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to read, explore, discuss and interpret biblical texts and their ancient contexts from diverse perspectives.
What makes a text sacred and what role do we then expect it to play in our lives?
As a sacred text in the Christian tradition, the Bible continues to have profound religious and cultural influence today, and biblical literacy is a valuable skill in both religious and secular contexts.
At Sarum, we seek opportunities to read, explore, discuss, and interpret sacred texts with a view to having a greater understanding of their relevance, power, and limitations, as well as gaining skills for reading them responsibly in and for our contemporary world.
I loved this course, and can’t wait for the next one. It gave all of the depth and challenge that I’ve been looking for, but I also feel like you dug up a few of the paving slabs of my faith; which is never a bad thing.
— Exploring Theology participant
This course was really inspiring. How can we understand and interpret what he teaches us without setting it in the context of the Hebrew Bible? And how can we do that without knowing something of the Jewish approach to Scripture?
— Reading Scripture Together participant
Open to all
Looking for opportunities to do some deeper biblical study?
We offer a stimulating, creative, and supportive environment to deepen your reflective, theological, and pastoral practices in reading and interpreting scripture.
Short courses and supported research on the Bible and sacred texts and their impact on faith, culture, and spiritual development are available either as part of our advertised programme or via bespoke offers.
Find out more
I love teaching and the favourite part of my job is helping people make connections between scripture, their beliefs, and the ways in which we live and engage with the world around us. I particularly love the Hebrew Bible and ways of reading it that make it come alive in all of its complexity and richness.
My training is as a public theologian with specific interests in feminist and liberation methods, and I have a keen interest in helping congregations, organisations, communities, and individuals to reflect on both developing theologies on specific public issues such as race, gender, economics, and immigration. But I am also interested in helping people learn to think more deeply about theology’s public impact by considering what we believe and how we talk about theology and religion in ways that shape and influence culture, both for good and for ill.
Biblical Study Breaks
These courses offer an intensive immersion in a biblical theme, book, or genre-led by innovative scholars who bring fresh insight and perspectives to the study of the text.
Reading Scripture Together
This series of conversational one-day courses consider selected biblical texts, themes and stories in detail and explores how they have been interpreted in the Jewish and Christian traditions, both in the written word and in art, and on their relevance and meaning to us today.
Exploring Theology: Living with the Bible and Belief
Sarum College’s flagship Exploring Theology programme is for anyone who wishes to deepen their knowledge of and relationship with the Bible and Christian teachings through intellectually rigorous, interactive, and accessible learning.
This is a two-year course designed so that students can join in at any time. Year A focuses on Exploring the Bible, serving to equip students with knowledge and tools to read and encounter the Scriptures faithfully and fruitfully in their own lives.Year B focuses on Exploring Christian Belief, which serves to help students see the bigger picture in relation to developments and themes within the Christian tradition.
Bespoke Training Programmes in Biblical Studies
Biblical study days and conferences by request; these have included deanery and diocesan days and conferences as well as church and organisational learning programmes.
Related Short Courses
New Testament Greek in a Week (2025)
11 August 2025
The New Testament, Christianity’s founding collection of writings, has played a major role in ...
Exploring Theology Autumn 2025
23 September 2025
Exploring the Bible A 10-week term on the Hebrew Bible to read and encounter the ...
Reading Ruth
03 November 2025
This short course will serve both as an in-depth reading of Ruth, Chapter 1, but also ...
Texts and the Christian Tradition (2026)
18 May 2026
Come to Sarum College for a week of deep exploration of a specific text as ...
Visiting Scholars, Bible & Sacred Texts
Shoshana Boyd Gelfand is a senior member of the London-based Pears Foundation team and director of the foundation’s operating programme, JHub.
Azariah France-Williams is a priest at the Ascension Hulme, a member of the HeartEdge church network which focuses work around four C’s: congregations, culture, commerce, and compassion.
Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet and theologian who brings interests in language, conflict and theology to his work. He hosts Poetry Unbound from On Being and his work has been published in Poetry Ireland, the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day and Harvard Review, among others. His books include volumes of poetry, prayers and prose. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of Corrymeela, Ireland’s oldest reconciliation community.
Helen was a nephrologist (kidney doctor) when God called her to Baptist ministry. She trained at Bristol Baptist College and then became Associate Minister at Victoria Park Baptist Church in South Bristol, where she worked part-time for six years. She is now Associate Minister at Westbury on Trym Baptist Church, Bristol.