Members of ANZATS, NZATS and the theological and wider academic communities to submit a proposal for papers at the 4 to 7 July 2021 ANZATS conference in Perth WA on the conference theme of Theological Ethics, and other topics related to all theological disciplines, and specific streams including Lukan Scholarship, Barth Studies, Apocalyptic Literature, Studies In Worship And Liturgy, New And Emerging Scholars, World Christianity and Diaspora Theology, Epistles, Theology, Theology ethics and economics and Theological Anthropology. .. chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://anzats.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ANZATS-Conference-2021-Call-for-Papers-revised.pdf

This is an engaging history of the doctrine of election that is easy to read and is not laden with technical jargon. Lindsay does a great job of summarizing the complicated doctrine of election that has developed substantially over thousands of years, and he does so in under 250 pages… https://postbarthian.com/2020/12/21/review-mark-r-lindsays-god-has-chosen-the-doctrine-of-election-through-christian-history/

They are looking for an enthusiastic ambassador for study of the Bible, with a track record of discipling men and women in New Testament studies; a gifted teacher and trainer, with suitable experience and academic qualifications; an empowering and effective people-manager and team player; Having a strong and growing relationship with the Lord. To view the full position description please click here. chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.smbc.edu.au/files/Position_Description_SMBC_New_Testament_Lecturer_v1.0.pdf Find out more at https://www.smbc.edu.au/jobs Please send your expression of interest and/or resume to jobs@smbc.edu.au Applications close 31 January, 2021.

Rev Assoc Professor Graham Joseph Hill, Director of Research and Principal at Stirling Theological College (University of Divinity) offers a biblical and passionate call for women to be released to teach, to lead, to preach, to serve, to pastor, and to minister in every area of the church. He outlines the biblical vision for women in ministry and leadership. “Women have played significant roles in ministry and leadership throughout the history of the church and the pages of the Bible. Today, women make up more than half the church, and do much of the mission, ministry, and discipleship in the life of the church. But women have often been held back from ministry roles.” You can watch videos related to this publication at https://grahamjosephhill.com/holding-up-half-the-sky/

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Associate Professor Katharine Massam, Academic Dean at Pilgrim Theological College, describes -Why storytelling matters in research in this University of Divinity article. Good research always has a story to tell, and the best research invites us into that story, gripping our interest with the urgency or subtlety of the questions at stake. Research matters because it enables us to ask more compelling questions and tell richer stories in response.Find out more at https://vox.divinity.edu.au/opinion/why-research-matters-storytelling/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare and https://www.routledge.com/Research-Through-With-and-As-Storying/Phillips-Bunda/p/book/9780367607234

In the sermon preached at St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 24 December 2020 by Rev. Dr Samuel Wells, the vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, writes, “There’s nothing more mysterious than the wonder of conception, the gradual shaping of a baby in the womb, and then the agony and ecstasy of birth. The vulnerability and the fragility of a helpless baby, give us a remarkable insight into the unique wonder of Christianity. At the incarnation, God’s desire to be our companion was so deep that it involved coming among us as a human being. How vulnerable. God becomes flesh as the most vulnerable little person imaginable, at the mercy of inexperienced parents, clumsy animals, dangerous buildings, hostile rulers. If this was a masterplan to fix the world and set everything right, you’ve got to say the risk register was full to bursting.There are a hundred ways it could all have gone wrong. we still picture God as elderly, wise, bearded, white-robed, a bit gruff, and stuck to a gilded ceiling. And what the Christmas story shows us is a God who is none of those things. In a revelation of the grace and love of God, He says, “I’m a helpless baby before your eyes.” You can read the full sermon at https://www.abc.net.au/religion/samuel-wells-christmas-god-in-our-hands/13012464

Gordon Lynch, Michael Ramsey Professor of Modern Theology has just finished his AHRC Leadership Fellows award on the history of UK child migration schemes to Australia. The article identifies six systemic failures in this work relating both to organisational processes and the institutional conditions to which child migrants were sent. It goes on to argue that these occurred in a framework of religious legitimation which emphasised the unique role of the church as a mediator of salvation, the need to safeguard children’s faith, the child as a member of a corporate body more than as an individual and the relative moral authority of the church over secular institutions. There are many valuable lessons to be learnt from this study. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-9809.12686?af=R

DOES GOD EXIST? Contemporary atheists, are far from the first to wonder about this question. Ancient philosophers and Abrahamic believers have grappled with the weighing of evidence in one form or another for centuries. Christians often use the term “natural theology” to describe this task. N. T. Wright’s History and Eschatology – Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology 2019 Baylor University Press addresses some of the strengths and weaknesses of approaches to natural theology in the Enlightenment and Christian theology. The Enlightenment is critiqued by wright for its excessive skepticism and the uncoupling of “religion” from human character and affairs. The Christian tradition is also critiqued for largely abandoning the essentially Jewish character of their faith tradition. Brad East’s review of this book shows how Wright seeks to move beyond the limits of some of these approaches to natural theology, to restore an epistemology closer to enlightenment and Christian hopes and an “epistemology of love, a mode of human inquiry that forgoes detachment and seeks, in delight, to understand what is truly other than oneself.” https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-jesus-of-history-and-the-gods-of-natural-theology/

ATF Press Publishing Group is an Australian-based independent publisher with an international reach. Titles focus on ethical and social issues, including the environment, science, space exploration, art and religion. ATF Press Publishing is offering a $2000 book prize for books published between 2015 and 2020 in Australia or by an overseas publisher – where the book has made a significant contribution to the field, Has been well received by the Acadamy in reviews in peer reviewed academic journals. and Is a well written scholarly work. … https://atfpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Book-Prize-Brochure-2.pdf…. https://atfpress.com/

Mandy Smith asked an important question a few weeks back – What grants are available for Christians and organizations in Australia? The gospel future fund offers a number of grants https://gospelfuturefund.com.au/ and Genesis has ministry grants http://genesisfoundation.org.au/ministry-grants/ More broadly, the Australian government publishes a list of grants https://www.grants.gov.au/Go/List The grants hub is useful https://www.thegrantshub.com.au/ as is the list of community grants https://www.communitygrants.gov.au/grants You may be able to suggest some more.

See https://gospelfuturefund.com.au/