Francesca Stavrakopoulou

Biblical scholar, writer and broadcaster Francesca Stavrakopoulou joins us at New College to speak about her recent book ‘God: An Anatomy’ (Picador, 2021), her work on the Hebrew Bible and its social and political milieu, and where her interests are taking her now. This event will be chaired by Helen Bond, co-host of the Biblical Time Machine podcast, and is sponsored by the Biblical Studies seminar series and the Centre for the Study of Christian Origins at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh.

Francesca Stavrakopoulou is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at the University of Exeter. A graduate of the University of Oxford, where she also earned her doctorate, she moved to Exeter in 2005 and was appointed to a personal chair in 2011. Her most recent book, ‘God: An Anatomy’ (Picador, 2021), was awarded the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for non-fiction, shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize, named a Best Book of the Year in the Economist and Sunday Times, and serialized on BBC Radio 4. Francesca’s media work includes presenting the BBC TV series ‘The Bible’s Buried Secrets’ (2011), which was recently re-aired on US Netflix.

Helen Bond is Professor of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh and co-host of the popular podcast Biblical Time Machine. She's interested in the people, events and ideas that made up the first century of the Christian movement and has written on Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas the High Priest, the historical Jesus and Mark's Gospel. She is a frequent contributor to TV and Radio, and (with Joan Taylor) presented ‘Jesus' Female Disciples: the New Evidence’ (Channel 4, 2018).