I am fundamentally a biblical scholar who works on the reception history of the Bible, particularly its handling by Pentecostals and Evangelicals throughout the world today and its interpretation in the arts, particularly music

My PhD, in the field of biblical ethics, provoked my interest in literary-critical approaches to the Hebrew Bible (particularly in the use of a resistant reader-response methodology for reading biblical texts), and in the use of the Bible as a moral resource. However, both these concerns have encouraged my broader fascination with the role and function of the Bible and religion in general in today’s world, their relevance for people of all faiths and none, and their cultural, social and political significance.

I'm really interested at the moment in why people think religion and sacred texts are so important to them in making lifestyle choices and how faith commitments impact our interactions with and contributions to society and the public and political spheres. 

I joined the University of Birmingham in January 2010, after ten years of working in the theological college sector, the last five of them as Vice Principal.

I now serve as Head of Education for the School of Philosophy, Theology & Religion and Director of the Edward Cadbury Centre.

My research interests include:

• Contemporary (especially cultural-critical and postmodern literary) approaches to biblical interpretation and hermeneutics.
• Biblical ethics and, particularly, the theology of social justice.
• Pentecostal and Evangelical approaches to the Bible.
• Religion and Culture, particularly the public understanding of religion and its impact upon areas of social and public policy.
• Global freedom of religion or belief and the Bible and human rights.

• BD(Hons) in Divinity, University of London (1992)
• MA in Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield (1994)
• PhD in Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield (1998)