Professor in Study of Religions
My academic background is in Cultural Anthropology with a research focus on contemporary religions.
Prof. Bettina Schmidt
Dr Catrin H. Williams
Reader in New Testament Studies Joint Head of School
I currently teach New Testament and Judaism to undergraduates on various programmes (BA Religious Studies, BA Study of Religions, BA Theology).
Dr David Morgans
Philosophy Lecturer
I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the UWTSD, I am also the Director of Postgraduate Research and School of Cultural Studies.
Prof. Gary Bunt
Professor in Islamic Studies
I have been conducting research on Islam, Muslims and the internet since 1997. This has focused on contemporary Islam, Muslims and the internet.
Dr Brenda Llewellyn Ihssen
Lecturer
My scholarship emerges from training in Byzantine Studies and Patristics, and from dual vocational calls as a scholar and professor of early and medieval Christian and religious history. I work exclusively with monastic and episcopal primary sources.
Dr Jessica M. Keady
Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Gender
I currently teach Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism to undergraduate students on a variety of degree programmes (including, BA Religious Studies, BA Study of Religions, the Graduate Diploma in Bible and Theology and towards the teaching of the Professional Doctorate Programme). I also teach and supervise postgraduate students on the MA in Biblical Interpretation.
Dr Timothy Baylor
Lecturer in Christian Theology
Dr Baylor lectures in theology and religion. He specialises in Christian theology within the Early Modern and Modern eras. His recent research has focused on the theologies of divine justice and their significance for shaping Christian moral and social vision about the nature of the ‘common good’.
Dr Angus Slater
Lecturer in Theology & Religious Studies
My research interests largely lie in the interaction between religious faith and the way that they conceptualize the other. This works its way out in a concern for Christian theological and Islamic legal approaches to issues of dialogue, authority, power, identity, and narrative. Beyond this area, I have an interest in the positioning of religion within the construction of identity more widely.
Dr Sarah Lewis
Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies
I have a BA in Religious Studies and English, an MA in nineteenth century church history and a PhD in Religious Studies. My doctoral research was on Sun Myung Moon.
Rhodri Thomas
Lecturer in Religious Studies
To date, my research has focused primarily on the relationship between religion and ecology. More particularly, I am in interested in the function and fate of Earth/non-human creation in Jewish and early Christian ‘apocalyptic’ texts, and the extent to which the Bible can be viewed as a useful resource for the formulation of a positive environmental ethic.
Dr. Yanxia Zhao
Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies
As a professor of Chinese Studies and Comparative Religions, the role of Dr Yanxia Zhao is to provide teachings and researches related to Chinese philosophy and religions; to develop educational programmes for comparison of Confucianism, Daoism, Chinese Buddhism and other world religions; and to organize activities and events for promoting interfaith harmony and religious education.
As the Director of Daoist Studies, the main interest of Yanxia Zhao is the Dao of Chinese Yangsheng (Chinese Way of Nourishing Life), responsible for organizing Daoist Self Health Care and Wellbeing workshops and seminars; as well as developing educational programmes for Chinese tradition of Health Self Care for happy longevity life.