Sean is currently the Academic Dean, Co-ordinator of Studies in New Testament, and Associate Professor within the University of Divinity. He teaches across a range of New Testament subjects, is involved in the formation of candidates for ordained ministries within the UCA and speaks regularly at conferences, churches, and other events within and beyond the Uniting Church.

Teaching

Sean’s current teaching includes the following units:

• Earliest Christianity: Stories, Texts, Beliefs
• Gospel, Church and World: Mission and Ministry in Philippians and 2 Corinthians
• Ethics in the New Testament
• The Historical Jesus
• Cross and Resurrection in Early Christianity (2018 onwards)
• The Bible and Mission (2018 onwards)

In the last couple of years he has equipped the church through teaching preaching skills, developing a theological response to church/state relations, delivering Bible studies, and exploring the relevance of the historical Jesus for contemporary discipleship.

Research Interests

Sean’s research focuses on the letters and theology of the apostle Paul, with special reference to Philippians and 2 Corinthians. He is completing a monograph on Philippians and Friendship and is preparing a commentary on Philippians and Philemon for the Smyth and Helwys New Testament Commentary Series. He has also worked in the area of biblical hermeneutics, especially theological understandings of biblical interpretation (particularly in the work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer) and biblical reception history.

Research Supervision

Sean is open to receiving research proposals on any aspect of New Testament study, especially those that relate to the interpretation of the Pauline letters and/or that have a particularly theological or hermeneutical focus.

He has successfully supervised projects on: The Meaning of dikaiosunê Language in Romans; Paul’s use of Isaiah in Romans 9–11; The Relevance of the Watchers Tradition to the Synoptic Gospels; Paul’s Understanding of Suffering in Romans 8; Paul’s Anthropological Terms; The Development of early Wisdom Christology.

He is currently supervising PhD students exploring: The role of the Holy Spirit in the Argument of Galatians; Paul, Poverty and the Ethics of Poverty Relief; Grace and Gift in 2 Corinthians 8–9 and Chinese Culture; The Meaning of Money in the New Testament.

Recent Publications: 2015–2017

Winter, Sean F. “”Obedient to Death”: Revisiting the Rhetorical Function of Philippians 2:6–11.” Australian Biblical Review 63 (2015): 1–13.

Winter, Sean F. “Journey and Rest: Hebrews, Pilgrimage, and the Work of Theological Education.” Pacifica 28 (2015): 191–207.

Winter, Sean F. “Friendship Traditions in the New Testament: An Overview.” Pacifica 29 (2016): 192–204. 

Sean has also published articles for a more general audience, for example:

With Robyn Whitaker, “Trump and Christian Faith: How Do We Respond?”, Faith Seeking Understanding Column The Melbourne Anglican (March 2017), also in Crosslight (February 2017):

“Unscrambling Jesus”, Crosslight (2015)

For a complete list of publications download the .pdf here.

Research Profile

For more information see Sean’s profile and further details at the University of Divinity Research Repository.