The Department of Biblical Studies - 65th Anniversary Celebrations

2012 was a significant year in the history of The Department of Biblical Studies, heralding its 65th anniversary, a new degree and new staff appointments.

The department, one of the most famous departments in its field, marked its 65th anniversary with a series of public events that celebrated its past, present and future. The events included a succession of lectures from renowned scholars and key figures in the history of the department and an alumni dinner where former students and friends of the department can mark its inception in style.

The public lecture series had a flavour of the inimitable tradition of ground-breaking scholarship that has become the hallmark of Biblical Studies at Sheffield. Former Head of Department, Emeritus Professor John Rogerson, opened the celebrations on 25 April with a lecture entitled, ‘New horizons in Biblical Studies: How Sheffield helped to change things in the 1970s and 1980s’. Emeritus Professors David J.A. Clines, J. Cheryl Exum and Philip Davies also gave lectures alongside our current members of staff, Professor James Crossley, Professor Hugh Pyper, and Dr Mark Finney.

The lecture series was closed by our Head of Department, Professor David Chalcraft, former Professor of Classical Sociology at the University of Derby, and an alumnus of the department. Professor Chalcraft will also edit a commemorative publication, Now and Then. This will include alumni memories of the department, and articles from former and current members of staff, celebrating not only the anniversary of the department, but the unique contributions staff from our world-famous Sheffield Biblical Studies team have made to the field.

Co-editing the 65th anniversary collection will be Dr Katie Edwards, an alumna of the department, who was recently appointed Lecturer in the Bible in Contemporary Culture and Society. The appointment is part of the department’s strategy to continue to marry the best scholarship in biblical studies as it relates to the ancient world – its literatures and contexts, with cutting edge and new work on the role of the Bible in modernity. Dr Edwards launched the ground-breaking Hidden Perspectives project as part of the lecture series. Hidden Perspectives is a large-scale pioneering public engagement project that aims to open up interpretations of biblical narratives to underrepresented groups.

The concentration on popular culture, alongside the expertise at Sheffield in the social sciences, means that Sheffield Biblical Studies is very well placed, if not uniquely placed, to address contemporary issues and concerns with the appropriate methodologies, concepts and theory. When these skills and knowledge are added to our expertise in ancient languages, history, archaeology, ethics, theology and literature, it is clear that Sheffield still commands an enviable position for education, training and research in Biblical Studies.

2012 also saw the launch of our brand new BA in Religion, Theology and The Bible. With a long record of innovation in teaching, research and publishing, the department has built a unique reputation for cutting-edge insights in the study of religion, theology and the Bible and the degree will help students to find new ways to interpret biblical texts and to understand belief and conflict in the world today.

Anyone who wishes to contribute stories or photographs to the commemorative volume should contact Katie Edwards at katie.edwards@sheffield.ac.uk, or by post to Department of Biblical Studies, The University of Sheffield, 45 Victoria Street, Sheffield, S3 7QB