Working with community groups, schools and colleges
Our public engagement and community-based activity is a cornerstone of our identity as a Department of Biblical Studies.
We appreciate the importance of working collaboratively with community groups and organisations in order to further our understanding of how religion, theology and the Bible has played a role in our experiences in the city of Sheffield.
As a team we:
- Invest time in creating and developing long-standing, mutually beneficial partnerships with inter-faith community groups from around the city of Sheffield
- Promote public engagement opportunities for our current students
- Nurture a departmental culture in which sharing ideas with a range of different audiences is not only valued but encouraged, and listening to and understanding the ideas of others is essential
- Build relationships with prospective students, offering a range of opportunities to visit us, speak to us and find out more about studying here
- Work with and visit schools and colleges, supporting teachers and lecturers in their provision of R.E., PSHE, Cultural Studies, History, Literature and Art courses
- Offer opportunities for school groups and their teachers to visit campus and find out more about what we do in the department
Current Projects
Hidden Perspectives (funded by Arts Enterprise)Project Lead: Dr Katie Edwards Hidden Perspectives is a large-scale pioneering public engagement project that aims to open up interpretations of biblical narratives to underrepresented groups. The project, led by Dr. Katie Edwards, encourages inclusive discussion on dominant interpretations of biblical texts and narratives found in scholarship and mainstream culture. Working with groups and individuals from range of faith and non-faith backgrounds, this ambitious project aims to foster an atmosphere of inclusivity and diversity in which biblical texts can be interpreted. Working with a range of other University of Sheffield Departments, The Students' Union and a broad range of external partners including The Showroom Cinema, Sheffield Fruitbowl and LadyDIYFest, this year the project will focus on sexuality, gender and the Bible and intersecting issues relating to identity, diversity and representation. |
Partnership with Richard Bartle (funded by Arts Enterprise)Project Lead: Professor Hugh Pyper Students and staff in the department are working with internationally renowned Sheffield artist, Richard Bartle as he prepares artwork for a future project on Jerusalem following successful exhibitions in Turkey and the UK. Students on our Bible and The Arts module will be attending a study day with the artist and responding to his current project, 'Deities at the Bottom of the Garden'. |
Past ProjectsKing James Bible (2011)
2011 marked the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible. Also known as the Authorized Version, this was the first English Bible to be commissioned for use in churches throughout England. Its publication shaped our language, history and culture. Based at the Department of Biblical Studies, the Sheffield King James Project offers a network of resources and opportunities both to mark this special anniversary, and to reflect on the relevance of the bible in the modern world.The website continues to offer a range of learning resources. For more information, please visit: www.sheffield.ac.uk/kjv |
Religion in the City: Schools, Colleges and Prospective StudentsGeneral talks, and higher education advice and guidance: The University's Student Recruitment and Outreach team offer a fantastic range of general talks and activities for those interested in higher education and they welcome additional requests for input from our team in The Department of Biblical Studies. For more information and to make a request, please visit: http://www.shef.ac.uk/schools/he-guidance-events-activities Student placements As part of Religion in the city, we offer our current undergraduate students the opportunity to go into schools to support the provision of R.E. and PSHE lessons. If you would like more information on this, please email us: bibs@sheffield.ac.uk Guest lecturesWe are in our pilot year of offering guest lectures at local primary schools, secondary schools and colleges. Our team welcome expressions of interest from teachers and lecturers who are interested in our students and staff visiting and offering a lecture in their specialist field. |
