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Department of Theology and Religion
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Durham Professors elected to prestigious British Academy

18 July 2024
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Canon Professor Michael Snape (left) and Professor Janet Montgomery (right)

Congratulations to Canon Professor Michael Snape and Professor Janet Montgomery who have been recognised for their contribution to the humanities and social sciences.

They have been elected to the British Academy - the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. 

The Academy consists of over 1,700 leading minds in these subjects from the UK and overseas. 

Leader in his field 

Canon Professor Michael Snape is our inaugural Michael Ramsey Professor of Anglican Studies. 

He is an ecumenical lay canon of Durham Cathedral, Director of the Michael Ramsey Centre for Anglican Studies, and convenor of our Anglican Studies research seminar. 

Other positions held by Professor Snape include President of the Ecclesiastical History Society for 2024-5; Vice-President of the Church of England Record Society; co-founder of the International Network for the Study of War and Religion in the Modern World; and official historian of the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department.  

Professor Snape’s research focuses on the history of religion and conflict in the English-speaking world, an area in which he has published numerous monographs, scholarly editions, book chapters, and journal articles. 

Pioneering archaeologist  

Professor Janet Montgomery is a Professor in our Department of Archaeology and is a Member of the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. 

She is a leading expert in Isotopic and trace element studies of diet and mobility in modern and archaeological humans and animals. 

Her doctoral thesis was the first study to apply combined radiogenic lead and strontium isotope analysis to British archaeological humans.  

In good company 

In 2024, a total of 52 UK Fellows, 30 International Fellows and 4 Honorary Fellows were nominated for election to the British Academy Fellowship. 

Current Fellows include the classicist Professor Dame Mary Beard and the historian Professor Sir Simon Schama, while previous Fellows include Sir Winston Churchill and Seamus Heaney. 

 

We are delighted to welcome this year’s cohort of Fellows, and I offer my warmest congratulations to each and every one. From the Academy’s earliest days, our Fellows are the lifeblood of the organisation, representing the very best of our disciplines – and we could not do all that we do without their expertise, time and energy. I very much look forward to working closely with our new Fellows – the breadth and depth of their expertise adds so much to the Academy.
Professor Julia Black
President of the British Academy

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