MA (King's College, University of London), PhD (St John's College, University of Durham).
Senior Lecturer
- 51cg
-
- Email Address
- s.newington@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 272274
- Office Address
- School/Department
- School of Divinity, History, Philosophy & Art History

Biography
This is my 15th fantastic year here in the Divinity department at the 51cg. I am delighted to announce too that I was promoted to Senior Lecturer which took effect in August 2021.
I studied Classics at King's College (University London) where I read for my MA. In 2006, I graduated from Durham University, St John's College, with a PhD. My PhD research involved exploring creation myths from ancient Greece and the ancient Near East.
Qualifications
- PhD Theology2006 - St John's College, University of Durham
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
-
I have a number of administration roles:
- Programme Co-ordinator for Christian and Religious Studies Programme (2011-2019)
- Undergraduate Programme Co-ordinator (Student Experience) (February 2019-August 2022)
- Admissions (Divinity) (August 2021-August 2022)
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Director (DHPA) (August 2021-date)
- Interim Director of Teaching and Education (DHPA) (August 2022-September 2022)
- Elected Member of Senatus Academicus (Senate: DHPA) (2023-2026)
- Reimagining our Campuses: Education working group (November 2023-date)
- Committee member for Gifford Series (August 2024-date)
- EDI Access and Inclusion Working Group (August 2025-date)
- Committee member International Conflict Task and Finish Group (December 2025-date)
- Chair Curriculum Transformation Working Group (January 2026-date)
- Co-Chair for Race Equality Network (August 2026-date)
- External Memberships
-
Academic Advisory Board, Groundings Ancient (2014-2015): https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/6192/
Elected Committee Member, CAS (2023-date):
Director, CAS: Ancient Voices (2019 - date):
Visiting Lecturer (Erasmus+), University of Bergen (15th May 2023-19th May 2023)
Member, British School at Athens (2023 - date):
Member, British Institute at Ankara (2024-date): ).
Member, Society for Classical Studies (2025-date):
Member, British School at Rome (2025-date):
Elected Council Member, Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Society (2025-2028): https://www.hellenicsociety.org.uk
Peer Reviewer (editorial), Visual Resources: an international journal on images and their uses (2025-date):
Latest Publications
Competition and Excellence: Selected Essays from 10th Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy
Parnassos PressBooks and Reports: BooksAncient Voices in a Modern World
Journal of Classical TeachingContributions to Journals: ArticlesPoetic Competition between Homer and Sappho
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE]
Gazing upon Sappho
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
Visualising ancient Greek mythology
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE]
Prizes and Awards
AUSA Shortlist Nominations:
- 2022 Best Lecturer
- 2023 Mental Health Champion
- Research
-
Research Overview
Although my teaching centres on Greek and Roman language, culture and history, my research area includes Near Eastern Studies. I am currently researching cross-cultural influences between the Near East and Greece.
I am able to supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students looking to research within the following areas:
- Greek and Latin literature (in particular epic, lyric and drama)
- Ancient Greek and Roman religion, in particular, mystery religion and rituals
- Greek and Roman culture and history
- Anatolian Studies
- Theories of myth
- Reception Studies
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Divinity, Religious Studies, Integrated PhD In Divinity, Archaeology, Philosophy.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Classical Studies
- Theology and Religious Studies
- Classical Greek Studies
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is , published under the licence.
Current Research
Recent and forthcoming publications include:
I recently co-edited a volume Body and Soul (2024) with Jurgen Gatt and Michaela Senkova. I am currently co-editing a volume with Heather Reid and Jennifer Ferriss-Hill, Competition and Excellence. Both volumes are being published by Parnassos Press.
I am also working on a monograph volume on Medusa for publication in 2027 (Routledge), as well as a volume co-edited by Ben Cassell and Lesley Dean Jones on Beautification and defilement (Mohr Siebeck, 2026).
I am currently organising an internaional conference on Trauma, Tragedy and Redemption in Ortigia, September 2026.
Past Research
In summer 2022, I steered a symposium on Theology, Ecology and Climate - past and present. I also organised a seminar series - Visualising the Divine (2022-2023)
Knowledge Exchange
Throughout the year, I offer a range of outreach event in collaboration with CAS. More recently, providing online international workshops on ancient languages and providing talks on a range of ancient history and classical studies topics. Further details are also located on the CAS webpage: https://cas.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2020/10/29/euge-latin-for-absolute-beginners/
I am currently the Director for the CAS: Ancient Voices Summer Workshop, which is an annual event. Further details area located here:
I am a recently elected committee member for CAS (2023).
Collaborations
I have previously collaborated with Dr Sian Lewis (St Andrews University) on two workshops: Sacred Animals and Monsters in Greek and the Near Eastern Religions (22nd-23rd January 2014) and Animals, Monsters and Demons: a Comparative Approach (22nd-23rd January 2015).
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Divinity, Religious Studies, Integrated PhD In Divinity, Archaeology, Philosophy.
I have successfully supervised and examined PhD research in the following areas:
i. Theories of Religion: Jung and Fraser
ii. Theories of Religion and AI
iii. Ancient Greek religion: Orphism and eschatology
iv. Ancient Greek religion and notions towards death and the hereafter
- Teaching
-
Programmes
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
- Undergraduate, 4 year, September start
Teaching Responsibilities
I am the course co-ordinator for a number of undergraduate and postgraduate modules (unless otherwise stated below):
Level 1 and Level 2
- DR1039/DR1078: New Testament Greek I
- DR103X/DR103Y: Ancient Greek I
- DR101E/DR101F/DR201E/DR201F: What it Means to be Dead
- DR101C/DR101B/DR201C/DR201B: Religions of Ancient Greece and Beyond
- DR151A/DR151B/DR250A/DR250B: Ancient Empires: Religion, Power and Politics
- DR153Y/DR153X: Ancient Greek II
- DR1538/DR1578: New Testament Greek II
- DR152C/DR152D/DR252C/DR152C: Magic, Mystery, Spells and Potions
- LT1009/LT1010: Latin
- LT1507/LT1508: Latin
Level 3 and Level 4
- DR301P / DR351P / DR355C: Special Subject
- DR4046/DR4543: Senior Honours - Special Subject
- DR351Y/DR351Z/DR451Z/DR451Y: Cosmos and Creation in the Ancient World
- DR352X/DR352Y/DR452Y/DR452X: Animals and Monsters in the Ancient Greek World and Beyond
- DR355Q/DR355P/ DR455P/DR455Q: Wine, Revelry and Dangerous Women: Followers of Dionysus
- DR4544: Dissertation
Level 5 and Postgraduate:
- Dissertation and Research supervision
- Publications
-
Page 1 of 2 Results 1 to 25 of 46
Competition and Excellence: Selected Essays from 10th Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy
Parnassos PressBooks and Reports: BooksAncient Voices in a Modern World
Journal of Classical TeachingContributions to Journals: ArticlesPoetic Competition between Homer and Sappho
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE]
Gazing upon Sappho
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
Visualising ancient Greek mythology
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE]
In Dialogue Series with Andreas Wolff
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
CAS - SQA Classcial Studies National 5 - Athena and Dionysus
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
CAS - SQA Classical Studies Higher - Death in Ancient Greece
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
CAS - SQA Classical Studies Higher - Festivals in Ancient Athens
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual ProductsCAS - SQA Classical Studies Higher - Mystery Religion
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
Body and Soul in Ancient Greece and Rome: Selected Essays from the Eighth Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy
Parnassos Press, Iowa. 226 pagesBooks and Reports: Books- [ONLINE] DOI:
The Beautification and Defilement of Helen in Sappho fr. 16
Body and Soul in Ancient Greece and Rome: Selected Essays from the Eighth Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Hellenic Heritage of Sicily and Southern Italy. Gatt, J., Newington, S., Senkova, M. (eds.). Parnassos Press, pp. 25-38, 14 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters (Peer-Reviewed)- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Queer in the classical world: following in the footsteps of Sappho
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE] Event website
- [ONLINE] /dhpa/disciplines/divinity/research/religion/
Medea: ancient and modern reception
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
Disability, 'otherness' and ex/inclusion in the ancient Greek world
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE] /events/dhm/index.php
- [ONLINE] /dhpa/disciplines/divinity/research/religion/
Reading the past: Exploring ancient languages
Classical Association Scotland.Other Contributions: Other ContributionsFinding women in Greek literature
Non-textual Forms: Web Publications and Websites- [ONLINE]
Ancient Landscapes and Ecology
Contributions to Conferences: Oral PresentationsPseudo-Orpheus
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Entries for Encyclopedias and DictionariesMorality and Death
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
What is Hell?
Non-textual Forms: Digital or Visual Products- [ONLINE]
Euhemerism and Lucretius in thede rerum Natura
Contributions to Conferences: Oral Presentations- [ONLINE]
Review: Sophocles Antigone: A verse translation with introductory notes by David Mulroy: Wisconsin (2013) p/b 96pp £8.95 (ISBN 139780299290849)
Contributions to Specialist Publications: Reviews of Books, Films and Articles- [ONLINE]
Phrygian Kingdom
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Entries for Encyclopedias and Dictionaries- [ONLINE] DOI:
Greek Titans and Biblical Giants
Ancient Tales of Giants from Qumran and Turfan: Contexts, Traditions, and Influences. Goff, M., Stuckenbruck, L., Morano, E. (eds.). Mohr Siebeck, pp. 33-40, 8 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE]


