I am glad (and a little sad) to announce to the blogosphere that as of January 2010 I shall be taking up a position at the Bible College of Queensland as lecturer in Theology and Apologetics. This is a huge thing for me and the family as it means returning to Brisbane (a.k.a Brisvegas) to be closer to family. The Highland Theological College is a wonderful place with a fantastic colleagues and great students situated in the scenic Highlands of Scotland. But after four and a bit years abroad the tug on the heart strings (not to mention death threats from the mother-in-law) means that we have been praying and waiting for an opportunity to return which has now eventuated. I will miss everyone here, esp. my "young padawans", and the New Testament scene in the UK with the British New Testament Conference and Tyndale Fellowship in particular. For those interested, yes, BCQ does have a Th.D programme accredited by the Australian College of Theology. I am excited also about a move into theology, although they'll still be allowing me to teach a little NT on the side. I was told that the great Australian NT scholars Leon Morris taught Gospel of John and Systematics at Ridley College in Melboure so the precedent for expanding one's theological horizons is set by old saint Leon himself. I like to think of my goal as (1) indigenizing Kevin Vanhoozer in the antipodes, (2) demonstrating that the presuppositional apologetic argument "God exists therefore ... God exists" is not really persuasive; (3) proving that evangelicals really can learn something from Karl Barth; (4) demonstrating that the Regula fidei is the context for reading Scripture; (5) showing how to traverse biblical and systematic theology; (6) committing students to what John Wester calls "biblical reasoning"; (7) convincing folks that the centre of evangelical theology is the evangel; and (8) preparing men and women to articulate and live out a Christian worldview that is soaked in Scripture, that seriously interacts with patristic and reformed tradition, and engages the ecclesial communities around them.
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31 comments:
Mike:
Congratulations. I hope it goes well. Just one caveat: your summary of the presuppositional apologetic method is little anemic! :)
Take care,
Brad Green
Looking forward to the Bird's arrival in the land of Oz!
Con
Congratulations, Mike. Hope the move goes well. I'm sure Scotland will miss you.
Congratulations, Mike!
Congratulations Mike.
Mike. I don't know. Your 8-part goal somehow doesn't feel ambitious enough!
Congratulations on a new beginning for which God is always the end.
After your last post on the plight of the Australian professor, I almost posted a comment to see what you were going to do to reverse the trend. Seems you already have that taken care of. Best wishes!
Good luck with the move, Michael. I hope you will continue to find some time for blog posts on the NT.
Congrats, Mike. Quite a change---not just geographical!
Congratulations, Mike. Australasia gains and the rest of Asia-Pacific region as well.
I just received an email from a friend. The subject of the email was simply "The Bird". It's a big win for Brisvegas and the land of Oz!
I don't know you, brother, but am thankful for recent introduction to your blog. Every blessing on you and yours as you make the re-transition. As a granddad whose son, daughter-in-law & 4 grandkids have just returned from Massachusetts, I understand the thing with the relatives.
Hi, Mike. You might not know me. I think it is a wonderful move--theology and NT.
If God allows, and there is a chance, you may consider flying to Sabah, Malaysia to give a give or intensive someday at Sabah Theological Seminary where I have and will serve.
We have several colleagues from Australia sent by our partner churches to teach in the past.
Congratulations Mike! "Convincing folks that the centre of evangelical theology is the evangel" is definitely something Brisbane could benefit from.
Congratulations, Mike!
Does your move mean that we will not be graced with your presence as frequently at ETS/IBR/SBL conferences in the states?
Blessings!
Oh no - not another decent NT scholar stepping into the discipline of theology! Will the trend ever stop? Has not the sad results of British NT PhDs in the US who move into theology shown that this is not a good move? Well, perhaps you will reverse the status quo, Mike! Will miss you over here.
Mr. Brown, who thinks that "your 8-part goal somehow doesn't feel ambitious enough", fails to realize that that is only the plan for the first week back in Australia.
Congratulations and good luck, Michael Bird!
Blessings as you seek to bring balance to that area of study. I have benefited greatly from your writings and look forward to seeing good whole bible exegetical theology. I also was wondering if you could comment on how you think theology ought to be done? Nothing in too much detail, but maybe just some beginning thoughts on what you find vital to doing solid theology.
Congratulations. Hope you remember how to speak the lingo.
Hi Mike,
It'll be good to have you back at the centre of the universe!
Mike, It'll be nice to have you in Oz. I quake a little when I think that Moore College also espouses that the evangel is at the heart of evangelical theol, but Sydney Anglicans must resort to tub thumping and sloganeering to proclaim our Lord, rather than the multipronged love that Sydney used to show: Anglicare for social action, warm and humane, non-dogmatic clergy who listened before they spoke, and a theology that is informed by the Bible alone, rather than modern admixes of materialism (Moore is a famous bastion of theistic evolution Much discussed at http://sydneyanglicanheretics.blogspot.com/).
Brisbane only gets more and more attractive now
Hi Mike,
I hope you keep blogging from BCQ!
(What's wrong with presuppositional apologetics?)
Mike,
Welcome home and all the best for the transitions involved. We trust you'll find the occasional excuse to travel south to the real heart of where things are happening, in Sydney.
With you and Sean going/gone, the Aussies are stealing all the great talent. Have a great time at home. We'll miss you!
Ben
Every blessing for the forthcoming move, and in the disciplinary shift as well.
Mike, I'm sure you'll be missed in the Highlands. But I am glad for you and your family. It can't have been easy being so far from family (I know just how far now I've been to Oz for the Calvin@500 conference in Sydney!). But we Brits will miss you. Safe travels. I'll see you at AAR some time no doubt - but not this year.
Stay in touch -
O.
Well done!
Best news all week.
I am sure you will find other evangelical fans of evangel and Barth here in Brisbane.
Congratulations, Mike!
Great news for Australia, bad news for Scotland, and you'll receive fewer death threats from the mother-in-law, everybody wins! (Except America, of course...)
AR
It'll be good to see you back mate.
Doesn't epistemology dictate the presuppositions that are convincing to presuppositional apologetics?
Blessings,
Steve
Shows how clued in I am, but I wish to offer belated congratulations!
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