These writings reflect the emergence of structures that became foundational in the early church. In particular the writings of Ignatius and Polycarp depict early Christianity in the first half of the second century. Professor Helen Bond is an academic specialising in the social, political and religious history of Roman Judaea and the characters associated with earliest Christianity. She’s the author of five books and numerous shorter studies. Academic Staff A-Z This article was published on Tuesday 19 March 2024 I’m interested in all aspects of early Christianity and the social, cultural and religious context in which it emerged. My most recent work has been on Mark’s Gospel, the earliest biography of Jesus. Paul Foster first studied mathematics and physics at the University of Western Australia. Later he commenced studies in theology, with a doctorate from the University of Oxford in New Testament in 2003. Since then he has worked as an academic at the School of Divinity in the University of Edinburgh. He was Dean and Head of School from 2013-2018. We are a collection of scholars committed to the study of early Christianity and the world that it was born in. Our interests range from New Testament studies to Patristics, to the world of Late Antiquity, and many of our members have specializations within these fields. The School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh has a strong and experienced team of academic specialists in the field of New Testament and early Christianity, who are well-equipped to supervise research projects in a diverse range of approaches and topics.