Graham Ward
Professor of Contextual Theology and Ethics at The University of Manchester, and head of School of Arts, Histories and Cultures. Professor Ward's current research encompasses Christian social ethics, political theory and cultural hermeneutics and he is the co-director of the Centre for Religion and Political Culture.
Location: Samuel Alexander Building A2
Tel: 44 (0) 161.306.1242
Email: graham.ward@manchester.ac.uk
The following is his description of his research to date:
My research began by focusing upon issues concerning Christian theology and representation. Earlier investigations into the theology of language (in Karl Barth, for example, or Jacques Derrida) gave way to concerns with the relationship between rhetoric and belief. So the question which has dominated my thinking more recently is what makes a belief believable? This has led me to develop an analysis of the way in which theology represents its thinking and the wider cultural context within which that representation takes place.
With Cities of God (Routledge, 2000) I began to situate this examination of representation within a contemporary urban context. That book treated the postmodern situation and the inadequacy of certain older forms of theological discourse on the character and significance of the city with respect to that situation. It attempted to construct a new way of doing theology from within the postmodern context that challenges some of the key assumptions and trajectories of postmodernity, but without either standing counter-culturally over against it or being irrelevant to it. Cities of God was conceived as the first of two volumes, the second, Cultural Ethics: Christian Polity, would then employ the new approach to theology in an urban and postmodern context to dominant aspects of contemporary culture: globalisation, surveillance, the new visibility of religions, the crisis of liberal democracy and internet culture. But in beginning that second volume I found the need to develop considerably the methodological basis of my engagement between theology and culture. Cultural Transformation and Religious Practice (CUP, 2004) forms then the methodological bridge to what will now be the third volume.
Whilst engaged upon this research other smaller projects arose which led to: True Religion (Blackwell, 2002) in which I developed a genealogy of 'religion' with respect to its new visibility in our contemporary, post-secular setting; Christ and Culture (Blackwell, 2005) in which I explored classical and contemporary issues in Christology; and Political Discipleship (Baker Press, 2006) that explores the relationship between Christian practices and the public sphere. In connection with political concerns I have recently edited (with Dr. Michael Hoelzl) Religion and Political Thought (Continuum, 2006).
Supervision areas:
I look to supervise students interested in interdisciplinary theological work, particularly those wishing to work on contextual theology and the relationships between contemporary critical theory and Christian theology. I am willing to supervise students wishing to research aspects of systematic Christian theology or philosophical theology and those interested in the relationship between literature, religions, politics and culture.
Additional responsibilities:
For eleven years I was the senior executive editor of the Oxford University Press journal Literature and Theology and I continue to edit three book series: Radical Orthodoxy (Routledge), Christian Theology in Context (OUP), Illuminations: Religion & Theory (Blackwell), Studies in Religion and Political Culture and Resources in Religion and Political Culture (Continuum).