G. Peter Kaye Lecture 2020: Candida Moss

The resurrection of the body is one of the foundational statements of Christian theology, but what will the resurrection be like? Paul tell us we will be glorified but does not go into specifics about what glorified actually means. As a result, most theological discussions of what the resurrection will be like are grounded in assumptions about the kinds of earthly bodies that are more desirable. From the beginning of Christian history up until the present day, definitions of beauty and the perceived undesirability of female, disabled, and non-caucasian bodies has affected both how the Bible is read and how heavenly bodies are imagined. Professor Candida Moss is the Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham. She is a columnist for The Daily Beast, religion news commentator for CBS, and has contributed to the LA Times, Politico Magazine, New York Times, BBC, CNN, National Geographic, Smithsonian, Discover Channel, History Channel, Washington Post, Huffington Post and others. Her work primarily focusses on ideas about martyrdom, death, suffering, and afterlife in the New Testament and literature of Early Christianity. Moss has additional interests in disability theory and theology, religion and public life, the Bible and education, and cultural heritage. More recently Professor Moss has focused on the intersection of religion and politics and the influence of certain religious ideas on international relations, policy making, and education.