Richard is PhD candidate at the Department for the Study of Religion. His dissertation challenges the widespread assumption that becoming a Pauline Christ-believer led to a life of relative isolation, social and ecclesiastical egalitarianism, and disdain for worldly pleasure. In Richard’s dissertation, he argues that the very structure of Paul’s Corinthian congregation cultivated affiliates’ desires for status and honour. Worshipping Christ was a way to enhance one’s status and secure otherwise inaccessible opportunities for honour in first-century Corinth. Recently, he has also begun to study how filmmakers use film style to portray religion in popular and alternative cinema. He will be teaching Religion and Film (RLG 232H1S) this year at the St. George campus.
Further information is available at: http://utoronto.academia.edu/RichardLast.
Contact: Richard.last@utoronto.ca