Research Activity

This cluster focuses on the interdisciplinary relationship between literature and religion.

Members have published books on Quakerism (Hilary Hinds, 2011), Walter Benjamin (John Schad, 2012), Mormonism (Jenn Ashworth, 2013), the Bible and literature (Jo Carruthers, Mark Knight, and Andrew Tate, 2013), hope (Terry Eagleton, 2015), Apocalyptic Fiction (Andrew Tate, 2017), Sacrifice (Terry Eagleton, 2018), Ruskin (Keith Hanley, 2018), evangelicalism and the Victorian novel (Mark Knight, 2019), and Jewish festivals (Jo Carruthers, 2020).

The cluster runs a reading group, organises conferences and symposia, and sponsors an annual lecture at Lancaster Priory (Terry Eagleton 2018; Sarah Perry 2019; Rowan Williams 2020). In 2018, In 2018 we hosted Colin Jager (Rutgers) as a Leverhulme Visiting Professor.

Mark Knight is general editor of the journal Literature and Theology and Jo Carruthers is on the editorial board; Mark Knight co-edits the book series New Directions in Literature and Religion for Bloomsbury; Jo Carruthers co-chairs the section on biblical reception for the International Society of Biblical Literature; and Andrew Tate is a regular speaker at the Greenbelt Christian Arts festival.