Dr Alexander Ornella

Dr Alexander Ornella

Senior Lecturer in Religion, Director for Education and Student Experience

+44 (0)1482 466094 | A.Ornella@hull.ac.uk

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Arts Cultures and Education
  • School of Criminology, Sociology and Policing

Related groups

  • Criminology

Qualifications

  • MBA (University of Leicester)
  • MA (University of Graz)
  • PhD / DPhil (University of Graz)

Summary

Dr Alexander Darius Ornella's research interests sit at the intersection of religion, popular culture, visual and material culture, and technology. He also has an interest in the relationship between sport and religion, in particular the sport of CrossFit.

He is interested in how 'religion' is present and represented in media and film, and how people 'do' and practice religion today. His research expertise also includes popular culture, film, and media, religion and technology, and material religion.

Dr Ornella holds a PhD in Theology (Dr. theol.) and a Master in Theology (Mag. theol.) from the University of Graz, Austria.

I teach across all UG and PGT levels and programmes we are offering as School, including:

Global Issues - Local Impact (L4)

Social Research in Practice (L4)

Sexuality, Deviance, and Race: Visuals of Society (L5)

Radicalisation, Activism, and Religion (L6)

Philosophies of Social Sciences (L7)

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Book Chapter

Panic, Loss, Gratitude, and Sanity: The Impact of COVID-19 Gym Closures on the Experience of Community in CrossFit

Ornella, A. D. (2025). Panic, Loss, Gratitude, and Sanity: The Impact of COVID-19 Gym Closures on the Experience of Community in CrossFit. In M. Quidu, B. Favier-Ambrosini, & M. Delalandre (Eds.), À la conquête de la forme: Regards sociologiques sur le marché du fitness (83-104). Presses universitaires de Grenoble

Digital Artefact

The Serious Side of Fun

Ornella, A., & Orton, B. (2024). The Serious Side of Fun. [Podcast]

Journal Article

To study religion and media, we need to teach religion and media: economic realities, challenges, and future directions

Ornella, A. (2025). To study religion and media, we need to teach religion and media: economic realities, challenges, and future directions. Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 11(1), 27-48. https://doi.org/10.25364/05.11%3A2025.1.3

Editorial: Paradise Lost - Romanticizing as Playing the Imagined Past

Ornella, A. D., & Bosman, F. (2023). Editorial: Paradise Lost - Romanticizing as Playing the Imagined Past. Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 9(1), 7-11. https://doi.org/10.25364/05.9%3A2023.1.1

"Short Film Is Where Innovative Storytelling Is Born" Using the Science Fiction Short Film in the Religious Studies and Sociology Classroom

Ornella, A. D. (2022). “Short Film Is Where Innovative Storytelling Is Born” Using the Science Fiction Short Film in the Religious Studies and Sociology Classroom. Journal for Religion, Film and Media, 8(2), 49-64. https://doi.org/10.25364/05.8%3A2022.2.4

Research interests

religion and popular culture

religion and media

religion and sports

visual and material culture

religion, technology, and science

human enhancement

Co-investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

The Pound in the Pocket

Funder

University of Hull

Grant

£3,500.00

Started

1 February 2019

Status

Complete

Project

Heroin and Crack Action Evaluation

Funder

Humberside Police

Grant

£12,000.00

Started

1 November 2020

Status

Complete

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Ornella is happy to supervise research projects in the area of theology / religion and popular culture, religion and body, religion and technology, religion and film, sports and religion. For more information, please contact him.

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