UCA WA School of Theology

The Peril of Christianising Jesus

You cannot put Jesus in a box, even a Christian one. He is more than our categories can adequately grasp. He is also a first century Jew.

“The Peril of Christianising Jesus” is the provocative title of a major international conference to take place in Perth,.4-8th July. Keynote speaker is one of the foremost scholars on the historical Jesus, Professor John Meier of Notre Dame, Indiana. Wider conference themes include: Australasian Spirituality, Ethics at the Margins of Life, and Religion and Imperialism, introduced by prominent local scholars, Veronica Brady, Archbishop Peter Carnley and Rowan Strong.

It is nine years since Perth last hosted the ANZ Association of Theological Schools and ANZ Society for Theological Studies annual conference. This year’s conference will take on additional significance through the involvement of the Society of Biblical Literature which runs its international meeting in Singapore the week before and has decided to join us in Perth with some of its outstanding scholars, including Professor David Clines and Professor Carolyn Osiek, incoming president.

The conference also incorporates the annual Ministers’ School of Theology and includes a range of opportunities for grappling with the interface of faith, theology and practice. The local planning committee with members from the Hall, Murdoch and elsewhere, have also been developing special tours for interstate and international guests. This is the biggest conference in theology ever to be hosted in Perth. It is open for anyone to attend, including selected sessions.

Further information is available at the conference website:

http://wwwsoc.murdoch.edu.au/anzsts

or from the Registrar, Anne Watson (93603880)