Professor Jolyon Mitchell

Professor of Communications, Arts and Religion and Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues, University of Edinburgh

Jolyon specialises in religion, violence and peacebuilding, including the role of the arts and media in inciting violence and promoting peace.

A former BBC World Service producer and journalist, he is Professor of Communications, Arts and Religion and Director of the Centre for Theology and Public Issues at the University of Edinburgh, as well as a former President of Theology and Religious Studies UK (2012-18) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Nominated for over ten teaching awards, he is open to providing lectures on a wide range of other topics, including Searching for Peace in Theatre, Peacebuilding through the Arts, Decolonizing the Arts, the Making of Martyrs, and Searching for Truth and Reconciliation through Film.

Virtual lectures

Jolyon is available to deliver his lectures online, via Zoom or streaming. Please ask about this option when making your booking.

Publications

War and Religion: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press 2021)
Promoting Peace, Inciting Violence: The Role of Religion and Media (Routledge 2012)
Martyrdom: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press 2012)
Media Violence and Christian Ethics (Cambridge University Press 2007)

His co-edited books include:

Peacebuilding and the Arts (Palgrave MacMillan 2020)
Religion and the News (Ashgate 2012)
The Religion and Film Reader (Routledge 2007)
Mediating Religion: Conversations in Media, Religion and Culture (Continuum, 2003)

His lectures build upon original research undertaken for these and other publications.

Further information

For further information, please visit:

TEDx Talk: Published on April 20, 2015 - Jolyon takes a look at the relationship between art and warfare, using his experience as a BBC journalist as inspiration. In this thought provoking talk he explores how the perspective with which we view something can change its very nature.

Staff Profile: The University of Edinburgh

Lecture titles

Passion Play: The Mysterious Revivals of Religious Drama
In this illustrated lecture Jolyon explores the extraordinary growth of religious drama in the UK, Europe and beyond over the last 60 years. Using examples from both the Mystery Play tradition and the closely related Passion Play tradition, he investigates why both ancient and modern plays are enjoying renewed popularity all over the world.
Reframing News about Violence and Distant Suffering
How and why do spectacular acts of violence often dominate the news? Why do viewers remember some images and forget others? How can audiences creatively interact with stories? What are resources are available to avoid being overwhelmed by news about violence, distant suffering and compassion fatigue?
‘Swords into Ploughshares’: Promoting Peace through the Arts
In this illustrated lecture Jolyon demonstrates how arms can be transformed into a wide range of arts. Drawing upon examples from locations such as Southern Africa, the Middle East and North America he explores how the phrase ‘swords into ploughshares’ is being brought to life in unexpected ways.