibetan scholars and practitioners.

Some Future Events: 

Some Future Events

CONFERENCEJerome of Stridon: Religion, Culture, Society and Literature in Late Antiquity: 

CONFERENCE Jerome of Stridon: Religion, Culture, Society and Literature in Late Antiquity From 13-16 July 2006, CLARC will be hosting a major international conference on St Jerome of Stridon. Recent research on Jerome of Stridon has produced dramatic new insights. This conference will bring together internationally renowned scholars from all over the world to review and discuss the current state of research on Jerome and explore new avenues. It will consider biographical and historical questions as well as questions relating to Jerome's biblical scholarship, his literary output and his reception. St Jerome, by Domenico Ghirlandaio

Gifford Lectures 2007: 

Gifford Lectures 2007 In 2007, Professor Stephen Pattison is giving the Gifford Lectures at Aberdeen. A Gifford lectures appointment is one of the most prestigious honours in the field of the humanities; Stephen's predecessors include William James, Henri Bergson, Albert Schweitzer, Karl Barth, and Paul Tillich, so this is a significant event for both Stephen and the School. The theme of Stephen's Gifford Lectures will be "Seeing Things: Deepening Relationships with Visual Artefacts".

The End: 

The End