The focus for Texts and the Christian Tradition in 2024 is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Atwood’s work is prized among the most prescient literature of the 20th and 21st centuries. While writing widely in the genres of novels, non-fiction, children’s literature, graphic novels, and poetry, essays and literary criticism and highly regarded as an environmental activist, Atwood is best known for her 1985 dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale which has spawned a film, a multi-season TV show, and a recent sequel by Atwood, The Testaments.

This year’s Texts and the Christian Traditions course will explore theological engagements with The Handmaid’s Tale. While focusing primarily on the novel itself, we will also be considering the film and TV adaptations, the Testaments, Atwood’s writing, and the genre of dystopian literature more broadly.

The teaching team for this module consists of:
Dr Jayme Reaves, Director of Academic Development at Sarum College, who will be teaching on the Bible and Atwood’s writing, the short stories of Atwood, and an introduction to Atwood’s writing and the genre of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Prof Graeme Smith, Leader of Postgraduate Programmes in Theology, Imagination and Culture at Sarum College, who will be teaching on Political Theology and the use of rhetoric in totalitarian regimes, and leading our discussion of the film adaptation.
Dr Michael Hahn, Leader of Postgraduate Programmes in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College, who will be teaching an introduction to Atwood’s writing, on the study of women’s lives and experiences in historical documents (including how this is portrayed in the epilogues), and leading our discussion of the TV adaptation.
Prof Rhiannon Graybill, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Richmond, and Prof Peter Sabo, Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Theology at Huron University, who together edited the book, “Who Knows What We’d Make of It, If We Ever Got Our Hands on It?”: The Bible and Margaret Atwood, will be teaching on the Margaret Atwood’s writing and the Bible.

Sarah Meyrick assistant editor of the Church Times, journalist and novelist will be leading two sessions on creative writing.

This is an opportunity to have a week study break in the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral Close, where residential participants enjoy full board, access to the library and to the pattern of liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral. During the week, you will engage critically with the text using particular lenses to enable deeper consideration of its meaning, significance, impact and longevity for the Christian spiritual tradition, its adherents, and/or the wider cultural context.

We welcome auditors are participants who learn alongside postgraduate students but are not required to complete an essay or earn academic credit.

What does it mean to audit a course? 

Joining this course is an opportunity to have a study break in the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral Close, where residential participants enjoy full board, access to the library and to the pattern of liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral.

Whether it’s cultural events, sightseeing (Stonehenge is nearby for example) or shopping — there’s plenty to do if you’d like to extend your stay the weekend before and after the course. For ideas, visit Salisbury Cathedral Close attraction websites to see what’s on Sarum’s doorstep. Visit the Wiltshire Creative website to view events at nearby Salisbury Playhouse and the Salisbury Arts Centre. The Experience Salisbury website has an excellent city-wide listing of forthcoming events around the city.

Need financial assistance? View our list of grantmaking trusts

Learn more about postgraduate study in Christian Spirituality 

Learn more about postgraduate study in Theology, Imagination and Culture

Enrolled students also may attend teaching weeks for modules in addition to the modules which they are studying for credit, by permission of the Programme Leader.  The audit fee and hospitality prices are reviewed annually with any changes effective from 1 July.