Chaired Professor of Hebrew Bible & Ancient Religion. Geeky. Greeky. Atheist. Sideline in TV & Radio. #GodAnAnatomy: Winner of #PENHessellTiltman Prize 2022

UK. Exeter/London
Joined May 2011
Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
This year's #NCFestival starts on Friday 6 Nov, 11am with Francesca Stavrakopoulou (@ProfFrancesca) talking with Helen Bond about her prizewinning and fascinating book, 'God: An Anatomy' (@picadorbooks, 2021), recently serialised on Radio 4. Book now 🎟️👇 edin.ac/4hk8vnz
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
News emerging that Exeter University's teaching staff has been reduced. Culling the humanities is heartbreaking. It is also dangerous. My piece in the Spectator.
Big news here yesterday: we’ve avoided compulsory redundancies - solely because some of our brilliant colleagues took voluntary redundancy … 1/3
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
From Exeter university where major cuts in the humanities incl theology were on the cards churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2…
Big news here yesterday: we’ve avoided compulsory redundancies - solely because some of our brilliant colleagues took voluntary redundancy … 1/3
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Why the VC and Exec Board of Exeter Uni needs the humanities: a very short thread. 1. When you tell us we’re ‘in scope’ for redundancy, we can parse your choice of violent language to show that the process you have triggered is predatory and combative. #DefendExeterUni
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Huge coup by @BylineTimes Activities of James Orr, Cambridge Professor of Religion & Reform UK's Head of Policy, are under scrutiny Orr’s appointment occurred during period when Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel made a financial donation to Cambridge 21percent.org/?p=3971
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Academics fear they are being “set up to fail” after several institutions finished the academic year by announcing fresh job cuts, casting doubt over who will return after the summer break, and what courses they will be teaching #highered #jobcuts timeshighereducation.com/new…
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
But don't forget, if you ask any valid questions it's straight to "we emphasise there have been no decisions made" and "there's no decision at this stage". Thanks @UniofExeter ! Not like this is my degree and my lecturers' careers or anything 🙃 #DefendExeterUni
In reality, invitation to a 'consultation' means the axe has already fallen upon your head as far as the managerial Star Chamber is concerned ...
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Letter to the VC of the University of Exeter from myself, Abi Morgan and Jessica Swale regarding the proposed redundancies @UniofExeter @UofEDrama
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
And all the Uni has to say for themselves in response to emails is "we haven't made any decisions yet". @UniofExeter do better.
I’m so cross that Exeter is telling students & soon-to-be students that their degrees will not be impacted by the proposed cuts. It’s not true. Students and degree programmes will be impacted if there are no longer subject specialists doing the teaching. #DefendExeterUni
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Absolutely. This is something that needs to be much more public. Nottingham and Sussex make same false claims. Somehow it needs to be clearly in the press that offer holders & current students risk their degrees being “taught out”. Everyone needs to understand what that means.
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Very difficult to see how the reputational damage to Exeter University won’t be felt across the whole institution, and for a very long time to come. The long-term costs will be eye-watering. theguardian.com/education/20…
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Replying to @ProfFrancesca
Signed - I was so proud to go to Exeter& loved my time there. I am so sad to see the greed it’s descended into. I still think of all of the academics in English who taught me to this day. It was an incredible education & to see the SMT vandalise courses is just tragic. Solidarity
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Everyone who cares about the future of the humanities and social sciences in Britain should register their fury at the deep damage being done to the University of Exeter by its appalling senior management. @UniofExeter @UniofExeterNews @UniOfExeterHASS c.org/TxCjL6VLgk
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Fascinating book about how the One God of modern Jews & Christians developed in ancient times out of a god originally one of a Pantheon, with wife, physical body and probably cult statues. Reposted as, astonishingly, Exeter University are considering making its author redundant. – at England, United Kingdom
Ooh the new paperback edition of my God book has reverted back to the lovely blue cover of the UK hardback
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Exeter University wants to axe over 200 jobs and calls it “financial pressure”. Reserves up £188m. Six-figure salaries more than doubled. The money is the there just not for the people who teach. Academic vandalism at its finest. ucu.org.uk/article/14560/Exe…
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Replying to @ProfFrancesca
Signed. My daughter is so excited to be taking one of your modules in September. The thought of her course options shrinking for no comprehensible reason is absolutely shocking! @educationgovuk
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Academia in the UK is crumbling, and the government expect us to be world leaders? I have to laugh…
Planned cuts to the University of Exeter’s prized humanities department show no job is safe in the UK’s current wave of redundancies, according to affected academics, who add that decisions are being made based on undergraduate students’ choices rather than research strength #jobcuts #highered #humanities timeshighereducation.com/new…
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Stop the gutting of theology/religion and other humanities at Exeter! c.org/ZYN4WwbKFr @ProfFrancesca
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
It’s heartening to see so much righteous fury from across the political spectrum rain down on Exeter University (@UniofExeter) for their cutthroat assault on education. Entirely deserved. I hope the reputational damage clearly being done makes them think twice.
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Prof Francesca Stavrakopoulou retweeted
Theology and Religion at Exeter is incredible. The past year I've enjoyed every single lecture and it's not just me, the statistics prove it. To gut this department would be a horrific mistake.
When I was designing a new Theology finals course in 2018, it was Exeter staff I turned to for help as they were the only other department running something vaguely comparable. They were amazing.
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