Dr Steven Sutcliffe (BA Russian London, MPhil Religious Studies Stirling, PhD Religious Studies The Open University)

Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion

Biography

Background

I took a BA in Russian Language and Literature at the University of London and later, as a mature student, a Masters degree in Religious Studies at Stirling University followed by a PhD in Religious Studies at The Open University. I taught Religious Studies at the universities of Stirling and Sunderland before joining the School of Divinity in January 2005. Between 2015 and 2018 I was President of the British Association for the Study of Religions and in 2021 I led the organisation of its annual conference at Edinburgh.

My main interest is the study of new forms of religion and spirituality from a historical, sociological and ethnographic perspective.

I teach courses on 'new age' and 'holistic' spiritualities and on Theories of Religion.  I'm currently researching two early-mid twentieth century movements that have influenced the contemporary scene: the 'life reform' and natural health movement, and the teachings of the Greek-Armenian 'guru' G. I. Gurdjieff and his successors, known as 'The Work'.

I am also interested in the social and cultural history of Religious Studies since the 1960s including conflicting interpretations of the category 'religion'.

Qualifications

BA MPhil PhD

Responsibilities & affiliations

I am a member of the editorial boards of the following journals:

Religion

Culture and Religion

e-Rhizome: Journal for the Study of Religion, Society, Culture and Cognition

Since 2012 I have been a member of the editorial board for the Bloomsbury 'Advances in Religious Studies' series.

Undergraduate teaching

New Spiritualities: from New Age to Holistic (3rd/4th year)

Theories of Religion (3rd/4th year)

Studying Religions (1st/2nd year)

Religion in Modern Britain (1st/2nd year)

 

Postgraduate teaching

New Spiritualities (Level 11)

Contemporary Theories of Religion (Level 11)

Emics and Etics and Bourdieu's sociology in the MSc Religious Studies core course Theory and Method in the Study of Religion.

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

I'm always interested in creative interdisciplinary projects in the areas below. Drop me a line!

alternative forms of religion in the twentieth century

holistic and vitalistic models of health, healing and diet

discourses and practices of 'spirituality' in late modernity

atheism, humanism and the rejection of religion

history of the Study of Religion/s especially since the 1960s

I have first supervised nine successful PhD theses and second supervised seven more. I've also first supervised six MSc by Research dissertations. Several of my students have published journal articles and monographs based on their work.

Current PhD students supervised

I am currently first supervisor for five PhD students working on the Mythopoetic Men's Movement, Shincheonji and the South Korean state, aspects of modern postural yoga in 'the West' and Pagan online/offline networks in Scotland.

I'm currently second supervisor for four PhDs including rationalist movements in Kerala, functions of the Mosque in Scottish society and spatial poetics of the Goddess.

Past PhD students supervised

I served as first supervisor for ten successful PhD theses on the following topics:  

Spiritualist mediumship and shamanism; conspiracy culture and 'new age' millenialism; narratives of atheist identity; magical practices and the body; spirituality in artificial intelligence; madness and religion; pilgrimage and tourism on the island of Iona; the esoteric Christianity of the psychiatrist and spiritual teacher, Maurice Nicoll; Dark Goddess spirituality; divinatory/astrological practices in late modernity.

Research summary

More information about research projects by Dr Sutcliffe are available on hisEdinburgh Research Explorer profile.

Current research interests

'Life Reform' networks including vegetarianism, nature cure, conscientious objection and the Scottish vegetarian journalist Dugald Semple (1884-1964) - The Gurdjieff/Ouspensky movement also known as 'The Work' - the Anglo-Scottish writer of supernatural-fantastic fiction, David Lindsay (1876-1945) - Social history and ethnography of New Age and Holistic beliefs and practices - Counterculture and spirituality in the 'long 1960s' - Seekership and the Cultic Milieu - Biography of religion and oral history as methods to examine traces of 'religion' in life narratives - Religious Studies as a disciplinary formation

Knowledge exchange

I have given illustrated talks on different aspects of new spiritualities to the Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow), the annual conference of Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (Stirling), and to the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre (Edinburgh).

I have given presentations on Dugald Semple and Life Reform networks in Scotland to Local History societies in Johnstone, Beith, Kilwinning and Campbeltown.

Project activity

More information about research projects by Dr Sutcliffe are available on hisEdinburgh Research Explorer profile.

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