Academic Staff
There are five permanent members of staff in Study of Religions and Philosophy and Ethics.
Ms Jo Backus (0.6)
Telephone: (01225) 875410.
Jo teaches modules relating to Islam, Judaism, Philosophy and Education. Until 2009 she led the PGCE course in Secondary Religious Education. Her interests include Islam, Judaism, Critical Theory, Native American and Australasian traditions, Religion and Education (especially teaching and learning in Buddhism). She has recently been working on the Steering Committee responsible for updating government guidance on religious education in schools. Key publications include:(with Cush, D.) 'Buddhism within the English State School System' in M. Deegalle ed. Dharma to the UK: A Centennial Celebration of Buddhist Legacy. London, World Buddhist Foundation, 2008. 'Designing Schemes of Work' In: Wright, A. & Brandom, A. eds Learning to teach RE in the Secondary School, London, Routledge, 2000. (With Howard Gibson) Argument, Dialogue and Religious Pluralism in Costello, P. and Mitchell, S. eds Competing and Consensual Voices: The Theory and Practice of Argument, London, Multilingual Matters, 1995.
Professor Denise Cush
Telephone: (01225) 875468.
Denise is Professor of Religion and Education and teaches Contemporary Spiritualities, Buddhism, Christianity, and Religious Education. Her interests include Religious Education in international perspective, and religions in the contemporary world, especially Buddhism, Hinduism and alternative spiritualities. Recent research includes fieldwork with teenage witches and young Pagans. She is currently working on a project funded by the Higher Education Academy Philosophy and Religious Studies Centre focused on fieldwork placements. She is Chair of the Association of University Lecturers in Religion and Education. Key publications include: 'Religious and Cultural Plurality in Education' in S.Ward ed. Education Studies: a Student Guide (2nd Edition) London, RoutledgeFalmer, 2008. (co-edited with Robinson, C., York, M. and Foulston, L.) Encyclopedia of Hinduism. London & New York, Routledge, 2008. 'Wise Young Women: Beliefs, Values and Influences in the Adoption of Witchcraft by Teenage Girls in England' in Hannah E. Johnston and Peg Aloi eds. The New Generation Witches: Teenage Witchcraft in Contemporary Culture. London, Ashgate, 2007. Buddhism. London, Hodder and Stoughton, 1994. (a widely used textbook for A level).
Dr Mahinda Deegalle
Telephone: (01225) 875429.
Mahinda teaches Buddhism, Methodology in Study of Religions, Japanese Religions and Ethics. Mahinda is year tutor for year 2. His current research interests include the ethics of war and the role of religion in conflict and peace building. The Norwegian Research Council is funding his research on ethics of war in Buddhism. He is project manager for the British Council funded the study abroad summer programme at Dongguk University in Korea. He is a members of the Steering Committee of the Buddhism Section of the American Academy of Religion, and Editor of the Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies published by University of Hawaii Press. Key publications include:Popularizing Buddhism: Preaching as Performance in Sri Lanka. New York, State University of New York Press, 2006. Buddhism, Conflict and Violence in Modern Sri Lanka, ed. London and New York, Routledge, 2006. Dharma to the UK: A Centennial Celebration of Buddhist Legacy, ed. London, World Buddhist Foundation, 2008. ‘Norms of War in Theravada Buddhism,’ World Religions and Norms of War, ed. V. Popovski et al, United Nations Uni. Press, 2009.
Dr Paul Reid-Bowen
Telephone: (01225) 876176.
Paul teaches Metaphysics, Existentialism, Ethics, and New Religious Movements. Paul is year tutor for year 1.His interests include ecological, existentialist and feminist philosophies, metaphysics and philosophy of religion; contemporary and new religions (notably paganisms and feminist spiritualities); psychology of religion; feminist theory and religion; and feminist thealogy. He is currently researching speculative realism and object-oriented philosophy. Key publications include: Goddess as Nature: Towards a Philosophical Thealogy. Aldershot, Ashgate Publishing, 2007. 'Why Women Need to be Ripped, Shredded and Sliced: Political, Philosophical and Thealogical Reflections' In: Althaus-Reid, M. and L. Isherwood, eds. Controversies In Body Theology. London, SCM Press, pp. 207-226, 2008. 'Great Mother, Elemental Nature or Khora? Philosophical contentions and constructs in contemporary Goddess feminism' Feminist Theology, 16.1, September, pp. 101-109, 2007.'Reflexive Transformations: Research Comments on Me(n) and the Thealogical Imagination' in Ursula King and Tina Beattie (eds.), Gender, Religion and Diversity: Cross-Cultural Perspectives, Continuum, 2004.
Dr Catherine Robinson
Telephone: (01225) 875658.
Catherine teaches Hinduism, Sikhism, Gender, Methodology, and World Philosophy. Catherine is year tutor for year 3. Her interests include Indian religions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (especially Hinduism and Sikhism), the Indian women’s movement, and gender and sexuality in Religion. She is currently working on a project funded by the Higher Education Academy Philosophy and Religious Studies Centre focused on fieldwork placements. She is also researching the life and work of Sir Edwin Arnold, a Victorian poet, writer and journalist, who published widely on Indian themes. She is a member of the Spalding Committee for the study of Indian religions.Key publications include:(co-edited with Cush, D., York, M. and Foulston, L.) Encyclopedia of Hinduism. London & New York, Routledge, 2008.'Raj Karega Khalsa (The Khalsa shall reign): The Legacy of Tat Khalsa in Portrayals of the Khalsa, the Impact on Sikh Studies and Implications for Sikhism in Education' Religions of South Asia, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 65 - 80, 2007. Interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita and Images of the Hindu Tradition: The Song of the Lord. Richmond, RoutledgeCurzon, 2006. Tradition and Liberation : The Hindu Tradition in the Indian Women's Movement. Richmond, Curzon Press, 1999.