Keynote Speaker: Reverend Professor John Behr, University of Aberdeen
Location: Alphacrucis University College, Sydney
Hosts: Gospel Conversations and Alphacrucis University College
Research Symposium: Friday 15 August 2025
Public Lectures: Saturday 16 August 2025
This symposium seeks to explore how the theological, spiritual, and pastoral insights of the early Christian tradition speak to challenges facing the modern world. It invites scholars from a range of Christian traditions—Pentecostal, Orthodox, Catholic, evangelical, and others—to engage with early Christian thought and its relevance for the church today. The renowned patristic scholar John Behr will present a keynote paper.
We invite proposals for 30-minute papers addressing topics such as the following:
• Patristic theology and its application to contemporary thought
• Early Christian approaches to ethics, culture, or society
• Early Christian pedagogical practices and institutions in relation to contemporary education
• Early Christian ascetic practices in relation to contemporary spirituality
• Early Christian liturgical traditions as a resource for the contemporary church
• Patristic perspectives on engagement with other religious traditions
• Early Christian responses to environmental stewardship and care for creation.
The research symposium will be held on Friday, 15 August. This will be followed by a Gospel Conversations event on Saturday, 16 August, addressed to a wider non-specialist audience, with the theme ‘Growing Up into Christ as the Prototype of Humanity.’ At this public event, John Behr will deliver three talks on the thought of Irenaeus, Gregory of Nyssa, and Maximus the Confessor.
Submission Guidelines:
To submit a paper for the research symposium, please email an abstract of no more than 300 words, along with a short biographical note, to Mark.Jacobson@ac.edu.au by Friday, 18 April.
We welcome contributions from scholars at all stages of their careers and from diverse Christian traditions. Travel subsidies are available for students currently enrolled in higher research degrees.
This event is proudly co-hosted by Gospel Conversations and Alphacrucis University College.
