Professor Anthony Bash

Senior Case Management Officer

Affiliations
Affiliation	Telephone
Senior Case Management Officer in the Student Support and Wellbeing Directorate	Please contact via Microsoft Teams or email
Honorary Fellow / Professor (1 Sept 2024 - 31 Aug 2027) in the Department of Theology and Religion

Biography

I studied law at Bristol University and went on to practise law as a solicitor. I later studied theology at Glasgow University. My doctorate in theology is from Cambridge University and was under the supervision of Professor Morna D. Hooker.

My basic specialism is New Testament biblical studies, and Paul in particular. In recent years, I have developed an interest in ethics and in the nature of spirituality. I am interested in reading the New Testament in an interdisciplinary way, both learning from and seeking to contribute to other disciplines.

My doctorate (published in 1997) explored what the writers of the New Testament mean by 'ambassadors' and 'reconciliation', and to help do this I looked at Graeco-Roman literary and epigraphic records.

Later on, I wrote about canon law and about spirituality in the twenty-first century in the context of secular institutions, such as the NHS. I have also attempted to read and interpret the New Testament drawing on models from psychological theory.

In recent years, I have been engaged in research on what is meant by remorse, forgiveness, and reconciliation. This has involved a rigorous exploration of biblical texts in the light of political science, legal theory, anthropolgy, philosophy, studies on the nature of emotions, and psychological theory. I have written about the theology of forgiveness, the spirituality of forgiveness, and forgiveness as a Christian ethic. I have also written an interdisciplinary book on remorse, showing its importance in the context of repentance, regret, forgiveness, and reconciliaiiton.

I teach a masters module entitled 'Forgiveness in Pastoral Ministry Today', and I formerly taught undergraduate courses on the New Testament at the University. I also taught a module for the Durham Global Security Institute (DGSi) entitled 'Religion, Culture, and Conflict' and formerly taught Business Law for Durham Business School.