Dr Sam Newington

Biography

This is my 13th fantastic year here in the Divinity department at the University of Aberdeen. I am delighted to announce too that I have recently been 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.

Prizes and Awards

AUSA Shortlist Nominations:

• 2022 Best Lecturer
• 2023 Mental Health Champion

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 literature (in particular epic, lyric and drama)
• Ancient Greek religion, in particular, mystery religion

Current Research

Current publications include:

• Currently working on a commissioned volume: Stuckenbruck, L.T. & Newington, S. (eds), Animals and Monsters in Ancient Greek Religion and Culture (London: Taylor and Francis Group, forthcoming).
• Currently working on an academic journal article for publication on the following topic: Monstrous Metamorphosis in Creation Narratives.

Current research projects include the following:

• A seminar series - Visualising the Divine (2022-2023)

Past Research

Recently, summer 2022, I steered a symposium on Theology, Ecology and Climate - past and present.

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: https://cas.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

Collaborations

I have 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). We are now working towards an edited volume publication drawn from both events.

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
• DR101Z/DR101Y/DR201Z/DR201Y: Atheism and Atheisms (contributor)
• 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
• DR151W/DR251W: God, Sexualities and Identity (contributor)
• DR1538/DR1578: New Testament Greek II
• DR1596/DR2596: Mysticism (contributor)
• DR153G/DR253G/ DR153H/DR253H: Wine, Revelry and Dangerous Women: Followers of Dionysus
• 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
• DR4544: Dissertation

Level 5 and Postgraduate:

• Dissertation and Research supervision

PhD Supervision

Current lead supervisor for the following PhD topics:

• Goddesses in Ancient Greek performance texts
• Ancient Greek attitudes towards death
• Ancient Greek Magic
• Revisiting Norse Mythology