Centre for Religion and Public Life

• Mikel Burley, Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy
• Caroline Fielder, Associate Professor in Chinese Studies
• Alistair McFadyen, Retired Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology
• Seán McLoughlin, Professor of the Anthropology of Islam (Muslim Diasporas)
• Tasia Scrutton, Associate Professor in Philosophy and Religion
• Mustapha Sheikh, Professor in Islamic Studies; Co-Director of the Iqbal Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam
• Jasjit Singh,  ​​​​​Professor of Religion and Global Engagement
• Stefan Skrimshire, Associate Professor in Theology and Religious Studies
• Caroline Starkey,  Associate Professor of Religion and Society
• Johanna Stiebert, Professor of Hebrew Bible
• Aled Thomas, Lecturer in Religious Studies
• Emma Tomalin, Professor of Religion and Public Life
• Adriaan van Klinken, Professor of Religion and African Studies
• Robert Vanderbeck, Professor of Human Geography and Head of School

 

Author bio:

Our seminar speaker is Dr. Halyna Teslyuk, Associate Professor of Old Testament at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine. Following the outbreak of war, Halyna relocated to the Republic of Ireland with her two sons and now lectures at Atlantic Technological University, St. Angela’s College. She also serves as Head of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America (UNWLA) Centre for Women’s Studies at the Ukrainian Catholic University. Halyna is the author of two commentaries (on the biblical books of Hosea and Ruth) and has served as the chief editor of Old and New Testament commentaries in Ukrainian since 2016. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Vice President of the European Society of Women in Theological Research. Her research interests include feminist readings of the Bible, violence and women in the Bible, and cultural memory theories.

Abstract

Women and children are disproportionately affected by warfare, as evidenced by the situation in Ukraine. Investigative reports indicate that rape, kidnapping, and torture of women and children have occurred on a large scale and have been systematically employed as weapons by Russian soldiers. Ukrainian women have adopted various strategies to protect themselves and their children. These contemporary accounts offer a contextual framework for interpreting the biblical narratives of Jael (Judges 4-5) and Judith (the Book of Judith), focusing on their methods for safeguarding innocent lives. The actions of these scriptural women involved significant personal risk and often challenged the patriarchal worldview that equated masculinity with courage and violence, and femininity with weakness and victimisation.

Additionally, the experiences of mothers of Ukrainian soldiers, who support their sons and daughters in their pursuit of peace, warrant examination. The narrative of Mary in the Gospels, who fully supported her son in his mission, is particularly relevant. Although only a few passages in the canonical texts depict Mary's interactions with her son, these accounts reveal the complexities of the role as Jesus's mother. Her motherhood, as portrayed in the canonical stories, is characterised by perseverance, courage, and resilience, as well as by moments of complicated relationship with her son. For many Ukrainian women, Mary serves as a symbol of a mother who supported her child to the very end in his efforts to save others. The courage and conviction of Ukrainian mothers inform contemporary interpretations of Mary's stories in the Gospels.

 

Our seminar speaker is Kate Adams, Professor of Education in the School of Education and Childhood at Leeds Trinity University, UK. While serving as a primary school teacher with a specialism in Religious Education, she won a Fellowship from the Farmington Institute at Oxford University to undertake research into children’s dreams which they believed had a divine connection. A PhD studentship from the University of Glasgow followed, to expand that research further. Kate has lectured at universities in Scotland and England and has been Director of Research at two universities before moving to her current position, where she is Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research. She has been publishing internationally for over 25 years, and is an executive member of the International Association for Children’s Spirituality. Kate serves on the international advisory boards for the Journal of Beliefs & Values, Journal of Religious Education, and the International Journal for Children’s Spirituality.

Abstract

The spiritual lives of children in general, and their ability to make meaning from religious and/or spiritual experiences in particular, remain largely hidden in western cultures and are relatively under-researched. However, children naturally ask existential questions as they search for meaning and purpose, and their place in the world. Many also report experiences which can be framed as religious and/or spiritual but often do not share them due to fears of ridicule or dismissal. This is a problematic situation for several reasons, not least because it diminishes the importance of this dimension of life.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this paper offers examples from research to provide an overview of the types of experiences children and young people report, and explores how children’s spiritual voice(s) are often silenced. Adults are encouraged to adopt an attitude of epistemic humility to help facilitate self-awareness and reduce dialogical tension which often arises when children express their spirituality. It is argued that any dialogical tension can be used as a positive force if adults approach situations with curiosity about children’s worlds and perspectives. By doing so, we can foster more conversations with and about young people’s spiritual lives, nurturing an openness they can carry into adulthood. Such actions can contribute to broader efforts to make religion and spirituality more visible in public discourse.