Associate Professor Mark Jennings
Intensive dates: 25 March, 13 May, 5 August, 16 September, and 21 October
This year-long unit, team taught by the Wollaston Faculty, offers a comprehensive introduction to theological, biblical, and religious studies through the lens of Anglican identity. Across five thoughtfully designed modules, students gain essential grounding in core Christian beliefs, as well as a strong understanding of both religious and non-religious literacy in the Australian context. Tailored for emerging and current leaders in Anglican and other faith-based organisations, this unit equips you to navigate an evolving cultural landscape with insight, confidence, and a deeply informed perspective.
Please note: This unit opens on the 24 February and there will be work to complete prior to the first intensive day.
Dr Meg Warner
Thursday 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Face-to-Face, Online Synchronous
Discover the foundations of Biblical Hebrew and unlock the richness of the Old Testament in its original language. This unit offers an engaging introduction to the script, essential vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of Biblical Hebrew, equipping you with the skills needed to begin the work of translation and meaningful exegesis. Through a dynamic blend of reading, listening, speaking, and practical exercises, you’ll build strong linguistic foundations and experience the language in an active, accessible way. Join us and begin your journey into the world of Biblical Hebrew.
Associate Professor Robert Myles
Tuesday 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm plus recorded lectures and activities to fit your schedule
Step into the world of the New Testament and earliest Christianity—a time of upheaval, resistance, and radical storytelling. This unit offers a gripping introduction to the New Testament in its historical context, exploring its diverse texts against the backdrop of early Judaism and the Greco-Roman world. Why are there four Gospels and how do they differ? What was Paul’s role in the spread of the Jesus movement? How might we decode Apocalyptic texts like the book of Revelation? By situating the texts of the New Testament in their turbulent social, political, and religious settings, the unit facilitates a fresh encounter with a collection of texts that has proven enormously influential in world history.
Associate Professor Mark Jennings
Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July
Face-to-Face, Online Synchronous
The fast pace of churn and change are creating an Australian society which is religiously and culturally superdiverse. Paradoxically, secularisation is simultaneously on the rise, and those identifying as ‘no religion’ – the ‘Nones’ – will soon almost certainly outnumber people of faith. In this unit, we critically examine the current and developing shape of secularisation, as well as the changing conditions of belief producing religiously plural younger generations. Taking a lived religion approach, we further investigate the growing need for critical religious and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) literacy, facilitating a deep understanding of diverse worldviews for leaders in faith organisations.
Please note: This unit opens on 1 June, and there will be work to complete prior to the class time beginning 29 June.
Dr Meg Warner
Tuesday 5:30pm-8:30pm
Face-to-Face, Online Synchronous
This unit invites students into the rich diversity of Old Testament traditions, uncovering how key theological themes emerge and evolve across different historical settings. Through engaging, inductive learning, you’ll develop confidence with essential exegetical tools and methods that bring the biblical text into sharper focus. Thought-provoking and immersive, this unit equips you to explore the Old Testament with greater clarity, curiosity, and depth.
Dr Meg Warner
Thursday 9:30am-12:30pm
Online Synchronous
Take your understanding of Biblical Hebrew to the next level with this advanced unit designed to deepen your skills in translation and exegesis of Old Testament texts. Build confidence as you expand your knowledge of vocabulary, word forms, and syntax, and engage directly with a selected Biblical passage through guided translation and parsing. Along the way, you’ll explore the rich cultural and historical world behind the text, gaining insights that bring Scripture to life. With a dynamic blend of reading, listening, speaking, and reflective translation practice, this unit empowers you to engage the Hebrew Bible with greater clarity and depth.
Associate Professor Robert Myles
Monday 21 to Friday 25 September
Face-to-Face
What do the Gospels have to do with empire, resistance, and liberation? In this week-long intensive unit, students will learn about the effects of Roman imperialism on the composition of the Gospels as well as the impact of later colonial legacies upon their interpretation. It first analyses how imperial power was negotiated in complex and often ambivalent ways by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Students then explore how the Gospels have themselves been interpreted as both a mechanism of colonial dominion as well as a resource to inspire resistance and liberation.
Please note: This unit opens on 24 August, and there will be work to complete prior to the class time in September.
Associate Professor Mark Jennings
Monday 23 to Sunday 29 November
Face-to-Face, Online Synchronous
It is relatively simple to perceive the encounter between religion and people of diverse sexualities and gender identities only and always in terms of conflict. This straightforward story is complicated by the existence of LGBT people of faith, not to mention religious allies. Nevertheless, much attention in Australia and the West is directed toward an ongoing tussle over the “truth” – even, it might be said, “God’s truth” – of sex, sexuality, and gender. In this unit, we investigate the origins and nature of this conflict, exploring the modern foundations of the current battlelines. We will address the question – must this necessarily remain a discursive fight to the death, or is there a possibility for peace? If so – where?
Please note: This unit opens on 9 November, and there will be work to complete prior to the class time that begins
23 November.
