Hidden Perspectives launch.

'Hidden Perspectives'.... in words from the Sheffield Dept of Biblical studies (because I can't begin to describe it myself):

"Posted on April 2, 2013 by sheffieldbiblicalstudies | 1 Comment

…is a new project at Sheffield and the brainchild of Katie Edwards. It is so modern, it has a Facebook page. And there is a blog too which is run by Emily Foster-Brown. It is a ‘very pink’ blog. Here is the ‘About’ blurb:

Hidden Perspectives is a large-scale pioneering public engagement project that aims to open up interpretations of biblical narratives to underrepresented groups. The project is a jointly organised by Dr Katie Edwards at The University of Sheffield and LaDIYfest Sheffield.
Hidden Perspectives encourages inclusive discussion on dominant interpretations of biblical texts and narratives found in scholarship and mainstream culture. Working with groups and individuals from range of faith and non-faith backgrounds, this ambitious project aims to foster an atmosphere of inclusivity and diversity in which biblical texts can be interpreted.
In 2013 the project will focus on sexuality, gender and the Bible and intersecting issues relating to identity, diversity and representation."

See:
Sheff bib studies blog

As it says above, it is so modern! Because of the involvement of SOTS members, it means I can say with confidence that 'SOTS' does not stand for 'Sounds Of The Sixties'.

So here are a few pics, some are my own, and some (the ones with me in) from the Hidden Perspectives blog, taken by the official photographer who attended the launch on April 11th. That was a thoroughly wonderful occasion which cheered me up enormously. Katie Edwards is clearly much loved by the many students who know her in Sheffield; she is a great ambassador for all things biblical, with public relations skills second to none. Chris Meredith is a talented young member whose PhD thesis on the Song of Songs will be published soon; those who heard his recent paper will know what an engaging speaker he is. There is to be a festival launch on 1st June, for which see: http://hiddenperspectives.org/festival-2013/

The lovely Katie

Chris 'Song of Songs' Meredith with Memsec.

Chris again, slightly hidden too.

Sheffield Department of Biblical Studies.

Cheerful Memsec with empty glass (but it was re-filled).

SOTS winter meeting 2012

Sunday afternoon  in the lair

Welcome to Viv's lair on a Sunday afternoon. I've just spent a happy hour here resizing pics from the SOTS winter meeting 2012. The pics aren't brilliant, as they are all taken hand-held on a small not-very-new camera without flash, but here goes... (I'm sure others will have taken much better pics)






This view of Durham is from the station, often the first view visitors get of the magnificent cathedral towers across the valley. Those of us who were students here coming from south of Durham never forget our first encounter with this.

I decided to walk up to Collingwood via the town centre, taking in views like this. The bridge you can see in the distance is Framwellgate.

Brolly RIP

 The weather prevented SOTS people in Scotland from travel until the second day of the meeting.

As I arrived on Palace Green, I turned round and saw this rainbow. I touched up the colours and contrast of the original pic to try to give it the impact of the original view; an attempt at a 'dynamic translation'. The rainbow had gone a few moments later.

The 'Department of Theology (and now) and Religion', Palace Green. I spent many happy hours in there 1973-1977, when it was just 'theology'. Location, location, location.

I took another walk that afternoon after the committee meeting, and here is Durham in the gloaming. I was sorry not to catch the grey heron which rose from the banks near me just after this was taken.

 And one just has to take this one.

Next day the host of SOTS descended to Prebends bridge to make the crossing of the Wear in order to reach the cathedral where we were to be led on a tour pointing out aspects of the cathedral which have resonance with biblical themes.

The River Wear and the Department of Archaeology.

The Dean, Michael Sadgrove, is 'one of us', and entertained us to a lovely tea in the Deanery with its sumptuous historic wallpaper.

 It was still quite bright when we left the Deanery. Durham is set on a hill..... As a student I thought it was Jerusalem. Dean Sadgrove seemed to think that this was exactly the impression the builders hoped we'd get.

SOTS: Meditation on a pudding.

Memsec

Welcome to Oxford/Pamplona

Welcome to anyone who has not visited this blog before; think of it as my living room, thrown open for a party. I'd hoped to invite SOTS members to Pimms in my garden a year or two ago when our then president was Lester Grabbe, a mere hop across the Humber via the spectacular suspension bridge, but the Meeting had to be in Lincoln rather than Hull. So I'm happy to welcome you to this virtual party.

I had to think of a way to limit the number of pictures I took at the SOTS Summer Meeting, and decided on a theme of 'hats', and here are most of them, all the ones I was able to include. In celebration of our president John Sawyer and for the sake of some kind of completeness, I also include a pic from last year on the outing to Haddon Hall. A few other pics crept in, one from my journey home via a topical art exhibition in Sheffield, and another showing the use to which the Jacqueline du Pre hall was to be put after we left.

Joseph Blenkinsopp & John Sawyer in 2010

Sr Edmee Kingsmill

For some reason, the theme of puddings comes to mind whenever I think of the SOTS Summer Meeting. I remember one year in Cambridge when the food was particularly good, even served to us as we sat at table (those were the days). Unfortunately, the young waiter had yet much to learn, and what I remember most is the queue of members at the porter's lodge hoping to get some kind of donation towards the cost of dry cleaning their pale linen jackets,  decorated down the back with a splurge of delicious summer pudding juice.

This year at St Hilda's, Oxford, we also had some wonderful puddings, and always a lovely display of fruit for the virtuous; I wish I'd photographed them. I'm always proud to belong to SOTS when I see such a display, given that our subject matter contains perhaps the world's most famous and influential text about fruit. I can never so much as give my husband an apple from one of our trees without thinking of it; and also musing on how it changes once it gets over the threshhold into the kitchen. Context is everything, I know, and when the apple is in the context of pastry, its significance seems to change mightily into 'mom's apple pie' and all that that represents. I once gave a talk called 'Adam and Eve and apple pie', but I think the content might need to be tweaked to make it a suitable offering as a SOTS paper.
But how come fruit is now the 'virtuous' option? And where is chocolate in all this? Can Gen 2-3 be re-written to take this into account?

No hat, but Renato Lings IS wearing an expression.

Joseph has a new hat this year.

After a necessary bow to the KJV, our Meeting began with The Song of Songs and ended with Ruth; not by design, I am told, but who would ever believe this after the passage of a few centuries, should our programmes ever become texts to be studied using methods that have become bread and butter to SOTS scholars? (And yes, we did have a most wonderful bread and butter pudding at St. Hilda's.)

Interesting biblical artist, John Martin

Francis Landy

Andy Lie

Fr Ephrem Lash

The SOTS Meeting has ended, on with the next.....