Our Fellows
Ben Witherington
Fellow
Bible scholar Ben Witherington is Amos Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University. A graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill, he went on to receive the M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. fr
David van der Linden
Barker Fellow - May 2026
David is Assistant Professor in Early Modern History at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. His research broadly focuses on religious conflict and peacebuilding in early modern France, and has been awarded the Nancy Lyman Roelker Prize and the Harold J. Grimm Prize by the Sixteenth Centur
Sherylin Bouyer
Barker Fellow - April 2026
Sherilyn Bouyer is working with Tom Hamilton on the Forging Social Solidarities during Religious Wars Inventing Futures (IF) project to develop her contribution to The Oxford Handbook of the French Wars of Religion on ‘Postwar Justice’. She has recently submitted her PhD at the University
Rachel Goodman
Etchells Fellows 2026
Rachel Goodman is a poet, portrait painter and former actor-presenter whose creative practice spans theatre, broadcasting and the visual arts. After studying English Literature at Durham University (Trevelyan College) and completing an MA in Poetry with Distinction at the University of East Anglia,
Florence O’ Taylor
William Leech Fellow
Thinking with the Church at the Margins initiative within Methodism, Florence’s project aims to reflect theologically on ‘Recovery Church’, a community of people living with addictions that gather for services that incorporate elements of the 12-Step programme. This research builds on her
Ruth Perrin
William Leech Fellow
Dr Ruth Perrin is undertaking a follow up project to the Leech sponsored ‘Changing Shape; the Faith Lives of Millennials’ which explored the Christian faith of those born between 1981-1996 as they passed through their twenties. Her current project, entitled ‘Friendship, Faith and
Andy Wier
Fellow
Dr Andy Wier is a researcher, consultant and practical theologian. After degrees in Social and Political Studies (BA, University of Sheffield) and Urban Regeneration (MSc, Sheffield Hallam University), Andy spent the early part of his career supporting community regeneration in Sheffield through rol
Peter Ward
Fellow
Professor Peter Ward’s academic research has its origins in the practice of mission and ministry in the Christian Church. For more than 15 years, he worked as a Christian youth worker and then 5 years working as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Adviser for Youth Ministry. His doctoral research
David Thomson
Fellow
Bishop David Thomson was born in Sunderland and grew up in Sheffield before going up to Oxford to read English and take a DPhil in mediaeval studies. After a short teaching career he was ordained, and after twenty years of parish ministry served as Archdeacon of Carlisle and then Bishop of Huntingdo
Muthuraj Swamy
Fellow
Muthuraj researches in the fields of Religious Studies, Theology and World Christianity with the focus on religious pluralism, interfaith dialogue, ecumenism, contextual theologies, Christian public engagement, and science-faith relations. Muthuraj is currently the Director of the Cambridge Centre f