Berkley Center

Katherine Brown is a lecturer in Islamic studies in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on gender, religion, radicalization, and violence, particularly as they relate to Islam. Before coming to the University of Birmingham, Brown had served as a lecturer at King’s College London since 2008. She received a B.A. from Lancaster University and a M.Sc. and a Ph.D. from the University of Southampton.

Jocelyne Cesari holds the Chair of Religion and Politics and is director of research at the Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; she is a senior fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, where she previously was an associate professor of the practice of religion, peace, and conflict resolution in the Department of Government. She is the T. J. Dermot Dunphy Visiting Professor of Religion, Violence, and Peacebuilding at Harvard Divinity School. Former president of the European Academy of Religion, her work on religion, political violence, and conflict resolution has garnered recognition and awards from numerous international organizations such as the Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs and the Royal Society for Arts in the United Kingdom. She is a Professorial Fellow at Australian Catholic University's Institute for Religion, Politics and Society. She teaches on contemporary Islam and politics at Harvard Divinity School and directs the Islam in the West program. Cesari is a member of the Working Group on Displaced Persons and Hospitality to the Stranger, part of the Culture of Encounter Project.

Andrew Davies is reader in the Public Understanding of Religion and director of the Edward Cadbury Centre. A biblical scholar by training, he has written and lectured on cultural approaches to the Bible, contemporary forms of Christian worship and expression, and on Christian engagement in the fields of culture and social and public policy. As a specialist in civic engagement and public education, he was principal investigator for a AHRC-supported project, ‘Megachurches and Social Engagement in London’ which investigated the social engagement activities of the UK’s largest churches, leading to his ongoing interest in exploring theological motivations for political and social interaction. An experienced academic project manager, Davies has led a variety of educational research and development projects for the University of Birmingham, including its flagship interdisciplinary education activity, ‘The Birmingham Project’, where he has been responsible for developing the University’s relationships with international businesses such as IBM, PwC, and KPMG.

Francis Davis is a professor of religion, communities, and public policy in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham, where he also serves as director of the Edward Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion. His expertise is in the intersection of business, social enterprise, higher education, and government. Davis has served as policy advisor to the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and other Cabinet members under both Labour and Conservative governments, becoming the first full time cabinet level advisor on faith, faith communities, and social action. He has also taught at Cambridge University and Oxford University. A prolific writer for publications in both the United Kingdom and United States, Davis also consults widely and is also professor of social justice and innovation at St Mary's University in London. He has a B.A. from Durham University, M.Sc. from the University of London, and M.P.A. from the University of Warwick.