About Me

You will find an updated version of the about me page in the increasingly populated sidebar to the right. I felt it was time to write something a little broader and more encompassing. The previous about me was just a little too focussed on things academic. That said, I’ve decided to capture part of it in a quote below, simply becuase it says a few things I have not consicely recorded elsewhere in the blog.

Reflection is at the core of my approach to academic work, action is important, but equally important is the ability to pause, consider and learn. The right thing to do may often be simple and straightforward, but right way to think about a context is often complex and systemic. It is only when we give ourselves the time to reflect that we can understand difficult situations and otherwise intractable problems.

My current period of reflection has been precipitated by a move to India in 2003, which proved far more difficult than I had envisaged. A direct consequence of this relocation was an indefinite pause in my PhD studies. At first this was profoundly disorienting. But over time it became clear this would be an opportunity to reflect upon and reconsider a vast cache of unfinished projects and ideas, as well as past sermons, papers and lectures.

Academically, my focus remains theology and culture; more specifically globalisation, film and urban living. These interests found their expression during my time at King’s College London where I was reading for a PhD in hermeneutics, having previously studied theology in Sydney and taught in philosophy of religion, ethics and apologetics. During the time at King’s I ran a stimulating reading group called Coffee, Theology and Culture and was for one year on the management committee of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, where I gave lectures on Christianity, theology and religious education as well as writing a draft for an MA course on theology and film.

Whilst at King’s there was a wonderful opportunity to work with their Chaplaincy, including co-founding and running the SacredImages film and faith programme (1999-2002). At that time I preached in a number of churches, including several occasions at Bloomsbury Baptist Church, helping them pilot some “out of the ordinary” evening services, followed by a year with St Peter’s Anglican Church, Fulham helping develop their evening service. In a lot of ways these ministries were a continuation of the journey through the Sydney Baptist churches were I formally served and worked on creative approaches to worship and young adults ministry.

[tags] Fernando Gros [/tags]