Welcome to BRIM
Biblical Reception: Interpretation and Method (BRIM) is an international hub for scholars interested in how the Bible has been interpreted, used, and reimagined. We are a global network dedicated to connecting researchers in this area.
Why Brim?
The discipline of biblical studies has traditionally been focused on the study of texts in their ancient historical context, but research into the Bible’s reception—including in art, literature, film, politics, and law—continues to expand. Despite increasing venues for the publication and presentation of research, scholars in this interdisciplinary field often work in isolation, facing challenges in developing shared methodologies and risking intellectual insularity. There remain few places for scholars of biblical reception to regularly meet and to share events and publications beyond their immediate circles.
Biblical Reception: Interpretation and Method (BRIM) is a response to this deficiency, creating a unique network for intellectual exchange and encounter between scholars.
The People Behind BRIM
Siobhán Jolley and Hannah M. Strømmen are the coordinators of BRIM. Samuel Auler is a project assistant.
Siobhán is a specialist in the reception of the Bible in art and popular culture. She is Lecturer in Christian Studies at the University of Manchester. She was previously the Howard and Roberta Ahmanson Research Fellow in Art and Religion at the National Gallery and Visiting Lecturer in Christianity and the Arts at King’s College, London. An expert in the portrayal of Mary Magdalene, her broader research interests include the work of female artists, the reception of biblical women and the New Testament, and feminist approaches. She works as a curator and art consultant and teaches and writes regularly for major museums.
Hannah is Senior Lecturer in Bible, Politics, and Culture at Lund University, and a Wallenberg Academy Fellow. She works on uses of the Bible in contemporary culture and politics, and is Editor of the Journal of the Bible and its Reception (with Valérie Nicolet). Her latest book is The Bibles of the Far Right (Oxford University Press, 2024).
Sam is a PhD student in Bible, Politics, and Culture at Lund University. His research analyses the use of the Bible in Brazilian Congressional speeches.
Our aim is to foster research collaborations and cultivate network-building by:
Connecting scholars
across diverse parts of the world and disciplines
Providing a forum
for communication and collaboration
Hosting events
that promote biblical reception in research and teaching
