Our Fellows 

Richard has spent much of his working life in the founding and development of several successful not-for-profit, community-owned, or co-operative enterprises that allow people to express constructive social and environmental values through their work, spending or saving. Amongst these are Traidcraft

Dr Batey’s main research interests lie in the field of Viking and Late Norse archaeology with particular reference to the Northern Isles and Caithness and the North Atlantic region. She has excavated widely on several major sites, including Jarlshof in Shetland, “Westness” on Rousa

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

After working for the University of Rome, Oxford and Cambridge, Miro is currently based in Durham where he conducts experimental research on nanoscience and nanotechnology. His background is wide and includes a solid knowledge of both biomedical sciences and of physics and chemistry. His research is

St John’s alumnus and former Tutor, Douglas Davies, has been Professor in the Study of Religion at Durham University since 1997, including a couple of years as Principal of The College of St Hild and St Bede. He directs the Centre for Death and Life Studies and is affiliated with the Wolfson R

Maggi Dawn is an author and theologian. She began her professional life as a singer-songwriter, but later after reading for a degree and a PhD in theology at the University of Cambridge, she turned her creative talents to writing books. After eight years at Yale University, Maggi returned to the UK

Nancy is the Executive Director of the Virgin Money Foundation, a role she has held since 2016. She has set a strategy for the Foundation that works to facilitate changemakers and community organisations to tackle digital poverty and create positive change in the communities they live in.  Prior to

Will Foulger is vicar at St Nicholas Church in Durham city-centre. During his four years at Cranmer Hall he taught mission and evangelism and missional entrepreneurship at BA, and mission and ecclesiology and theological Reflection at MA, alongside supervising students at BA, MA and DThM level. He l

Heinz studied modern languages at Bonn and Toulouse and after completing his PhD he decided to become a librarian for which he trained in Göttingen and Cologne. He has spent most of his professional life in academic libraries. Through his work he came in contact with Cambridge University and was el

Michael recently retired as Academic Registrar of Durham University, having been responsible for a broad range of institution‐wide responsibilities and national roles such as chair of the Academic Registrars Council.

Andrew gained a degree in theology and a PGCE at St John’s, then worked as a youth worker at churches in Hull and Chester-le-Street. In 1995, Andrew joined the BBC as a producer in the Religion and Ethics department, then became Development Executive responsible for the commissioning of religious

Dr Adrian Green is Associate Professor in History at Durham University, specialising in early modern British and American social and cultural history, with a particular focus on architecture, housing, and landscape. His research explores the relationship between buildings, landscapes, and social cha

Jamie Harrison is a Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners and Research Fellow in Healthcare and Religion at St John’s College, Durham University.

Theo studied Theology at Durham University (BA, MA) and did her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, focussing on ecclesiology and ethnography. Her postdoctoral work on the Peacebuilding and Media Arts project sparked an interest in theologies of peace and nonviolence, religious peacebuilding, and th

Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, translator and broadcaster. His most recent book, Pax, covers the heyday of the Roman Empire. He has translated Herodotus and Suetonius for Penguin Classics. He is co-presenter of the world’s most popular history podcast, The Rest is History, which in 202

Robert Jaggs-Fowler is a writer, poet, and retired GP with academic interests in medical humanities, theology, and literature. He served as Medical Director and Director of Primary Care for NHS North Lincolnshire and was ordained in the Church of England in 2019. He has served as an army officer, as

Liz read law at Liverpool University before training for ordained Methodist ministry at the Wesley Study Centre in St John’s College. Since ordination she has served in local churches across the North East and has undertaken doctoral study on the church and eating disorders.

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

As a Barker Fellow-in-residence, Laura is affiliated with the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) Inventing Futures Programme.

Glenn Packiam is the Lead Pastor of Rockharbor Church in Costa Mesa, California, and a Senior Fellow at Barna Group. He is the author of nine books, including his latest, What’s A Christian, Anyway? Finding Our Way in an Age of Confusion and Corruption (Thomas Nelson, 2025). His other books incl

Gaël is a Programme Associate at Equipping Christian Leadership in an Age of Science (ECLAS). He completed his PhD in Theology and Religion at Durham under the supervision of Professor Karen Kilby, where he developed an understanding of belonging as a foundational theological category for Christian

Dr Petrenko holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Durham University, with a special focus on Pauline literature. Her published work includes ´Created in Christ Jesus for Good Works´: The Integration of Soteriology and Ethics in Ephesians (Paternoster Biblical Monographs), Milton Keynes/Colorado S

Dr Petrenko holds a PhD in Historical Theology from Durham University, with a special focus on Russian Orthodox history and theology. His works include Theology of Icons: A Protestant Perspective, an unpublished MTh thesis in English, but published in Russian, 2000; “West versus East and the Co

Martin Roberts, born a Cestrian, qualified as an architect at Newcastle University, then specialised in conservation. He spent many years as Durham City’s Conservation Officer, during which time he conceived and project-managed the restoration of Old Durham Gardens.

Richard Roberts BA, TEP, CTAPS has been a private client solicitor for over 40 years, all of which was with Gedye and Sons of London and Grange over Sands. He was a student at St Johns from 1976 to 1979. His practice areas covered a wide range of work with the emphasis on trusts, contentious probate

Jonathan Ruffer left Cambridge in 1972 to become a stockbroker. He trained as a barrister, and worked in the Corporate Finance Department of Schroders. In 1980 he returned to investment, first with Dunbar; on its takeover by Allied Hambro, together with Micky Ingall, they set up a new business which

Christian is Dean of Church Planting at St Hild College, where his work focuses on church planting, mission, leadership formation and intercultural practice. He studied mathematics at Warwick University, trained for ordained ministry in the Church of England at Cranmer Hall, and completed his doctor

A trained mediator and theologian, specialising in inter-religious peace-building, Sarah brings wide-ranging international experience in situations of violent conflict. She has worked for many years to promote faith-based reconciliation, and is Founding Director of the Rose Castle Foundation – equ

Nick Spencer is Senior Fellow at the think tank Theos. His first degree was in English Literature and History from Jesus College, Oxford, followed (many years later) by a doctorate in political theology from Jesus College, Cambridge. In between, he has worked in research, at first quantitative and q

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

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

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

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

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