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“Education, ecumenism and energy” were the touchstones Professor Katharine Massam pointed to in her remarks at the Release of Ties from her placement as Coordinator of Studies: Church History on Tuesday evening. The Yuma Auditorium was filled with past and present students and colleagues from Katharine’s 23 years of service. Katharine moved to Melbourne to take up a position in ‘Church History’ in 2000, and has remained part of the ecumenical faculty at what is now Pilgrim Theological College ever since. Katharine recounted the various places classes were taught prior to the construction of the Centre for Theology and Ministry:…

Is there anything substantial to the “self”? If so, how is that evidenced? Can experience of myself be trusted as what is finally and demonstrably real, or is that just another obstacle to knowing things as they are? This unit explores the modern project, beginning with Descartes, and continuing with Hume and Kant, to place the knowing self at the center of existence. Their investigations chart an intriguing philosophical quest for the substantiality of the self.  Descartes’  triumphant argument for the “thinking “I”‘,  as what undoubtedly “is”, is met with Hume’s dismissive questioning of that certainty, spawning  Kant’s ingenious reconciling…

An exciting and challenging full-time role in teaching, research, formation and engagement, within Pilgrim Theological College and the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, and the University of Divinity. Qualified candidates (PhD or equivalent in relevant field) are invited to apply to join a vibrant, international, ecumenical, and experienced Faculty. Position Description Deadline for Application: 12th June 2023 For further information please contact the Head of College, Associate Professor Sean Winter Course code BA9020P/BA3020P Instructor M Melachthon Mode of Delivery Internal – Face to face and External – Online Synchronous Semester 2 10-13 July; 11-12 August

This exciting subject, taught by our Head of College, Sean Winter, gives you the opportunity to wrestle with one of the most important and influential texts of the Bible – Paul’s Letter to the Romans. By studying Romans in its ancient context you will gain a better understanding of the gospel and learn how to think through the way that this gospel relates to your own faith and the church’s mission in the world. The subject will explore the relationship between Paul’s argument in the letter, the theology implied by those arguments, and the social, cultural, and political context of…

Worship in Context explores the central claims of liturgical theology in critical dialogue with Australian perspectives.   This unit begins by outlining norms of Christian worship from across the tradition: a focus on Christ’s presence in Word and Sacrament, the communal nature of Christian worship, the role of presiders and worship leaders, and more. This unit then brings these norms into dialogue with the Australian context: the history of colonisation, contemporary Australian culture, First People’s theology, and the distinctive Australia Church scene. This dialogue makes clear the need to adapt some of the received norms of Christian worship. As a…

Immerse yourself in the writings of the monastic communities of the first five Christian centuries; explore the ways they were inspired to seek Wisdom above all and hear what they had to say to post-Constantinian, urban Christianity. Spend a week immersed in the monastic sources of the first five centuries and hear for yourself what the desert mothers and fathers had to say to post-Constantinian, urban Christianity. Discover personalities and communities in Egypt, Palestine and Cappadocia and the ways they were inspired to seek Wisdom above all. Explore their deep and practical insight into human hopes and fears, and their…

We live in a world called “postmodern”, where nothing is absolute. Is postmodernist suspicion an ally of religious faith, or its deadly enemy? Can we doubt the value of foundations, but still speak meaningfully about God? In Semester Two, learn with John Martis about how postmodern thinking can rework some of the traditional connections between faith and philosophy. This in-person or online real-time unit will explore some of the big questions about how faith and philosophy interrelate, and how our current understandings of the two impact our decision-making and beliefs. Radical doubt about concepts that have previously been considered unassailable…

Kerrie Handasyde is offering a series of Academic Skills workshops to help give you all the tools you’ll need to excel in the academic world. Learn about everything from footnotes to grading rubrics in this online series during Semester 1.   Each week will cover a different skill area, so you can either dip in or out for the skills you need to improve on, or attend all six to get a more comprehensive toolkit of academic skills. These workshops are only available for currently enrolled students. The workshops are: 1. How to pass: understanding grading rubrics, learning outcomes, and academic…

https://pilgrim.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Revelation.mp4 Delve into the book of Revelation; a highly symbolic, political, and justice-oriented text that is often misunderstood by readers in this captivating subject taught by Robyn Whittaker during Semester 1 at Pilgrim. Revelation is one of those biblical books that continues to confuse and scare people. It has had a huge influence upon popular culture due to its evocative images of the red dragon, the slaughtered multi-headed lamb, the number 666, and graphic depictions of hell.   Through vivid visions and highly symbolic figures, Revelation invites us to think about the way evil is manifest in the world, the…

Taught by John Martis, this unit is a fantastic basis for anyone wanting to understand more about theology or philosophy, and how they interact with each other. Discover the philosophers who influenced some of our most famous theologians and the rich history of the philosophical system.   Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, and more; Famous philosophers who laid the groundwork for equally famous theologians, and impacted their thinking and teaching. Discover the impact of Platonism on the New Testament and how it plays into the world that Jesus was living in. This unit explores the philosophical underpinnings of some key theological…

This introductory course will help you understand the life, history, and faith of the people of God in ancient Israel. Taught by Jione Havea and Brian Kolia, this subject is a fantastic introductory subject for any theological student. Life, History and the People of God in the Hebrew Scriptures will invite you to survey the contents of the Old Testament and study the historical contexts, genres and theology in and of the OT books. In the process, you’ll also get the chance to explore how their own lives can be related to the struggles and joys of contemporary faith.  …

Pilgrim Theological College was blessed to hear Kylie Crabb give an incredibly thoughtful reflection at our valedictory service in October.  We’re pleased to share the written version of the reflection below.   Valedictory service Pilgrim Theological College, 28 Oct 2021 Rev Dr Kylie Crabbe   Reading from All Saints’ Day John 11.32-44   We gather, in these strange times and at the end of yet another tricky, Covid-affected semester, just a few days out from All Saints’ Day. It occurs to me that such a liturgical date is a very good time to celebrate all that you have achieved in…

Enrolment is at the end of this week, and even if you can’t commit to a weekly subject, there are plenty of other options.  Don’t worry! You can still register for credit or to audit these three intensives:  Whether you got delayed because of the ever changing COVID 19 situation, or struggle to fit weekly classes into your lifestyle, these intensives offer some great options across a range of topics for both credit and for general education.  Contact our registrar at study@pilgrim.edu.au to enrol for credit or to audit any of these subjects.   Doctrine, Truth and Pluralism  July 30,…

Equip yourself for real life, faith, and ministry People study at Pilgrim for all kinds of reasons – out of interest, for their life of faith, to equip themselves with new skills and qualifications, for love of learning, to develop their theological imagination. We know that for theology to be meaningful it must be relevant. We’ll help you explore the implications of your learning, making connections with life in our world, questions of faith, and real vocational contexts. Our subjects can also equip you for vocations – ministry with children and families, pastoral care, leadership in the church. No matter…

The library team is proud to announce the implementation of a new, expanded search function for the Dalton McCaughey Library resources. Scholarly literature is increasingly available online and the new search function includes the full text of online journals, reference works and books as well as catalogue records. You can choose to search only the catalogue from a separate tab, or you can filter your search results to exclude catalogue records, narrow the date range and many more options. What’s changing? There are two search boxes; one for searching online and print collections and one for the catalogue. The combined…

Faculty member John Flett has co-edited Coverting Witness: The Future of Christian Mission in the New Millennium (Lexington Books), a collection of essays in honour of missiologist Darrell Guder. https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781978708402/Converting-Witness-The-Future-of-Christian-Mission-in-the-New-Millennium Pilgrim doctoral candidate Bryan Cones and faculty member Stephen Burns have co-edited Liturgy With a Difference: Beyond Inclusion in the Christian Assembly (SCM Press), with essays on preaching to “Nones” (people who say “no religion” in the census), worship space as sanctuary, the experience of trans-presiders, and crafting gay weddings: https://scmpress.hymnsam.co.uk/books/9780334057406/liturgy-with-a-difference Faculty associate Jione Havea and faculty members Monica Jyotsna Melanchthon and Stephen Burns each have essays in the current…

Pilgrim Theological College adjunct lecturer Beth Barnett practises what she teaches, which is why you might find her students entering a church building on their hands and knees to view the surrounds from a child’s height. This is one of the observational tasks included in the intensive unit Children and Families Ministry: Core issues in diverse contexts. Ms Barnett will teach the unit in two three-day blocs in February, leaving students the rest of the semester for assessment tasks. While there is a more formal essay component, the unit’s observational tasks include the aforementioned crawl into a church building (Ms…

Pilgrim Theological College celebrated the completion of study for a number of their 2017 valedictorians in November with a service of celebration and thanks. Some valedictorians have completed their study and others are “on the verge” of completion. Rev Associate Professor Sean Winter, the Acting Head of Pilgrim, told the theology students that “whatever the future holds, keep the questions you have asked here, the challenges you have faced here, the insights you have won here, the knowledge you have gained here, the changes you have made here, keep them at the forefront of your mind and go on living…

International guest lecturers will be offering two new subjects at Pilgrim in semester two. Each of these is available for credit or audit, and when completed for credit, counts towards any of the relevant awards of the University of Divinity. AR 1/8000P Conversations: With All Due Respect: Theology, Feminism, and Conflict (begins with the symposium on the same theme with M.Shawn Copeland, Ruth Duck and Cynthia Wilson) Passionately Christian, Compassionately Interfaith (Sathianathan Clarke) Further information

Graduation day is an important one for any student, ‘A moment of grace’ is how guest speaker, Alan Niven, described it. It is the day when all those hours of study in class and at home, and all the hard work of thinking, reading and writing, finally come to fruition. Graduation is always a significant personal achievement. But it is also an achievement best shared. The University of Divinity’s Graduation Ceremony in Melbourne, held on the 24th of March, on the grand stage of St Patrick’s Cathedral, was an important milestone for a number of Pilgrim students. One by one, they crossed the stage…

Our students come from all walks of life. Whether returning to study, needing a refresher, a contemporary theological update or embarking on a spiritual journey, Pilgrim College has several options. Just a few more reasons our students chose to study with us: ‘…as a qualification to teach religious education and equip me to offer a higher ministerial leadership in Chaplaincy…’ ‘… a deeper understanding of the New Testament and its relevance to worship and preaching will enhance my leadership roles in my local congregation and presbytery.’ ‘…the degree will aid my discernment of a “Call to Ministry” … in the company of other students, under the guidance of…

Hi, I’m Fiona. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering and I’ve spent most of my professional life working in sustainable building design. My Pilgrim story really began when my son Jack was diagnosed with Autism and mental disabilities and my whole world then changed. My career took a back seat while I balanced parenting, therapies and trying to live as “normal” a life as possible. This is also where my spiritual journey began, as I longed for some kind of meaning to all that had, and was happening, in my family’s lives. Eventually I found myself at Brunswick…

Intensive Units for Semester 2 2016 5-7 August, 3-4 September BA2040P/BA3040P/ BA9040P Gender, Justice, Empire: Contextual Readings of the Old Testament (Melanchthon) 21-28 September CH3030P/DS3030P/ CH9030P/DS9030P The Wisdom of St Benedict:  The Rule and its Sources (Posa) – Sydney NSW 20, 27 August 3, 10, 17 September DP3805P/DP9805P Effective Christian Leadership and Ministry (Confoy) 7, 8, 9 October CT3020P/CT9020P Doctrine, Truth and Pluralism (Thompson) 23-25, 28-30 November DA/DS2/3/9029S The Nurture and Spiritual Guidance of Children (College of Theology and Ministry) To enrol, please contact our registrar, Erlinda Loverseed: 03 8340 8892 or registrar@pilgrim.edu.au

Pilgrim Theological College is calling for Expressions of Interest from currently enrolled Pilgrim students to join Co-ordinator of Studies – Missiology, Rev Dr John Flett, at the 2016 Karl Barth Conference to be held at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, USA, from 19-22 June, 2016. As part of Pilgrim Theological College’s wider commitment to post-graduate theological education, an opportunity has arisen for one student to accompany John as he delivers a keynote address at the conference.     Inclusions Return economy flights from Melbourne to New York Accommodation at Princeton from 19-22 June, 2016 Conference fees (NB all of these inclusions are…

Research and writing is often solitary work, so occasions when academics share perspectives and unfold new connections are especially valuable. In November 2014 a group of researchers who have been exploring the records of the Benedictine mission to the Yued people at New Norcia in Western Australia met to explore the various Ways of Telling the mission story. The symposium marked 200 years since the birth of New Norcia’s founder, Rosendo Salvado, and was designed to encourage conversation not only between researchers from different disciplines, but also to hear from the members of the wider community, including contemporary key stakeholders…