RSE Gifford Seminar: The Conversions of Christianity | In person

Join us for an evening of discussion that brings together expert voices to unpack questions surrounding belief, culture, and power that shaped Christianity’s expansion.
Professor Paula Fredriksen, one of the world’s leading historians of early Christianity, alongside distinguished panel speakers, will deep-dive into the central topic for this year's Gifford Lecture Series at the University of Edinburgh, exploring how a small Jewish movement became a religion that reshaped the ancient world.

This event offers a rare opportunity to engage with big questions about belief, culture, and power in the ancient Mediterranean.

SPEAKER: Aurelio Professor Paula Fredriksen

Aurelio Professor of Scripture emerita, Boston University, Distinguished Visiting Professor emerita, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Paula Fredriksen is the Aurelio Professor of Scripture emerita at Boston University and Distinguished Visiting Professor emerita in the Department of Comparative Religions at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2018. She also holds honorary doctorates from the US (Iona College, 2008) and from Sweden (Lund University, 2017). An historian of ancient Christianity (Princeton University, 1979), she has authored over eighty articles, published award-winning books on the Historical Jesus (From Jesus to Christ [2nd ed. Yale 2001]) and on Paul (Paul. The Pagans’ Apostle [Yale 2017]), as well as studies on Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews (Vintage 2000]), on Augustine (Augustine and the Jews, Yale 2010), and on sin (Sin:The Early History of an Idea, Princeton 2012). She also writes on pagan-Jewish-Christian relations in the Roman Empire. Among her recent publications are When Christians Were Jews: The First Generation (Yale 2018), and Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years (Princeton 2024). In 2013, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

CHAIR: Dr Alison Elliot FRSE
Former Moderator General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, University of Edinburgh

Alison Elliot was the first woman to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (2004) and was Moderator of the Conference of European Churches Assembly in 2009. . She was Associate Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues in the University of Edinburgh. She was Convener of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (2007-13) and member of the Christie Commission on the reform of public services. She chaired a review of land reform, which led to the Land Reform Act of 2016. She was Chair of the International Futures Forum and General Secretary of the RSE (2018-21). She has chaired advisory groups for organisations including the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, What Works Scotland and Volunteering Matters.

PANELLIST: Professor Helen Bond FRSE
Professor in Christian Origins; New Testament and Head of the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh

Professor Helen Bond is an academic specialising in the social, political and religious history of Roman Judaea and the characters associated with earliest Christianity. She’s the author of five books and numerous shorter studies. She holds the Chair of Christian Origins at the University of Edinburgh, and is the first female Head of the School of Divinity. She’s a frequent speaker at Universities, schools and societies, and is passionately committed to public engagement and outreach – mostly through TV and radio broadcasts. She co-presented Channel 4’s highly acclaimed Jesus’ Female Disciples (2018) and co-hosts the Biblical Time Machine weekly podcast.

PANELLIST: Professor Paul Foster FRSE
Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh

Paul Foster first studied mathematics and physics at the University of Western Australia. Later he commenced studies in theology, with a doctorate from the University of Oxford in New Testament in 2003. Since then he has worked as an academic at the School of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh. He was Dean and Head of School from 2013-2018. He is also on staff at St Mary’s Scottish Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh since 2003. He was later appointed as a canon.

Important points to note

• This event is suitable for age 16+
• This event will discuss the Christian religion.
• Privacy policy: Please note that any personal data that is submitted to the RSE will be stored and processed in accordance with the RSE’s Privacy Policy. We will only use mobile numbers provided to contact you in the event of a cancellation.
• Filming: Livestreaming and photography may take place at this event. Please let a member of the RSE Public Engagement team know if you do not want to be photographed. Recorded events will be made available on the RSE YouTube channel.
• Covid-19: If you would like to wear a face mask, please feel comfortable to do so at our events. Please be mindful of other participants and stay at home if you have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.

Accessibility

We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or have any questions related to how we can support this event, please contact [email protected]. Accessibility information for the RSE building can be found on our website: Accessibility - Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) : Royal Society of Edinburgh

Wheelchair spaces: If you would like to book a space as a wheelchair user, please select the ticket type 'wheelchair space ticket' during the booking process. If this is sold out, please contact the Public Engagement team on [email protected]

Newsletter

If you would like to receive information from the RSE on forthcoming events and activities, including our Newsletter, please subscribe here: https://rse.org.uk/subscribe/

Please visit the RSE FAQs page for further details about venue and events.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher The Royal Society of Edinburgh