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The earliest Latin Commentary on the Gospels, lost for over 1500 years, has been rediscovered and made available in English for the first time. The work, which was written by a bishop in North Italy, Fortunatianus of Aquileia, dates back to the middle of the fourth century. Despite references to it in other ancient works, no copy was known to survive until a researcher from the University of Salzburg identified the commentary in an anonymous manuscript copied around the year 800 and held in Cologne Cathedral Library.

Reformation Rebels: The surprising histories of Benedictine monks in exile (31 August 2017) Sixteenth and seventeenth century Benedictine monks refused abstinence, died in duels, went off to war and spread illegal Catholic doctrine, a new study has revealed. The Monks in Motion project, led by Dr James Kelly of the Department of Theology and Religion , has brought together records of English and Welsh Benedictine monks exiled in Europe in a first-of-its-kind searchable database and uncovered some of their remarkable histories.

Researchers analysed DNA extracted from 4,000-year-old human remains to reveal that more than 90% of Lebanese ancestry is from ancient Canaanite populations. The fact that we can retrieve whole genomes from conditions not considered ideal for DNA preservation also shows how far the field have advanced technically Freddi Scheib Scientist have sequenced the entire genomes of 4,000-year-old Canaanite individuals who inhabited the Near East region during the Bronze Age, and compared these to other ancient and present-day populations.

A new study examines all robust, available data on how fearful we are of what happens once we shuffle off this mortal coil.  They find that atheists are among those least afraid of dying..and, perhaps not surprisingly, the very religious. Religion has long been thought to be a solution to the problem of death.

Two Eighteenth Century drinks recipes, discovered by researchers from Durham University's Department of Theology and Religion , have revealed that a brandy-based cocktail was a favourite drink amongst a community of English Catholic monks exiled in France. The recipes were discovered by Dr James Kelly , Research Fellow in Early Modern British and Irish Catholicism, during research work for the Monks in Motion project.

Europe named as the most sceptical region on vaccine safety in the world, according to the largest ever global survey of vaccine confidence. Researchers from Imperial College London and their collaborators surveyed nearly 66,000 people from 67 countries to explore their views on whether vaccines are important, safe, effective, and compatible with their religious beliefs.

Religion in the United States is declining and mirroring patterns found across the western world, according to new research from UCL and Duke University in the United States. The study published in the American Journal of Sociology shows a drop in the number of Americans who claim religious affiliations, attend church regularly and believe in God.

Religious relics are to become the subject of a new research initiative launching today at Keble College's Advanced Studies Centre (ASC). Ancient Christian relics are objects that survive from ancient times, often associated with a saint's body or their belongings, and usually kept as objects of historical interest or spiritual devotion.

Islamist insurgency has had a strong effect on where polio cases occur since 2011, potentially as a reaction to the use of counterinsurgency strategies, according to new research led by UCL. In research published today in the open access journal Globalization and Health, lead author Dr Jonathan Kennedy (UCL Political Science) and colleagues from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Cambridge University (Professor Lawrence King) analysed cross-national data for the period 2003-14.

A study has revealed that non-believers assume that people who go to church or other places of worship are 'close minded', and they would find this personality trait more off-putting in a partner than their religious views. In two studies researchers created a number of dating profiles for both religious and non-religious individuals and asked volunteers from a range of religious and non-religious backgrounds to rate them for attractiveness.

Analysis of a latrine in Jerusalem that dates back over 500 years finds human parasites common in northern Europe yet very rare in Middle East at the time, suggesting long-distance trade or pilgrimage routes and shedding light on prevalent infectious diseases of the age. Jerusalem's importance to Christians in medieval Europe made it a key destination for both pilgrimage and trade.

Headlines and policy initiatives need to move away from using 'religion' as a way of explaining many terrorist attacks, research has shown. A Senior Research Associate at Lancaster is proposing a new analytical model in the study of terrorism which gives more informed answers to the 'why' questions that surround terrorist attacks.

03 Sep 2014 A 1,500 year-old papyrus fragment found in The University of Manchester's John Rylands Library has been identified as one the world's earliest surviving Christian charms. The remarkable document uniquely contains some of the earliest documented references to the Last Supper and 'manna from heaven'.

Study makes link between poor access to nutrition in infancy and increased risk of mortality in later life Conversely, being born with a silver spoon in your mouth may give life-long advantages Scientists at the University of Sheffield have found a link between poor nutrition during early life and reduced resilience to later-life famine.

A faith in the explanatory and revealing power of science increases in the face of stress or anxiety, a study by Oxford University psychologists suggests. The researchers argue that a 'belief in science' may help non-religious people deal with adversity by offering comfort and reassurance, as has been reported previously for religious belief.

25 Apr 2013 The private letters of the composer of some of the world's most popular hymns have been published, providing a rare glimpse into the birth of Methodism. The collection of Charles Wesley's letters are edited by Dr Gareth Lloyd of The University of Manchester's John Rylands Library and Professor Kenneth Newport of Liverpool Hope University.

As the nation prepares to tuck into mounds of Stilton this Christmas, researchers have pinpointed for the first time the yeast which helps give blue cheese its distinctive aroma. A study undertaken by academics at the Universities of Nottingham and Northampton has discovered a particular 'secondary microflora' component' is responsible for boosting the smell of blue cheese.