Dr. Isabella Sandwell

Biography

Isabella Sandwell is a Senior Lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Bristol. Her main research interest lies in religious history during the Roman period, focusing particularly on the explanations for the success of Christianity and the communication and transmission of religious ideas. She is also interested in the interactions between Christians and non-Christians in late antiquity. Sandwell published her first major work in 2007, titled "Religious Identity in Late Antiquity: Greeks, Jews and Christians in Antioch," which utilized the work of Pierre Bourdieu and writings from Libanius and John Chrysostom to develop a new model for understanding religious interaction during this period. Over the years, she has edited several collections that include influential works such as "Delivering the Word: Preaching and Exegesis in the Western Christian Tradition" and has contributed numerous articles examining fourth-century preaching within the broader context of late antique religious dynamics. Currently, she explores cognitive approaches to understanding ancient religions, focusing on cognitive poetics and cognitive science of religion (CSR) as tools for investigating communication and dissemination of Christian ideas. Through her editorial work, Sandwell also contributes to the academic discourse on cognitive science in ancient studies and has substantial involvement in organizing workshops and conferences. She continues to supervise postgraduate research in her areas of expertise, welcoming inquiries into Roman religion and late antique preaching.

Research Interests

Experience