Dr Helen John

I studied for my undergraduate degree in Theology & Religious Studies (University of Manchester) and then qualified as a teacher (PGCE). Having taught Religious Studies and Philosophy in UK secondary schools for many years, I returned to university and specialised in Biblical Studies for both my MA and PhD at the University of Exeter.

I am an interdisciplinary researcher, mainly drawing on resources from Anthropology to inform my approach to biblical interpretation. My AHRC-funded doctorate focused on cross-cultural interpretations of a series of New Testament texts. These were gathered during fieldwork conducted in Namibia. My PhD also examined the religious landscape of Northern Namibia (the Owambo region), investigating the interactions between Christianity and indigenous worldviews and practices.

http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/theologyandreligionresearch/2014/10/31/biblical-studies-and-a-backpack-contextual-interpretations-in-northern-namibia/#more-96

I taught the Body & Culture (LIB1103) module in the Liberal Arts programme at the University of Exeter (2017).

Currently, I am the Co-investigator on a project entitled 'Disability and Embodiment in Namibia: Religious and Cultural Perspectives’, led by Professor Louise Lawrence. We are undertaking this project in partnership with the University of Namibia: http://blogs.exeter.ac.uk/disabilitynamibia/