In this video we interview Doug Rowston, longstanding lecturer in New Testament for SBC. We discuss his studies, teaching, ministry and writing career, as well as lessons that he’s learned from these....
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read moreEarth @ Peace is a landmark conference that will connect global dialogue on how we can address the ethical imperative of our time: A Just and Ecologically Sustainable Peace This conference is being held in Melbourne at Pilgrim Theological College from 23 – 24 April, 2019. For more details, check out this brochure and … Continue reading "Earth @ Peace: A Landmark Conference"...
read moreRecently Doug Rowston, one of St Barnabas College’s longstanding faculty members, released Things that Jesus Did, a follow up book to Things that Jesus Said Things that Jesus Did: Miracles of the Kingdom and Signs of Eternal Life, is a rather short text (weighing in at 178 pages), structured as a series of short … Continue reading "Things That Jesus Did: By Doug Rowston"...
read moreSt Barnabas College invites all staff, students, council members, adjunct lecturers, volunteers and their respective families to attend its annual end of year dinner. This will be a great opportunity to unwind together over a meal in a light-hearted setting. So come along and celebrate the end of the academic year with family, friends. … Continue reading "End of Year Dinner"...
read moreThe next upcoming joint postgraduate seminar is being hosted here at SBC on October 29th, with presentations from The Rev’d Ruth Mathieson, The Rev’d Mark Thomas and The Rev’d Dr Don Owers. This is an event you will not want to miss!...
read moreContinuing our series of interviews with various members of the SBC community, this week I have interviewed our Academic Administrator and Adjunct New Testament Studies Lecturer, Damian Szepessy, discussing his role at the college and his PhD Studies with us. Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Damian – I recognise that we have … Continue reading "Interview with the Academic Administrator"...
read moreAfter the silence: Reflections on Poetry, Art and Spirituality Join us for us for After the silence: Reflections on Poetry, Art and Spirituality – joint discussions with visiting artist Fiona Harris, and published poets Dawn Colsey, Steve Daughtry, Liam Grant, Rory Harris, Peach Klimkiewicz and Ann Nadge. All welcome at St Columba’s Anglican Church, Corner of … Continue reading "Columba Crossroads – After the silence"...
read moreContinuing our series of interviews with various members of the SBC community, this week I have interviewed our Acting Director of Learning and Teaching and Adjunct Systematic Theology Lecturer, Cathy Thomson, discussing her role at the college and her interests (both in terms of theological research and personal leisure) Thanks for agreeing to this … Continue reading "Interview with the Director of Learning and Teaching"...
read moreWhat St Barnabas College and Vanessa Daughtry, clinical counsellor at Heartgardener, present a short course consisting of four sessions during the month of June, covering: Recognising early indicators of compassion fatigue and burnout Managing the stress of working with people (recognising how stress aids and encumbers) Recognising and managing beliefs that feed excessive professional responsibility … Continue reading "Skills for Resilience in Christian Ministry"...
read moreAs a college that strives towards the goal of being an encouraging community, over the next few weeks in our News posts we will be releasing a series of interviews with various members of the SBC community. All of these individuals, with their varied roles and capacities, help keep the college running on a … Continue reading "Interview with a Library Volunteer"...
read more2018 Has Begun! With Summer now a distant memory and the seasons changing to Autumn, the 2018 Academic year is now fully underway, and we here at St Barnabas College have been busy over the past few months. Ending 2017 On the 15th December last year, the St Barnabas College community and dignitaries gathered together … Continue reading "2018 Has Begun!"...
read moreComing up on Tuesday the 20th of February, we have St Barnabas College’s orientation day. We are operating in two sessions: A 9am – 12:30pm morning session for students A 1:30pm – 4:30pm afternoon session for staff/lecturers It is very important that both staff and students (both continuing and commencing their studies) consider attending … Continue reading "Orientation Day"...
read moreInterest-Only Study at St Barnabas College Have you ever wished you could “sit in” on a university course in Theology? Biblical Studies? Church History? Well, now you can, through enrolling at St Barnabas College as an “interest-only” student. Each subject is taught in a three hour block. There is no assessment if you are interest-only, … Continue reading "Interest-Only Study"...
read morePlease join us for our annual St Barnabas College Commencement Service, celebrating our graduating students and prize winners, with an address from the Archbishop to launch the 2018 academic year. This is always a special occasion in the life of the College as we honour our students and give thanks to God for being … Continue reading "Commencement Service 2018"...
read moreOn the afternoon of Sunday 3rd December an enthusiastic crowd of people gathered together in North Adelaide in great anticipation and celebration an important event; the joint launch of Flourishing In Faith: Theology Encountering Positive Psychology by both St Peter’s College and St Barnabas College (it also, coincidentally, happened to be held on the … Continue reading "Book Launch Report"...
read moreFlourishing in Faith: Theology Encountering Positive Psychology, edited by Gillies Ambler, Matthew P. Anstey, Theo D. McCall and Mathew A. White, is a compilation of essays from various authors which came about as a result of its namesake conference in 2014. This conference, and the subsequent book, had one purpose: “to explore the relationship between the Christian tradition and the emerging field of positive psychology, a branch of psychology that conducts scientific inquiry into factors that help individuals, communities and organizations to thrive.”...
read moreI am writing to inform you that the Council of St Barnabas Council has accepted the resignation of The Principal, The Rev’d Canon Dr Matthew Anstey. After a period of discernment, Matthew has decided to pursue new opportunities that offer a greater focus on academic research and writing. As part of this, Matthew will … Continue reading "Announcement from the Archbishop"...
read moreA fundamental truth of Christianity is that we are loved by God not because we deserve this love, or have earned it, or have a quality inherent within us that in some way requires God to love us. We are just loved. Irrespective of who we are, what we are, what we have (or haven't done), or what we think of ourselves, or for that matter, what others think of us. God loves us and in this love is true to the very character of the God who is love. (1John 4:7-21) This means that no threshold exists below which God's love is absent. (Cf. Matt 27:46) We are never alone, bereft of God's presence and love. If this were not so what we call God's love would not be love, more like wages paid for due service. (Matt 20:1-16)...
read moreYou are invited to celebrate the launch of Flourishing in Faith: Theology Encountering Positive Psychology, edited by Matthew Anstey, Gillies Ambler, Theo McCall and Mathew White This will be hosted on Sunday the 3rd December at 2:30pm at St Barnabas College, 18 King William Road, North Adelaide, and will conclude at 4:00pm. Light refreshments … Continue reading "Flourishing in Faith – Book Launch"...
read moreCountry of first asylum, or first refuge, is usually a neighbouring country to which a refugee flees. In the face of great challenge, even reported challenge, writing often becomes the place of first refuge for novelists and poets as they seek to make sense of the challenging experience. Rilke expresses it this way: Everything conspires to silence us, Partly with shame Partly with unspeakable hope....
read moreSt Barnabas College invites all staff, students, adjunct lecturers and their respective families* to attend its annual end of year dinner, organised by the Student Social Committee and staff. This will be a great opportunity to unwind together over a meal in a light-hearted setting. So come along and celebrate the end of the … Continue reading "End of Year College Dinner"...
read moreThe Protestant sensibility can ask this question of those who find tradition of immense importance: "How can you trust something that changes?" The contrast here is between tradition and scripture. Prescinding from the question of the role of tradition in producing the texts of scripture, and the way in which tradition determined which books would be included, and the way that not all Christian traditions agree on the composition of scripture, let's give the point. Tradition changes in a way that say, the scriptures these days do not. The problem that must be addressed, however, is that it is tradition (amongst other things) that allows me to read and understand scripture itself. What sense would Scripture make if I had not previously been taught to read and understand the scriptures in the/a tradition of the church? The faith is always handed on through the scriptures with teaching. Now, I don't treat the tradition I have become familiar with in the same way as I do Scripture, (this is presumably the 'trust' issue mentioned above) but the two are very clearly related....
read moreIn his book “Captains of the Soul: A History of Australian Army Chaplains”, Michael Gladwin tells the story of Padre Hugh Cunningham who was imprisoned by the Japanese on the Burma Thailand railway. Cunningham wore no badge of rank, as was the Army custom for Chaplains until 1942. The Japanese were puzzled by the great respect and particular “authority” that Cunningham had over the prisoners. The uncertainty around this influence led to his restricted access to prisoners, isolation, and confinement, often in a very low, narrow cage....
read moreAs always, it is important to look at the context of this story. In Matthew’s gospel, the story follows discussions between Jesus and the Pharisees about the Jewish purity laws, and what makes a person clean or unclean. In the preceding passages, we have the Pharisees challenging Jesus about not keeping the law, (Your disciples don’t wash their hands before they eat!) but Jesus responds by challenging the Pharisees to think more carefully about what makes a person clean or unclean. He argues that it is not so much washing hands that makes a person clean and what goes into a person’s mouth, but rather what are the words that flow from one’s mouth and what are the thoughts that are in our hearts. This is what true purity is, he argues. ...
read moreWhy do we include art, music and poetry in our worship? It can be argued that Christian artists, musicians and poets show us how to abide with Christ as friends, not servants, because they explore personal insights into faith through their creativity. “I do not call you servants any longer because the servant does not know what the master is doing: but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father” (John 15:15)....
read moreJesus said, ‘You have heard it said to those of ancient times, “You shall not kill”; and “whoever kills shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift....
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