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You are invited to participate in the 2018 Australian New Zealand Association of Theological Schools conference

May 22, 2017 10:02 am / Leave a comment

Planning is well underway for the 2018 conference of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools in Brisbane, hosted by the Brisbane branch of Australian New Zealand Association of Theological Schools and the theological colleges in Brisbane

The 2018 conference will be held at Emmanuel College on University of Queensland campus from Sunday evening 1st July with the main presentations on Monday 2nd July to Wednesday 4 July 2018.

The theme is ‘sacrifice’ but special interest groups and presentations relating to any area of theology and theological education are able to be presented.

The main speaker at the conference will be Professor Andrew McGowan from Yale, a former Australian.

His topic will be “Inventing Sacrifice: Gift, Ritual and Violence in the Bible and Christian Theology.”

Abstract: “Sacrifice has variously been seen as essential to religion, as superseded ritual, or as ethical prescription. Theorists of sacrifice from J. G. Frazer to Rene Girard have mined Christian as well as other sources to elucidate human social practices on the one hand, and Christian belief on the other. The very idea of “Sacrifice” in all these cases however, as a ritualization of altruistic violence, deserves more scrutiny. Andrew McGowan will explore biblical and early Christian texts to offer an alternative story of the origins of “sacrifice” in the usual sense, not as a cross-cultural or universal phenomenon but as a specific outgrowth of early Christian theology and of on the person of Jesus.”

The three main sessions each morning will be:

1. Inventing Sacrifice: Leviticus, the Septuagint and the origins of Sacrificial Theory

2. Jesus and Sacrifice: Temple and Cross

3. Eucharist and Sacrifice: A Theology of Gift

The second speaker is Frank Macchia who teaches Theology and Church History at Vanguard University. He is editor, of PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. He is available as he is in Australia on that date.

His topic title is – Baptized in the Spirit and Fire: A Reflection on Luke’s Pneumatological Theology of Atonement

Abstract

“John the Baptist’s announcement concerning the one who will baptize in the “Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16) has far-reaching implications in Luke’s Gospel for the Spirit’s work throughout Jesus’ sojourn to the cross and beyond. Jesus will baptize in the Spirit-and-fire as the one who himself bears the Spirit. But in Luke, he bears the fire too. The question that can be posed to this tradition is what the “baptism in fire” might be. Luke depicts Christ as the one who will kindle a fire upon the earth (Luke 12:49-59). Christ refers to the “baptism” of his own death in this context as well (12:50). Luke invites us to explore the relationship between Christ’s death and his larger baptizing in the Spirit-and-fire. Luke offers us resources for a pneumatological theology of atonement, in which Jesus bears the baptism of his death, the baptism in fire, in order to open the life of the Spirit to those who bind themselves to him in hope (Acts 2:21). In the light of this pneumatological theology of atonement, one is expected to pass at baptism through the Messianic fire to the Messianic life in the Spirit.”

A number of special interest groups are planned, including

Lukan Scholarship. Please address submissions to the convenor of this forum, Dr Sarah Harris (Sarah.harris@carey.ac.nz)

Learning and Teaching Theology. Please address submissions to the convenor of this forum, Dr John Capper (jcapper@divinity.edu.au)

Barth Studies. The theme for this forum is “Reading Romans with Karl Barth.” Please address submissions to the convenor of this forum, Dr Michael O’Neil (Michael.ONeil@vose.edu.au)

Missional leadership and other issues in practical theology, The coordinator is Dr Darren Cronshaw, (dcronshaw@acom.edu.au)

Further special interest groups may be planned where sufficient interest is shown.

The registration cost for the 2018 conference will be students $250, early bird $295 and the normal fee is $350

An additional cost of $85 is needed for the Tuesday evening formal dinner.

Accommodation is available at Emmanuel College for $95 a night including meals.

Other accommodation is also available nearby.

There is a need for further members in the planning committee, volunteers to assist with preparation for the conference, and to help with the conference itself, and sponsors to help with financial support for the conference.

Please contact Sam Hey shey@citipointechurch.com or Bruce Allder ballder@ntc.edu.au or one of the other representatives of Brisbane ANZATS or the national ANZATS if you are able to assist.

The formal dinner will be on Tuesday evening 3 July. The dinner address will be given by Dr Ben Myers.

A 2018 one day student conference is also being planned on the Friday before the main ANZATS conference to be held at Trinity College, Toowong. See Dr Janice McRandal for details. Janice.McRandal@trinity.qld.edu.au

A Sunday evening presentation is being planned to be delivered by Dr Andrew McGowan at the Cathedral in Brisbane. See Dr Peter Kline for details. pkline@ministryeducation.org.au

Many of us are looking forward to the 2017 ANZATS conference in Adelaide in July.

This will held at the Australian Lutheran College in North Adelaide from Sunday afternoon 9 July until Wednesday lunchtime 12 July. The main theme is Kinship and Family in contemporary Australia and New Zealand. The keynote speakers are Dr Lynn Cohick, Wheaton College – Dr Stephen Barton, University of Durham. The conference is hosted by South Australia’s theological colleges at Australian Lutheran College, 104 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide. A number of special interest themes including learning and teaching theology, Karl Barth studies, and Lukan Studies are planned.

To register for the 2017 conference in Adelaide please go to http://anzats.edu.au/conferences.html

Kind regards

Friday May 12 – UQ Studies in Religion Seminars – Sam Hey. Finding Purpose amid Claims of a Purposeless Universe? – Dean Smith & Rob Fringer. ‘Academic Freedom and Ecclesial Expectations’

May 4, 2017 1:24 pm / Leave a comment

Friday May 12 – UQ Studies in Religion Seminars – School of Historical & Philosophical Inquiry – The University of Queensland

Friday May 12, 2017, 2pm-4pm
Room W349 in Forgan Smith Building (No. 1)

Sam Hey. ‘Finding Purpose amid Claims of a Purposeless Universe?’ While humans appear to have an innate drive to find purpose in the universe, many scientific discoveries including those of physics and cosmology, the huge age and size of the universe, biological natural selection theories, and the rise of post-modern approaches to the social sciences have challenged traditional Christian claims that the universe was created by a personal God who has an interest in and purpose for the creation. At the same time, the writings of many philosophers from the time of Plato to Aquinas, and more recent scholars like George Ellis, point to the sense of order and beauty in mathematical, ethical, and relational realities that appear to predate a material universe. Many contend this offers support for Christian claims of the involvement of a personal, purposeful God in a providential universe.

Dean Smith & Rob Fringer. ‘Exploring the Nexus between Academic Freedom and Ecclesial Expectations’.
Most denominational ministry training today is carried out in a higher education context. Such a context requires college leaders to adhere to a policy on academic freedom. Faculty and students must be able to enjoy the freedom to explore ideas even if those ideas do not align with a denomination’s confessional stance. While the idea of academic freedom is mostly encouraged in theological colleges,
anecdotal evidence suggests that there can be points of tension where the desire to uphold academic freedom clashes with ecclesial expectations that candidates for ministry be strongly formed in a confessional ethos. In this paper, we suggest that confessional formation and training need not be at odds with a policy of academic freedom. Rather, this tension, if embraced, can provide a space for deeper
formation and commitment to one’s denominational distinctives.

Sam_Dean_Rob_Seminar_May_2017 (1)

Registrations are now open for the 2017 ANZATS Conference

May 1, 2017 8:37 am / Leave a comment

Registrations are now open for the 2017 ANZATS Conference

Sunday 9 July to Wednesday 12 July, 2017
The main theme is Kinship and Family in contemporary Australia and New Zealand

Keynote speakers – Dr Lynn Cohick, Wheaton College – Dr Stephen Barton, University of Durham

Hosted by South Australia’s theological colleges at Australian Lutheran College, 104 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide.
Registration and further details can be found at https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1972512