Religious Studies Research Forum
The Queen's University Belfast Religious Studies Research Forum is an interdisciplinary grouping of scholars from across the University interested in exploring themes and issues relating to religion in culture and society. The Forum sponsors the annual McCosh lecture, delivered in recent years by Onora O'Neill (2019), David Hempton (2020), Sarah Coakley (2021), Colin Kidd (2022), David Livingstone (2023), Mary Daly (2024) and Irene Tracey (2025). It also organises an annual series of research seminars in the University but open to the public.
The Religious Studies Research Forum is chaired by Dr Diarmid Finnegan.
The McCosh Lecture, originally the Annual Religious Studies Lecture, is named in honour of James McCosh (1811-1894) who was appointed to the Chair of Logic and Metaphysics at Queen’s University in 1850 shortly after the establishment of the University.
In 1868 McCosh left Ireland to become President of Princeton University. His sphere of influence was extensive, not only as a leading moral philosopher and educationalist, but as a pioneer of modern psychology and as a prominent advocate for the reconciliation of evolution and religion.
The Forum hosts seminars throughout the academic year to promote religious studies across the University. For 2025/26, external speakers and colleagues from QUB will consider Religion and Climate Change from a range of perspectives, including psychology, geography, religious studies and theology.
Full details of the Religious Studies Research Forum Programme for 2025-2026 in Read More
