Dr Steve Knowles
Joint Acting Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Religion and Popular Culture
My current research interests include examining the interface between religion and popular culture with a specific focus upon contemporary apocalyptic beliefs. Related to this is an interest in the correlation between notions of risk in contemporary western society and apocalyptic ideologies.
I am a product of the Theology & Religious Studies Department at the University of Chester, having successfully completed all undergraduate and postgraduate study at this institute. After gaining a First Class degree in theology and also being the recipient of the Hollybank Prize for ‘outstanding contribution to theology', I embarked upon postgraduate studies.
The focus of this was analyzing the theological method of Stanley J. Grenz and his engagement with postmodernism. During my time as a doctoral student at Chester, I was invited to teach on a range of theological topics at undergraduate level. On completion of my PhD in 2007 I became a visiting lecturer, increasing my level of responsibility. I was appointed as a full-time member of staff in January 2010.
Undergraduate Modules
- Studying Religion (L4)
- Studying Christianity (L4)
- Religion and Popular Culture (L5)
- New Religious Movements (L6)
Postgraduate Modules
- Spirituality and Contemporary Popular Culture
Research Interests
- Christian fundamentalism
- Religion and popular culture
- New Religious Movements
- Sociology of Risk
- Apocalyptic ideologies
- Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (Exclusive Brethren)
- Digital Religion
PhD (and DProf) supervision
I welcome enquiries from students wishing to conduct research in any of the areas above, particularly around Christian fundamentalism and apocalypticism.
Books
'Beyond Evangelicalism: The Theological Methodology of Stanley J. Grenz' (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2010).
Chapters in Books
'Signs of Salvation: Insecurity, Risk and the End of the World in Late Modernity' in H. Bacon, W. Dossett and S. Knowles (eds), Alternative Salvations. London: Bloomsbury. Forthcoming 2015.
'Apocalyptic Imagery in Extreme's III Sides to Every Story' in C. H. Partridge (ed) Anthems of Apocalypse Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2012).
'Postmodernism: Reasons to be Cheerful', in H. Bacon, W. Morris and S. Knowles (eds), Transforming Exclusion: Engaging with Faith Perspectives (London: T&T Clark, 2011)
Edited Work
Bacon, H., Dossett, W. and Knowles, S. (2015). Alternative Salvations. London: Bloomsbury.
With H. Bacon and W. Morris, Transforming Exclusion: Engaging with Faith Perspectives (London: T&T Clark, 2011).
Articles
’The Appropriation of Information and Communication Technologies by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church’, The Journal of CESNUR Special edition on the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church [forthcoming Spring 2021], co-edited by B. Doherty and S. Knowles.
‘The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, Media Engagement and Public Benefit’ Ecclesial Practices 7 (2020), pp. 101-116
‘Brexit, Babylon and Prophecy: Semiotics of the End Times’, Religions, 9 (12), 2018. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9120396
‘Brexit, Prophecy and Conspiracy: The Necessary Rejection of an Endtime Empire’, Nova Religio vol. 21 (3), 2018, pp.7-28.
‘Plymouth Brethren Christian Church’, Centre for the Critical Study of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements co-authored with B. Doherty (Bedford: Panacea Charitable Trust, 2017).
'Risk or Rapture: signs of the end or symptoms of world risk society', in Culture and Religion 2014 Vol. 15:4, pp. 419-435.
'Rapture Ready and the World Wide Web: Religious Authority on the Internet', in Journal of Media and Religion 2013 Vol. 12:3, pp. 128-143.
Current Projects
I am currently researching the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (Exclusive Brethren): an exclusivist Christian sect. This work will culminate in a book length study of the contemporary beliefs, practices and culture of group.
Memberships of learned societies
- Society of Study of Theology
- Mediating Religion Network
- American Academy of Religion
- Member of steering group for UK Network for Theology & Religious Studies and Popular Culture
Reviews
- Journal of Contemporary Religion
- Modern Believing
- BTh (Liv)
- PhD (Liv)
- PGCertHE