Dr Steve Knowles

Dr Knowles teaches on the following UG modules: Studying Religion: Issues, Questions and Concepts and Studying Christianity (L4), and Spirituality and Popular Culture Culture (L5). He also contributes to the Doctor of Professional Studies in Theology and Religious Studies programme.

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His 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. Presently, he is undertaking a project examining the beliefs and practices of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (Exclusive Brethren).

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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