Joshua is being supported by Cumberland Lodge and Royal Holloway, University of London, to complete a three-year PhD in the history of religion, through the Amy Buller PhD Scholarship. As part of his scholarship role, he helps to host visiting student groups at Cumberland Lodge.
Joshua graduated from Royal Holloway with first-class honours in History in 2018, and went on to complete an MA in Medieval Studies with distinction. His Master's dissertation focused on the role of public debates between the Church and minority religious groups, and this is also the theme of his PhD research, which he began in September 2020. He is particularly interested in the power systems and identity struggles that relate to these debates, and how they appear to be a permanent fixture throughout cultural history.
Joshua hopes that, by analysing the changing relationship between the Church and minority religious groups in the UK, over time, it will be possible to gain a better understanding of the lives, beliefs and ideas of both the participants and observers. His thesis delves into questions of power and identity, public discourse, and the importance of public debate in the dissemination of beliefs and ideas.
Outside of academia, Joshua volunteers as a gallery steward at Watts Gallery in Compton. He has previously worked at the Royal Albert Hall, helping to move its archives online, to make them accessible to the public.
Joshua is also a keen footballer and he has been a member of the Royal Holloway football team for four years, including one year as captain. He has a passion for reading about, and visiting, historical sites and makes regular trips to cathedrals, castles, parish churches, and medieval ruins across the UK and Europe.