Acting Head of College for Pilgrim

Philip Hughes - Our Team
Rev Emeritus Professor Philip Hughes has been appointed the Acting Head of College for Pilgrim Theological College, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, in anticipation of Kylie Crabbe taking up the Head of College role in 2026. Philip will start at the beginning of February 2025 and will be working part-time.
Duncan Macleod, Executive Officer eLM, says, “Philip’s contribution to Pilgrim Theological College will be crucial to the ongoing development of the college’s newly developed strategic plan. I’m looking forward to Philip’s encouragement of the Pilgrim faculty’s work in teaching and research, as well as fostering of the College’s contribution to the University of Divinity. 2025 is an important year for Pilgrim, with renewed national collaboration and fresh approaches to ministry formation and support of leadership development.”
Philip has graduate qualifications in philosophy, education and theology. From 1978 to 1982, he undertook his doctorate mostly in northern Thailand, examining the rise of the Christian community within a Buddhist context, and developing his skills in sociology, anthropology and the theology of culture.
Ordained in the Baptist denomination in 1977, he was admitted as a minister with the Uniting Church in 1987. He has been a minister of religion in three churches in city and regional contexts.
From 1985 to 2016, Philip was the senior research officer with the Christian Research Association and continues to work with the Association in a voluntary capacity as a researcher, executive officer of the Human Research Ethics Committee (which provides ethics oversight for the University of Divinity and four other colleges) and as honorary treasurer.
Between 1997 and 2008, Philip was also employed by the Centre for Social Justice at Edith Cowan University to work on major research projects on religious faith and community, spirituality and well-being.
Philip’s major academic work has been the study of the changing Western culture and what that meant for religion, particularly in Australia. He has done extensive analysis of Census data and national surveys, examining how Australians make sense of life. He has also examined a number of sub-groups with Australian culture, including the culture of people living in rural areas, the culture of young people, and the many cultures and religions that recent immigrants have brought to Australia. He has noted and analysed the growth both of those who describe themselves as having ‘no religion’ and those who describe themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’.
Prof Hughes has written about 70 books and hundreds of articles and chapters of books.
Between 2017 and 2023, he was employed part-time at Alphacrucis College, teaching research methods and supervising doctoral students. His current research focus is on meaning in life and social connections.