When you become a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Candidate at the ACT, you enter into a rich research environment as a member of the Graduate School of Research. An important part of that is your relationship with your supervisor. ACT Principal Supervisors publish world standard research and undertake ongoing professional development in order to provide quality research training to HDR candidates.
Our faculty researchers have strong publication records in a wide range of fields in religious studies, with particular strengths in Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Christianity in History and Missiology. A Ministry and Practice focus is particularly catered for in the DMin, but is also available in other research degrees.
Applications for HDR candidature must be supported by one of our affiliated colleges. Please check the admission requirements for your chosen course — PhD, DMin, MTh (Res) — and examine the profiles below. If you would like to discuss your plans further with a potential supervisor, please complete the contact form.
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Contact a supervisor |
Bible and Languages
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Rev Dr Michael Bird
Ridley College
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Rev Dr Daniel Cole
Trinity Theological College, Perth
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Rev Dr Jill Firth
Ridley College
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Dr Louise Gosbell
Australian College of Theology
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Rev Dr Gregory Goswell
Christ College
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Dr G. Geoffrey Harper
Sydney Missionary and Bible College
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Dr Michael J. Kok
Morling College
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Rev Dr Anthony R. Petterson
Morling College
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Rev Dr Brian S. Rosner
Ridley College
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Rev Dr Andrew Sloane
Morling College
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Rev Dr David Starling
Morling College
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Rev Dr Grace Tsoi
Chinese Theological College Australia
Rev Dr Michael Bird
| Academic qualifications | BA (Hons), BMin, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament, Academic Dean |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | New Testament, Early Church, Apostolic Fathers, Second Century Christianity, Pauline epistles, Systematic Theology |
Michael Bird is Academic Dean and Lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College. Michael grew up in Brisbane before joining the Army and serving as a paratrooper, intelligence operator, and then chaplain’s assistant. It was during his time in the military that he came to faith from a non-Christian background, and soon after felt a call to ministry. He graduated with a BMin from Malyon College (2001) and Honours and PhD from the University of Queensland (2002, 2005). Michael taught New Testament at the Highland Theological College in Scotland (2005-9) before joining Brisbane School of Theology as Lecturer in Theology (2010-12). He joined the faculty at Ridley as Lecturer in New Testament in 2013 where he has remained ever since. He is the author of 30 books, including the award-winning volumes The Gospel of Lord: How the Early Church Wrote the Story of Jesus, Evangelical Theology, and with N.T. Wright, The New Testament in its World.
Michael has supervised nine successful PhD students by people from all over the world, with topics as diverse as Arabic manuscripts of John’s Gospel, to Trinitarian theology in Revelation, to a study of the Colossian “heresy.” He is keen to supervise anyone with a good thesis topic in New Testament, Systematic Theology, and second-century Christianity.
Rev Dr Daniel Cole
| Academic qualifications | BE (Hons), BD (Hons) PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament and Greek |
| College | Trinity Theological College, Perth |
| Research areas | New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Biblical Theology, Pauline Epistles, Greek Grammar and Linguistics |
Dan Cole has served as Lecturer in New Testament and Greek since coming to Trinity in 2017. Prior to this he completed his PhD under D. A. Carson on the intersection between Paul’s use of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant, his mission, and his ethics, which has been published as Isaiah’s Servant in Paul: The Hermeneutics and Ethics of Paul’s Use of Isaiah 49–54, in the WUNT2 series. He is currently researching the meaning and functions of the participle in NT Greek, as well as undertaking smaller projects on particular exegetical questions in 1 Corinthians and Hebrews. He has previously served on the editorial board of Trinity Journal.
At Trinity, Dan trains students in exegesis, teaching first-year Greek and upper-year exegesis units in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews and 1 Peter, and John. He is an ordained Anglican minister and regularly preaches at churches and conferences around Perth.
Rev Dr Jill Firth
| Academic qualifications | BA (UWA), Grad Cert (UD), Grad Dip (ACT), Grad Dip (UD), MDiv (ACT), MA (UD), PhD (ACT) |
| Job title | Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | Jeremiah, Psalms |
Jill graduated with BA from UWA, then studied theology at Ridley, and concurrently trained as a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition through the University of Divinity. She was ordained in the Diocese of Melbourne in 2006. She has lectured at Ridley since 2005, was appointed to Ridley faculty in 2016, and is currently lecturing in Hebrew and Old Testament. Jill has presented conference papers at SBL, ETS, Tyndale Fellowship, ANZATS, and FBS, and has been interviewed on podcasts including The Two Cities, The Alabaster Jar, The Biblical Mind, and God Forbid. She has published chapters on Psalms and Jeremiah, and is co-editor of Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture: Papers by Australian Women Scholars in the Evangelical Tradition (with Denise Cooper-Clarke), and of Honoring the Wise: Wisdom in Scripture, Ministry, and Life: Celebrating Lindsay Wilson’s Thirty Years at Ridley (with Paul Barker). Jill is currently working on a monograph on Psalms, a commentary on Jeremiah, and journal articles. She has been a convener of the Evangelical Women in Academia conference and of the Ridley Women’s Writing Groups Network, and is a member of Tyndale Fellowship, ETS, IBR, SBL, FBS, and the Logia Advisory Board.
Dr Louise Gosbell
| Academic qualifications | PhD; MTh (Hons); BTh; GradCert Disability Policy; Cert IV Creative & Practical Ministries; Certificate of Ministry |
| Job title | Research Manager |
| College | ACT Office |
| Research areas | Gospels, disability studies, embodiment, sensory studies, health care in the ancient world, inclusive theological education |
Louise completed her undergraduate qualifications in ministry and theology at Excelsia College in Sydney (formerly Wesley Institute) and her PhD in ancient history (New Testament) was completed at Macquarie University. Louise’s PhD on disability in the gospels was published by German publisher Mohr Siebeck in 2018. After 11 years serving in various roles at Mary Andrews College in Sydney, Louise recently joined the ACT as Research Manager. Louise has published numerous book chapters and journal articles on disability in the gospels as well as writing on Paul and disability, inclusive theological education, sensory studies, embodiment, and the Body of Christ. Louise is currently working on a monograph on biblical studies and disability as well as continuing to write book chapters and journal articles on her areas of interest. Louise has presented conference papers at numerous national and international conferences including SBL, ISBL, ANZATS, SSEC, SCD Gospels conferences, and the Institute on Theology and Disability. Louise has also appeared on numerous podcasts including ABC Radio’s ‘Soul Search’ & ‘God Forbid’ programs, Two Cities, City Bible Forum, and Sacramental Charismatic. Louise is a member of SBL, Society for the Study of Early Christianity (SSEC), and the Centre for Gospel and Acts Research.
Rev Dr Gregory Goswell
| Academic qualifications | BSc (Med), BD, MTh, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in Biblical Studies (Old Testament), Academic Dean |
| College | Christ College |
| Research areas | Old Testament, Daniel, Biblical Paratext, Canon |
Gregory Goswell is a senior academic and researcher, a member of the faculty of Christ College Sydney and an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Tyndale Fellowship for Biblical and Theological Research, and the Fellowship of Biblical Studies, Melbourne. He is the author of several books and numerous journal articles, especially on the topics of the biblical canon and paratext. Among his publications are Ezra-Nehemiah (EP Commentary Series), Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth (with Peter H. W. Lau), and God’s Messiah: Expectations of a King Across the Old Testament (with Andrew Abernethy).
Dr G. Geoffrey Harper
| Academic qualifications | Cert(HE) theol., BTh (Hons), PhD |
| Job title | Director of Research, Lecturer in Old Testament |
| College | Sydney Missionary and Bible College |
| Research areas | Pentateuch, Leviticus, Intertextuality, Rhetorical Criticism |
G. Geoffrey Harper is Director of Research and Lecturer in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at SMBC. His primary research interests lie in the texts and function of the Pentateuch with a particular focus on the book of Leviticus. Geoff has completed theological studies in his native Ireland as well as in the UK and Australia. He has been lecturing at SMBC since 2012 where he teaches a variety of biblical and Hebrew language units as well as supervising HDR students. Geoff is a member of the ACT’s Research Committee and is coordinator of the ACT’s Old Testament Research & Scholarship Network. His publications include “I Will Walk Among You”: The Rhetorical Function of Allusion to Genesis 1–3 in the Book of Leviticus (2018), Teaching Leviticus: From Text to Message (2022), and a range of articles and essays. Geoff is currently writing a biblical theology of defilement and cleansing (IVP) as well as commentaries on Leviticus (Cascade) and Numbers (Eerdmans). Geoff is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society, the Tyndale Fellowship, and the Institute of Biblical Research, and regularly presents papers at their annual meetings
Dr Michael J. Kok
| Academic qualifications | BA, MA, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Canonical Gospels, Apocryphal Gospels, Pauline Epistles, Johannine Literature, 1 Peter, Apostolic Fathers, Patristics, Christology, Christian Identity Formation, Jewish-Christian Relations |
Michael J. Kok received a BA in Religion and Theology with a Specialization in Biblical Studies at Taylor University College, an MA in Religious Studies at the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. He served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Sheffield, The King’s University, and Taylor Seminary before taking up his current faculty position as the Lecturer in New Testament at Vose Seminary (now the Vose Campus of Morling College) in 2018. His main area of research is on the origins of Gospel literature and their reception during the Patristic period, but has also published on ancient Christian identity formation, Christology, and the so-called “Parting of the Ways” between Christianity and Judaism. His major monographs include The Gospel on the Margins: The Reception of Mark in the Second Century, The Beloved Apostle: The Transformation of the Apostle John into the Fourth Evangelist, and From Tax Collector to Gospel Writer: Patristic Traditions on the Evangelist Matthew (forthcoming).
Rev Dr Anthony R. Petterson
| Academic qualifications | BSc, BMin, BD (Hons), PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in Old Testament and Biblical Hebrew |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Book of the Twelve Prophets, Old Testament Prophets |
Anthony Petterson joined the faculty at Morling College in 2006 as a Lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. Anthony was pastor of Hornsby Heights Baptist Church from 1999-2002, and associate pastor of Grosvenor Road Baptist Church in Dublin, Ireland, from 2002-2006. During his time in Ireland, he also completed a PhD through Queen’s University Belfast.
His publications include Behold Your King: The Hope for the House of David in the Book of Zechariah (LHBOTS), a commentary on Haggai, Zechariah & Malachi (Apollos), study notes on Haggai and Zechariah for the NIV (Zondervan) Study Bible edited by Don Carson, and study notes on the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Grace and Truth Study Bible edited by Albert Mohler.
His ongoing research interest is in the Book of the Twelve Prophets, and he is currently writing a commentary on Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah for Lexham Press.
He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), the Institute for Biblical Research (IBR), and the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL).
Rev Dr Brian S. Rosner
| Academic qualifications | BA Hons, ThM, PhD |
| Job title | Principal |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | New Testament Studies, Biblical Theology, Ethics, First Corinthians, Acts, The Old Testament in the New Testament, Identity, Paul |
Brian Rosner is the principal of Ridley College, having previously lectured at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and Moore Theological College. He is a New Testament scholar of international standing, having contributed to many of the major peer-reviewed journals and supervised over a dozen PhDs. He is a member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (the international society of New Testament scholars), a member the Holman Christian Standard Bible Translation Oversight Committee, a Humboldt fellow in Germany, and is the author or editor of a dozen books, including: the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology; Paul and the Law: Keeping the Commandments of God; Greed as Idolatry: The Origin and Meaning of a Pauline Metaphor; the Pillar commentary on 1 Corinthians (with Roy E. Ciampa); and Known by God: A Biblical Theology of Personal Identity. Brian is an ordained Anglican minister and canon of St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne.
Rev Dr Andrew Sloane
| Academic qualifications | DipMin, MBBS, BTh, ThD |
| Job title | Associate Professor of Old Testament and Christian Thought |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Old Testament, hermeneutics, Psalter, ethics, bioethics, science and theology |
Andrew Sloane is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Christian Thought at Morling College, Sydney, where he has taught since 2002. Andrew qualified in medicine and practiced briefly as a doctor before training and serving as a Baptist pastor in NSW. He was Lecturer in Old Testament and Christian Thought at Ridley College 1996–2002 prior to his appointment to Morling College.
Andrew’s research focuses on interdisciplinary work in theology, including the intersections between Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible and philosophical theology and ethics, theology of medicine and bioethics, and theology of work and everyday life. He has published in philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, Old Testament ethics, bioethics, philosophy and theology of medicine, intersections between science and Christian faith, and theology of disability (esp., cognitive disability).
Andrew has successfully supervised HDR candidates in Old Testament, hermeneutics, and philosophical theology. He seeks to ensure that students integrate their understanding of the Scriptures with the riches of the Christian tradition and wise analysis of the complexities of contemporary cultures and the associated theological and ethical issues.
He is a fellow of ISCAST, a member of Tyndale Fellowship, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics.
Rev Dr David Starling
| Academic qualifications | BA, Dip Ed, BTh, BMin, MA, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament, Vice-Principal (Academic) |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | New Testament, Pauline epistles, hermeneutics, theological method, systematic theology |
David Starling is the Vice-Principal (Academic) at Morling College, where he lectures in New Testament, Hermeneutics and Greek. He is a member of scholarly societies including the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society for New Testament Studies, and also serves on the Baptist World Alliance’s Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity.
His published writings include works on hermeneutics, theological method and the theology of Christian ministry, as well as commentaries on Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Corinthians. He has served as supervisor or co-supervisor for HDR candidates exploring a wide variety of topics, including New Testament exegesis and interpretation, systematic and practical theology, and the grammar of Koine Greek.
Rev Dr Grace Tsoi
| Academic qualifications | MBBS, BTh (Hons), PhD |
| Job title | Principal and Academic Dean |
| College | Chinese Theological College Australia |
| Research areas | Old Testament Studies, Judges, narrative criticism, intertextuality, ideological criticism and contextual studies |
Grace Tsoi is the principal of Chinese Theological College Australia, where she also teaches Old Testament. She was born in Hong Kong, moved to Australia in her high school years, and has been living in between the two cultures ever since. She was called to full time ministry after completing training in medicine in UNSW, and pastored Canberra Chinese Christian Church before embarking on research in the Old Testament. Grace completed her doctorate with Prof Mark Brett at the University of Divinity, and her thesis was published as Who Is to Blame for Judges 19? Interplay between the Text and a Chinese Context. Her research interests are shaped by her passion to further understanding of Scripture in the context of the church community.
Christian Thought and History
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Rev Dr Andrew Bain
Queensland Theological College
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Rev Dr Rhys Bezzant
Ridley College
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Rev Dr Michael Bird
Ridley College
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Rev Dr Michael Brautigam
Melbourne School of Theology
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Rev Dr Mark Durie
Melbourne School of Theology
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Dr Robert Edwards
Brisbane School of Theology
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Rev Dr Scott Harrower
Ridley College
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Dr Michael J. Kok
Morling College
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Dr Jason Lam
Melbourne School of Theology
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Dr Ruth Lukabyo
Youthworks College
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Dr Edwina Murphy
ACT Office
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Rev Dr Michael D. O’Neil
Morling College
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Rev Dr Brian S. Rosner
Ridley College
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Dr Richard Shumack
Melbourne School of Theology
- Director, Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam, Melbourne School of Theology, 2015-present.
- Academic Director, Understanding and Answering Islam project, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, 2013-2020.
- Research Fellow, the Centre for Public Christianity, Sydney, 2013-2020. publicchristianity.org
- Part-time Lecturer, Queensland Theological College, 2013-present
- Adjunct Lecturer:
- Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, 2012-present
- Sydney Missionary and Bible College, 2015-present
- Ethiopian Theological College, 2021-present
- Moore Theological College, 2015-20
- Adjunct HDR Supervisor: Alphacrucis College, 2019-present
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Rev Dr Andrew Sloane
Morling College
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Rev Dr David Starling
Morling College
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Dr Nicole Starling
Morling College
Rev Dr Andrew Bain
| Academic qualifications | BEcon, BA, BD, MBA, MSt, MRes, MEd, PhD |
| Job title | Vice Principal, Lecturer in Church History & Ethics |
| College | Queensland Theological College |
| Research areas | Latin Patristics, 4th -6th Century Christian History, Enlightenment Philosophy, Practice of Christian Adult Education |
Andrew Bain has taught Church History, Christian Philosophy, and Theological Ethics at QTC full-time since 2008. He has also served as the ACT’s Head of Department for Christian Thought & History since 2017, as well as assisting with academic management and pedagogical development in the ACT and QTC for well over a decade.
Andrew completed a masters degree in history with Cambridge University and doctoral studies in history at the University of Queensland. Among his other qualifications, he also holds a research masters in philosophical ethics and was awarded the university medal in philosophy (Macquarie University), and First Class Honours degrees in both theology (Moore College) and history (UQ).
His doctoral research concentrated on how Augustine and some of his contemporaries understood the central events of the Christian message, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. He has since written on a number of topics related to the Latin patristic authors, most substantially his monograph Passion & Resurrection Narratives: Post Nicene Latin Interpretations. Andrew has also published in other areas including on Christian theological education, Kantian ethics, and selected topics within historical theology.
A qualified company director and company secretary, Andrew also serves as national Chair of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students and has assisted various other Christian ministries with governance matters for some years. He is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
Rev Dr Rhys Bezzant
| Academic qualifications | BA (Hons), MA, BTh, MTh, ThD, FRHistS |
| Job title | Senior Lecturer in Christian Thought |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | Evangelical History, Jonathan Edwards, Christian Worship, Reformation History |
Rhys is Senior Lecturer at Ridley College, where he has taught since 2004, after ministering in Anglican churches and chaplaincies in Melbourne. He directs the Jonathan Edwards Center Australia, one of eight satellites of the JEC at the Yale Divinity School, which promote the texts and teachings of the eighteenth-century revivalist. Apart from Edwards himself, his research interests focus on the history of evangelicalism broadly, the English and German Reformations, Anglican liturgy and identity, and “muscular Christianity” in late nineteenth century America. He has translated a biography of Luther and is presently translating a biography of St Francis of Assisi from German into English for Yale University Press. He has previously written Jonathan Edwards and the Church (2014) – shortlisted for the Australian Christian Book of the Year – and Edwards the Mentor (2019), both for Oxford University Press, and has edited The Global Edwards (2017) and Edwards, Germany, and Transatlantic Contexts (2022). He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Popular communication also features in his ministry, for example blogging with The Gospel Coalition Australia, and preaching for churches and campus groups. He has a passion for raising up the next generation of leaders for the worldwide church.
Rev Dr Michael Bird
| Academic qualifications | BA (Hons), BMin, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament, Academic Dean |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | New Testament, Early Church, Apostolic Fathers, Second Century Christianity, Pauline epistles, Systematic Theology |
Michael Bird is Academic Dean and Lecturer in New Testament at Ridley College. Michael grew up in Brisbane before joining the Army and serving as a paratrooper, intelligence operator, and then chaplain’s assistant. It was during his time in the military that he came to faith from a non-Christian background, and soon after felt a call to ministry. He graduated with a BMin from Malyon College (2001) and Honours and PhD from the University of Queensland (2002, 2005). Michael taught New Testament at the Highland Theological College in Scotland (2005-9) before joining Brisbane School of Theology as Lecturer in Theology (2010-12). He joined the faculty at Ridley as Lecturer in New Testament in 2013 where he has remained ever since. He is the author of 30 books, including the award-winning volumes The Gospel of Lord: How the Early Church Wrote the Story of Jesus, Evangelical Theology, and with N.T. Wright, The New Testament in its World.
Michael has supervised nine successful PhD students by people from all over the world, with topics as diverse as Arabic manuscripts of John’s Gospel, to Trinitarian theology in Revelation, to a study of the Colossian “heresy.” He is keen to supervise anyone with a good thesis topic in New Testament, Systematic Theology, and second-century Christianity.
Rev Dr Michael Brautigam
| Academic qualifications | BA, MTh, Dipl.-Psych., PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in Theology, Psychology, and Church History, Director of Centre for Theology & Psychology |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Systematic Theology, Christology, German Protestant Theology, Adolf Schlatter, Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Jonathan Edwards, Dutch Neo-Calvinism, Discipleship, Psychology, Counselling, Pastoral Care, Spiritual Formation |
Michael Bräutigam studied psychology in Germany (University of Trier) and theology in Scotland (University of Edinburgh). He currently teaches both disciplines at the Melbourne School of Theology/Eastern College Australia, and his objective is to integrate them in a more effective way to equip believers in their various ministries. Michael has established the Centre for Theology and Psychology at MST/Eastern College, currently serving as its Director. He is an ordained minister with the Free Church of Scotland, serving as co–pastor at Wattle Park Chapel, Melbourne. Michael has authored Union with Christ: Adolf Schlatter’s Relational Christology (2015) and Flourishing in Tensions: Embracing Radical Discipleship (2022).
Rev Dr Mark Durie
| Academic qualifications | DipTh, BA, BTh, PhD, ThD, FAHA |
| Job title | Senior Research Fellow |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Islamics, Deliverance, Mission, Discipleship |
Mark Durie is a Senior Research Fellow with the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam, at Melbourne School of Theology. He holds a PhD in Linguistics from the Australian National University, and a ThD in Qur’anic Theology from the Australian College of Theology. Mark has held visiting appointments at the University of Leiden, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz and Stanford. At the University of Melbourne he served as head of the Department of Linguistics and Language Studies, and was awarded a 5 year ARC Senior Research Fellowship. He was elected a member of the Academy of Humanities in 1992. From 1999 to 2019 he served as an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Melbourne. These days he conducts research and teaches in a wide range of areas, including Islamic studies, missiology, interfaith relations, translation, and the theology of discipleship, deliverance and spiritual warfare. Mark has written several books on Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.
Dr Robert Edwards
| Academic qualifications | BA, MA, PhD |
| Job title | Director of Postgraduate Studies, Lecturer in Christian Thought and History |
| College | Brisbane School of Theology |
| Research areas | Patristics, John Chrysostom, historical theology, history of biblical interpretation |
Robert Edwards has been Director of Postgraduate Studies and Lecturer in Christian Thought and History at Brisbane School of Theology since September 2023.
Born and raised in Canada, he studied in Vancouver (UBC) for a bachelor’s degree in ancient history and in Toronto (Wycliffe College) for a master’s degree in biblical studies. He moved to the USA for his doctoral studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he wrote on John Chrysostom’s theology of providence. This research was published as Providence and Narrative in the Theology of John Chrysostom (Cambridge UP, 2022), which was awarded the Manfred Lautenschlaeger award for Theology Promise in 2023. Following his PhD, he lectured at the University of Notre Dame and then moved to Germany for a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Göttingen. He has published numerous articles and essays on a wide range of topics in early Christianity and has two forthcoming book-length translations of previously untranslated works of John Chrysostom. His current research centres on early Christian preaching and liturgy, but he is broadly interested in patristics, historical theology, and the long histories of Christian preaching, exegesis, and worship.
He welcomes inquiries from potential PhD students in areas including early Christianity (patristics), historical theology, and church history.
Rev Dr Scott Harrower
| Academic qualifications | DipSp, B.HSci, MDiv, GradDip, MTh, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in Theology, History, Ethics, Apologetics, Mental Health |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | Trinitarian Theology, Early Church History, Medieval History, Hagiography, Comparative Religion |
Scott Harrower is a lecturer at Ridley College, in Melbourne, Australia. The majority of his role is taken up with teaching graduate as well as undergraduate courses in history, theology and ethics. He is also an active student mentor. Research supervision is important to his work, and he supervises PhD and Research Masters theses in the areas of history, intellectual history and systematic theology.
His own research has resulted in a number of monographs on the integration between theology and psychological science: including God of All Comfort: A Trinitarian Response to the Horrors of this World (2019) and Dawn of Sunday: Trinity and Trauma Safe Churches (2022), in addition to a number of articles and entries in peer-reviewed journals and dictionaries. Editing research volumes including The Cambridge Companion to the Apostolic Fathers (2021) is also a key aspect of Scott’s contributions to scholarship. Spanish as well as English language presentations at workshops, conferences and seminaries aid the dissemination of his research and writing. His current research includes Spanish language participation in research projects coordinated by the Universities of Montevideo, Austral University Argentina, and the Catholic University of Chile.
Dr Michael J. Kok
| Academic qualifications | BA, MA, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Canonical Gospels, Apocryphal Gospels, Pauline Epistles, Johannine Literature, 1 Peter, Apostolic Fathers, Patristics, Christology, Christian Identity Formation, Jewish-Christian Relations |
Michael J. Kok received a BA in Religion and Theology with a Specialization in Biblical Studies at Taylor University College, an MA in Religious Studies at the University of Alberta, and a PhD in Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. He served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Sheffield, The King’s University, and Taylor Seminary before taking up his current faculty position as the Lecturer in New Testament at Vose Seminary (now the Vose Campus of Morling College) in 2018. His main area of research is on the origins of Gospel literature and their reception during the Patristic period, but has also published on ancient Christian identity formation, Christology, and the so-called “Parting of the Ways” between Christianity and Judaism. His major monographs include The Gospel on the Margins: The Reception of Mark in the Second Century, The Beloved Apostle: The Transformation of the Apostle John into the Fourth Evangelist, and From Tax Collector to Gospel Writer: Patristic Traditions on the Evangelist Matthew (forthcoming).
Dr Jason Lam
| Academic qualifications | BEng, DipCS, MBS, MDiv, PhD |
| Job title | Senior Lecturer in Christian Thought, ACT Senior Research Fellow |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Modern Theology, Theological Hermeneutics, Contextual Theology |
Jason Lam was born and grew up in Hong Kong. After completing his doctorate in the philosophy and theology of Paul Ricoeur at the University of Cambridge, he has been conducting interdisciplinary research in the East Asian context over a decade before joining Melbourne School of Theology in 2019. He is now senior lecturer in Christian thoughts, senior research fellow of the Australian College of Theology, and holds a professorship and a fellowship from different institutions in Hong Kong and PRC. He endeavours to bring the scriptures, philosophy, and contextual issues together for theological reflection. He has published widely in hermeneutics and modern theology and has been deeply involved in the theological movement called Sino-Christian theology. His recent books include Moltmann and China: Theological Encounters from Hong Kong to Beijing (Brill, forthcoming), Sino-Christian Theology: A Theological qua Cultural Movement in Contemporary China (Peter Lang, 2010), and is working on projects related to Bonhoeffer’s life and thought and biblical hermeneutics in the Chinese context.
Dr Ruth Lukabyo
| Academic qualifications | BA (hons), BTh (hons), Dip Min, PhD |
| Job title | Dean of Women, Lecturer in Church History, Dean of Youthworks Institute |
| College | Youthworks |
| Research areas | Youth ministry, Evangelical history, Practical Theology |
Ruth Lukabyo is passionate about research and writing in two key areas: the history of children’s and youth ministry and the broader picture of Australian evangelical history. She has been involved in the theological education of children’s and youth ministers for almost 20 years and is interested in the practical implications of research for ministry practice. She also has an interest in the disciplines of practical theology, educational studies, and sociology. She believes that research should help the church practice evidence-based, theologically robust, effective ministry to young people.
Ruth is on the executive committee of the regional ANZAC International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry. She is on the executive committee of the Evangelical History Association and assistant editor of its journal, Lucas. She is the manager of the Youthworks Institute which has been established to produce research for effective children’s and youth ministry. She is the author of the book From a Ministry for Youth to a Ministry of Youth; Aspects of Protestant Youth Ministry in Sydney 1930-1959.
Dr Edwina Murphy
| Academic qualifications | BEc, BMin, MTh, PhD |
| Job title | Deputy Dean and Director of Research |
| College | ACT Office |
| Research areas | Early North African Christianity, Latin Fathers, Cyprian of Carthage, Reception of Scripture |
Dr Edwina Murphy joined the ACT in February 2022 as Deputy Dean and Director of Research. Prior to that she was Director of Research and Senior Lecturer in Christian Thought and History at Morling College. Her research interests revolve around Cyprian, a third-century bishop, and how the early church interpreted scripture.
Edwina’s recent publications include The Bishop and the Apostle: Cyprian’s Pastoral Exegesis of Paul, Deacons and Diakonia in Early Christianity (edited with Bart Koet and Esko Ryökäs), and The Gender Conversation (edited with David Starling). She has also published many peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as a devotional, Ancient Wisdom Living Hope, and an e-book, The Procrastinator’s Guide to a PhD.
Edwina is actively engaged in the international scholarly community. She is co-chair of the Contextualizing North African Christianity section (Society of Biblical Literature) and is a member of the Council of the International Association of Patristic Studies, as well as the National Correspondent for Australia. She also serves on several editorial boards.
Rev Dr Michael D. O’Neil
| Academic qualifications | BTh, MTh (Hons), PhD |
| Job title | Dean of Campus, Lecturer in Christian Thought and History |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Karl Barth, Modern Theology, Ecclesiology, Christian Life and Ethics |
Michael has been teaching Christian Thought and History at Morling College (Perth Vose Campus, formerly Vose Seminary) since 2010. His PhD from Murdoch University (2008) explored the moral thought of the early Karl Barth and was subsequently published in the Paternoster Theological Monograph series, Church as Moral Community: Karl Barth’s Vision of Christian Life, 1915-1922 (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2013).
Rev Dr Brian S. Rosner
| Academic qualifications | BA Hons, ThM, PhD |
| Job title | Principal |
| College | Ridley College |
| Research areas | New Testament Studies, Biblical Theology, Ethics, First Corinthians, Acts, The Old Testament in the New Testament, Identity, Paul |
Brian Rosner is the principal of Ridley College, having previously lectured at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and Moore Theological College. He is a New Testament scholar of international standing, having contributed to many of the major peer-reviewed journals and supervised over a dozen PhDs. He is a member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (the international society of New Testament scholars), a member the Holman Christian Standard Bible Translation Oversight Committee, a Humboldt fellow in Germany, and is the author or editor of a dozen books, including: the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology; Paul and the Law: Keeping the Commandments of God; Greed as Idolatry: The Origin and Meaning of a Pauline Metaphor; the Pillar commentary on 1 Corinthians (with Roy E. Ciampa); and Known by God: A Biblical Theology of Personal Identity. Brian is an ordained Anglican minister and canon of St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne.
Dr Richard Shumack
| Academic qualifications | BEc, BMin, MTh, PhD |
| Job title | Director Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam (MST), Missiologist (QTC) |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Philosophy of Religion, Missiology, Epistemology, Islamic Studies |
My research interests developed out of my ministry experience in Muslim contexts. Seeking to understand how Muslims thought, and why Christian/Muslim engagement is so often fraught with disconnection, I explore questions of belief formation and sustenance, worldview and the place of reason in faith and apologetics. My specific research interests include: Philosophical Theology (Knowledge of God, Trinitarian theology, Christology, contemporary and classical natural theology, classical and contemporary Islamic philosophical theology, Philosophical Apologetics); Missiology ( contextualization, worldview formation and reflection, ethnicity and place, trinitarian missiology, Christianity in the public square) and Ethics: meta-ethics, belief ethics, environmental ethics, sport ethics.
I have taught and researched in a variety of institutions and projects including:
I am a published member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society.
Rev Dr Andrew Sloane
| Academic qualifications | DipMin, MBBS, BTh, ThD |
| Job title | Associate Professor of Old Testament and Christian Thought |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Old Testament, hermeneutics, Psalter, ethics, bioethics, science and theology |
Andrew Sloane is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Christian Thought at Morling College, Sydney, where he has taught since 2002. Andrew qualified in medicine and practiced briefly as a doctor before training and serving as a Baptist pastor in NSW. He was Lecturer in Old Testament and Christian Thought at Ridley College 1996–2002 prior to his appointment to Morling College.
Andrew’s research focuses on interdisciplinary work in theology, including the intersections between Old Testament/ Hebrew Bible and philosophical theology and ethics, theology of medicine and bioethics, and theology of work and everyday life. He has published in philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, Old Testament ethics, bioethics, philosophy and theology of medicine, intersections between science and Christian faith, and theology of disability (esp., cognitive disability).
Andrew has successfully supervised HDR candidates in Old Testament, hermeneutics, and philosophical theology. He seeks to ensure that students integrate their understanding of the Scriptures with the riches of the Christian tradition and wise analysis of the complexities of contemporary cultures and the associated theological and ethical issues.
He is a fellow of ISCAST, a member of Tyndale Fellowship, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics.
Rev Dr David Starling
| Academic qualifications | BA, Dip Ed, BTh, BMin, MA, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in New Testament, Vice-Principal (Academic) |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | New Testament, Pauline epistles, hermeneutics, theological method, systematic theology |
David Starling is the Vice-Principal (Academic) at Morling College, where he lectures in New Testament, Hermeneutics and Greek. He is a member of scholarly societies including the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society and the Society for New Testament Studies, and also serves on the Baptist World Alliance’s Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity.
His published writings include works on hermeneutics, theological method and the theology of Christian ministry, as well as commentaries on Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Corinthians. He has served as supervisor or co-supervisor for HDR candidates exploring a wide variety of topics, including New Testament exegesis and interpretation, systematic and practical theology, and the grammar of Koine Greek.
Dr Nicole Starling
| Academic qualifications | BA/LLB, MA(CS), MRes, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in Christian History, Academic Dean |
| College | Morling College |
| Research areas | Evangelical history, Australian history, Baptist history, 19th century Christian history, biographical research |
Nicole Starling is the Academic Dean and Lecturer in Christian History at Morling College. She competed her doctorate and a subsequent post-doctoral fellowship at Macquarie University, focusing on the beliefs and ideas that were influential within the temperance movement in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Australia. Her research is focussed on the history of evangelicalism, Christian social activism, women in Christian history and the church in Australia. Nicole is on the executive committee of the Evangelical History Association and is the editor of its journal, Lucas. She also serves as the Vice President of the NSW Baptist Historical Society. Her first book, Evangelical Belief and Enlightenment Morality in the Australian Temperance Movement: 1832-1930, was published in 2024 as part of the Routledge “Studies in Evangelicalism” series.
Ministry and Practice
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Rev Dr Mark Durie
Melbourne School of Theology
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Dr Louise Gosbell
Australian College of Theology
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Rev Dr Ian Hussey
Malyon Theological College
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Dr Ruth Lukabyo
Youthworks College
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Prof Peter G. Riddell
Melbourne School of Theology
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Dr Richard Shumack
Melbourne School of Theology
- Director, Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam, Melbourne School of Theology, 2015-present.
- Academic Director, Understanding and Answering Islam project, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, 2013-2020.
- Research Fellow, the Centre for Public Christianity, Sydney, 2013-2020. publicchristianity.org
- Part-time Lecturer, Queensland Theological College, 2013-present
- Adjunct Lecturer:
- Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, 2012-present
- Sydney Missionary and Bible College, 2015-present
- Ethiopian Theological College, 2021-present
- Moore Theological College, 2015-20
- Adjunct HDR Supervisor: Alphacrucis College, 2019-present
Rev Dr Mark Durie
| Academic qualifications | DipTh, BA, BTh, PhD, ThD, FAHA |
| Job title | Senior Research Fellow |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Islamics, Deliverance, Mission, Discipleship |
Mark Durie is a Senior Research Fellow with the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam, at Melbourne School of Theology. He holds a PhD in Linguistics from the Australian National University, and a ThD in Qur’anic Theology from the Australian College of Theology. Mark has held visiting appointments at the University of Leiden, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UCLA, UC Santa Cruz and Stanford. At the University of Melbourne he served as head of the Department of Linguistics and Language Studies, and was awarded a 5 year ARC Senior Research Fellowship. He was elected a member of the Academy of Humanities in 1992. From 1999 to 2019 he served as an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Melbourne. These days he conducts research and teaches in a wide range of areas, including Islamic studies, missiology, interfaith relations, translation, and the theology of discipleship, deliverance and spiritual warfare. Mark has written several books on Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.
Dr Louise Gosbell
| Academic qualifications | PhD; MTh (Hons); BTh; GradCert Disability Policy; Cert IV Creative & Practical Ministries; Certificate of Ministry |
| Job title | Research Manager |
| College | ACT Office |
| Research areas | Gospels, disability studies, embodiment, sensory studies, health care in the ancient world, inclusive theological education |
Louise completed her undergraduate qualifications in ministry and theology at Excelsia College in Sydney (formerly Wesley Institute) and her PhD in ancient history (New Testament) was completed at Macquarie University. Louise’s PhD on disability in the gospels was published by German publisher Mohr Siebeck in 2018. After 11 years serving in various roles at Mary Andrews College in Sydney, Louise recently joined the ACT as Research Manager. Louise has published numerous book chapters and journal articles on disability in the gospels as well as writing on Paul and disability, inclusive theological education, sensory studies, embodiment, and the Body of Christ. Louise is currently working on a monograph on biblical studies and disability as well as continuing to write book chapters and journal articles on her areas of interest. Louise has presented conference papers at numerous national and international conferences including SBL, ISBL, ANZATS, SSEC, SCD Gospels conferences, and the Institute on Theology and Disability. Louise has also appeared on numerous podcasts including ABC Radio’s ‘Soul Search’ & ‘God Forbid’ programs, Two Cities, City Bible Forum, and Sacramental Charismatic. Louise is a member of SBL, Society for the Study of Early Christianity (SSEC), and the Centre for Gospel and Acts Research.
Rev Dr Ian Hussey
| Academic qualifications | DipEd, BSc, BTh (Hons), MMgt, MTh, PhD |
| Job title | Lecturer in Ministry and Practice, Director of Postgraduate Studies |
| College | Malyon Theological College |
| Research areas | Homiletics, ministry and practice, Christian life, church vitality, church and workplace leadership |
Between 1993 and 2010 Ian Hussey was solo/Senior Pastor of a Baptist church in Brisbane during which time the church grew from 35 to 500 people, including people of 15 different nationalities. Ian commenced at Malyon College in 2011 and is the Director of Postgraduate Studies. He has taught preaching, pastoral leadership, research methods, and New Testament survey. Ian is also the Regional Minister for the Metro-Central region of Queensland Baptists. He has degrees in science, education, theology, and management. Ian’s MTh was on “The soteriological use of kaleo by Luke and Paul” and his PhD was on the topic: “The engagement of newcomers in church attendance.” He has published in the Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society, Ecclesial Practices and the International Journal of Practical Theology. Ian was also the editor of Preaching with an Accent: Biblical Genres for Australian Congregations. He is a member of the Academy of Religious Leadership and the Australasian Academy of Homiletics. Ian supervises doctoral students researching topics related to preaching, church vitality, and discipleship.
Dr Ruth Lukabyo
| Academic qualifications | BA (hons), BTh (hons), Dip Min, PhD |
| Job title | Dean of Women, Lecturer in Church History, Dean of Youthworks Institute |
| College | Youthworks |
| Research areas | Youth ministry, Evangelical history, Practical Theology |
Ruth Lukabyo is passionate about research and writing in two key areas: the history of children’s and youth ministry and the broader picture of Australian evangelical history. She has been involved in the theological education of children’s and youth ministers for almost 20 years and is interested in the practical implications of research for ministry practice. She also has an interest in the disciplines of practical theology, educational studies, and sociology. She believes that research should help the church practice evidence-based, theologically robust, effective ministry to young people.
Ruth is on the executive committee of the regional ANZAC International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry. She is on the executive committee of the Evangelical History Association and assistant editor of its journal, Lucas. She is the manager of the Youthworks Institute which has been established to produce research for effective children’s and youth ministry. She is the author of the book From a Ministry for Youth to a Ministry of Youth; Aspects of Protestant Youth Ministry in Sydney 1930-1959.
Prof Peter G. Riddell
| Academic qualifications | BA, DipEd, GradDipDiv, PhD |
| Job title | Senior Research Fellow |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Islamic Studies |
Peter G. Riddell is Senior Research Fellow of the Australian College of Theology and Professorial Research Associate in History at SOAS University of London. He is a Fellow of both the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).
He has previously taught at the Australian National University, IPB University (Indonesia), the London School of Oriental and African Studies, and London School of Theology, where he served from 1996-2007 as the founding Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations and Professor of Islamic Studies. From 2008-2019 he served at Melbourne School of Theology, first as Director of the Centre for the Study of Islam and other Faiths and from 2012 as Vice Principal Academic. He was invited as visiting fellow at L’Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes/Sorbonne (Paris) in May/June, 2015.
Professor Riddell has published widely on Southeast Asia, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. His books include Transferring a Tradition (Berkeley, Centers for South and Southeast Asian Studies, Univ. California, 1990); Islam and the Malay-Indonesian World: Transmission and Responses (London, Hurst, 2001); and Malay Court Religion, Culture and Language: Interpreting the Qur’an in 17th Century Aceh (Leiden, Brill, 2017).
Dr Richard Shumack
| Academic qualifications | BEc, BMin, MTh, PhD |
| Job title | Director Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam (MST), Missiologist (QTC) |
| College | Melbourne School of Theology |
| Research areas | Philosophy of Religion, Missiology, Epistemology, Islamic Studies |
My research interests developed out of my ministry experience in Muslim contexts. Seeking to understand how Muslims thought, and why Christian/Muslim engagement is so often fraught with disconnection, I explore questions of belief formation and sustenance, worldview and the place of reason in faith and apologetics. My specific research interests include: Philosophical Theology (Knowledge of God, Trinitarian theology, Christology, contemporary and classical natural theology, classical and contemporary Islamic philosophical theology, Philosophical Apologetics); Missiology ( contextualization, worldview formation and reflection, ethnicity and place, trinitarian missiology, Christianity in the public square) and Ethics: meta-ethics, belief ethics, environmental ethics, sport ethics.
I have taught and researched in a variety of institutions and projects including:
I am a published member of the Evangelical Philosophical Society.