Professor Judith Lieu will preach at the University's annual Commemoration of Benefactors on Sunday, 1 November.
Judith Lieu, Fellow of Robinson College and Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity since 2007, will be the Lady Margaret's preacher at the commemoration and will preach the University Sermon on 'We can hardly guess at what is on earth, and what is at hand we find with labour; but who has traced out what is in the heavens'. The sermon will take place in Great St Mary's, the University Church, at 11.15am on Sunday, 1 November.
Judith Lieu studied at the Universities of Durham, Oxford and Birmingham, where she completed her PhD, and has held academic posts at Queen's College, Birmingham, Macquarie University, Sydney and King's College, London, where she was Professor of New Testament Studies 1999-2006.
She has particular interests in second-century Christianity, Judaism and Jewish-Christian relations in the context of early Christianity, Johannine literature and feminist and gender analysis of the New Testament and other early Christian literature and history.
A Fellow of the British Academy, Professor Lieu is Chair of the Trustees of Wesley House, Cambridge and of the Faith and Order Committee of the Methodist Church in Britain. Formerly Editor of New Testament Studies and currently President of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, she is the University's gender equality champion for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Lady Margaret’s Preachership was founded in 1504 by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, who had earlier founded the Professorship, first held in 1502 by John Fisher. Since the nineteenth century, when the terms of the foundation were revised, the appointment to the Preachership has been made annually and the Preacher, who must be a member of the Senate, preaches at Commemoration.
After the Sermon the Commemoration will be read by Professor John Spencer, as Deputy Vice-Chancellor. The Choir of Robinson College will sing at the service.
All are welcome and there will be a wine-reception in Michaelhouse afterwards for those present.
Members of the University attending the service should wear their gowns and graduates are welcome to wear their hoods. Cambridge Doctors wear scarlet. The dress of non-Cambridge degrees may be worn on this occasion.