Philip Esler

Prof Philip Esler is an Honorary Professor at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. He holds the Portland Chair in New Testament Studies at the University of Gloucestershire. Previously, he served as Professor of Biblical Criticism at St Mary's University College Twickenham (2010–2013) and as Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (2005–2009). His research focuses on applying social-scientific methods to biblical and ancient legal texts, particularly the Babatha archive, and explores New Testament theology and the intersection of the Bible with visual arts.

• Education: BA (University of Sydney), LLM (University of Sydney), DPhil (University of Oxford)
• Administrative Roles: Litigation solicitor and barrister in Sydney (pre-1992), Principal of St Mary’s University College (2010–2013)

Research Interests: Prof Esler analyzes social values in ancient texts, Judean family structures via papyri, and collaborates on projects like the visual interpretation of 1 Enoch. His work bridges legal history, cultural anthropology, and biblical studies.

Grants and Projects: Recipient of Carnegie Trust funding (2005–2006) for research on late medieval Spanish altarpieces. Organized major conferences like the St Andrews Conference on Old Testament Interpretation (2004).

Collaborations: Works with Angus Pryor on visual arts interpretations of biblical texts, exemplified by the Book of Enoch project.