Theology at the University of Otago

12/10/2026

"I’ve always had a desire to serve the church in a ministerial capacity, so I needed to complete a degree in Theology. Incorporating Pastoral Studies in my degree meant putting theology into action, to be a missionary disciple, animating the Gospel by seeing the presence of GOD not only during worship but also in our daily activities as GOD is always with us.

"I am forever grateful for Dr Lynne Taylor and Reverend Dr Wayne Te Kaawa for teaching me important lessons in pastoral studies. A few projects that continue to impact me are the importance of having a sabbath activity to avoid burnout and the ability to be creative in ministry. The other project that comes to mind is where we had to gather data and statistics in the area of where our church is based as it gives us a picture of what strategies we can use to evangelise based on migration statistics, the makeup of ethnicities who attend church services, etc.

"I am currently a Family Educator for Sydney Catholic Schools at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Primary School, Mount Pritchard, where I accompany the families of students in their faith by meeting them where they are at. I evangelise families by facilitating playgroup, Alpha, Bible study, and most recently the school was able to celebrate their cultural diversity as I coordinated the school’s first ever cultural festival which was only possible through the seeds that had been sown into me when I was completing my pastoral studies. Furthermore, I am a mentor for the Arete missionary leadership programme which consists of students from Australia and New Zealand who are learning to become missionary disciples in their parish communities."

--Richie Leilua, graduate of the Theology Programme at Otago.

11/10/2026

CHTH111 Doing Theology

Who is God, and what is God up to? What is the Bible all about anyway? Many intelligent people have thought about these things. Come and contemplate their responses. In an age that values easy answers to hard questions, this paper will help students to pursue the truth. It will also enable students to gain new perspectives on the essence of the Christian faith and to develop their thinking, writing and reflective skills.

Taught by Prof Christopher Holmes on campus and by distance, semester 1, 2027.

More information: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/papers?papercode=CHTH111 -2027

Study Theology at Otago for academic excellence and an outstanding student experience. Learn about qualifications, papers, and programme requirements.

08/10/2026

Dr Graham Redding writes about God and change in today's ODT

In our rapidly changing world, is God still a fixed point?

04/10/2026

CHTH 217 / 317 Creation Care

Explore Christian theological approaches to the care of creation.

Taught by Dr Jonathan Cornford as an intensive, 25-29 January 2027, in Dunedin.

Interested in studying Theology at Otago? Find out more here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/subjects/theology

The University of Otago is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world. Choose Otago for academic excellence and an outstanding student experience.

29/09/2026

PAST 307 / MINS 405 The Luminous Word: Exegesis for Spiritual Growth, Preaching, and Pastoral Ministry

Taught by Prof Ellen Davis as an intensive, 1-5 February 2027 in Dunedin

Interested in studying Theology at Otago? Enrol here: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/subjects/theology

The University of Otago is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world. Choose Otago for academic excellence and an outstanding student experience.

28/09/2026

Congratulations to Otago Theology graduate Dr George Mombi, whose PhD thesis is going to be published with Langham Academic Studies: "Christ, Salvation and Eschatology from Colossians: A Response to the Melanesian Concept of Gutpela Sindaun."

27/09/2026

Our head of programme Murray Rae presented a public lecture yesterday in American Samoa on what it means to have dominion over the earth. He drew on the seven signs in John and celebrated the formation of our Centre for Creation Care. It’s great to develop these vital partnerships in the Pacific

23/09/2026

We congratulate Otago alumni Revd Dr Edmund Fong seen here giving his Inaugural professorial lecture after being inducted as the Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Theological College in Singapore. Edmund graduated with a PhD from the Theology Programme at Otago in 2017 and joined the TTC faculty that same year.

21/09/2026

CHTH 217 / 317 Theology and Science

The relationship between Christian theology and science has for the most part been a rich and constructive one, occasional tensions not withstanding. This paper will explore the history of the relationship between these two spheres of human enquiry and investigate the current prospects for fruitful interaction between theology and science.

Taught by Dr Nicola Hoggard Creegan in Pre-Christmas Summer School 2026, 9 Nov - 11 Dec.

Enrol here before 19 October: https://www.otago.ac.nz/summerschool/study/pxss

More information: https://www.otago.ac.nz/courses/papers?papercode=CHTH217 -2026

Advice, dates and papers for Pre-Christmas Summer School at the University of Otago.

16/09/2026

'It wasn't until the latter part of my twenties that I realised I would love to turn back the clock and study theology. By this point, I was married with a young child, two babies, and working in a job I had no passion for. I thought I would have to shelve my dream until my children were all grown up enough for me to go and do a degree on campus – so when I discovered that I could actually get my degree via distance learning with Otago, I was incredibly excited and leapt at the chance!

'When it came to paper selection, I was a little surprised to see Biblical Hebrew and Greek among the choices. I decided to choose Hebrew as one of my papers. At the opening of my first class, Dr Katie Marcar was enthusiastic in telling us that there was simply "nothing like reading the Hebrew Bible in its original language." I didn't think too much of it, we already had English translations, right? Funnily enough, Hebrew turned out to be my favourite paper, bar none! I took it in semester 2 as well and was very satisfied when my comprehension began to flourish enough to read little bits of scripture in its original form. Dr Marcar was right, there really is nothing like it. The phrase "lost in translation" doesn't begin to cover how many layers of nuance, wit, poetry, and variations of meaning can be uncovered by studying scriptures in their original language. The other papers I chose unlocked more understanding as I began to learn about the history and context of the cultures within which they were born.

'I have continued on with more advanced Hebrew papers, and the discussions we have each Zoom meeting both quench the growing thirst for deeper understanding of the scriptures and pour more gasoline on the fire. Did the earth exist in some sense before God began his creation? Was it a chaotic abyss, or a primordial ocean? Was God hovering over it, or was it a mighty wind? Who even is Adam? The amount of information that can be coded into a single word of classical Hebrew is amazing, and I never would have known what a huge role grammar and syntax play in our understanding of the biblical narrative.

'I plan to continue studying Hebrew as far as it is offered! I have loved every minute of studying at Otago, and my dream job would be to one day teach what I am learning. As my children grow, I intend to nurture my curiosity through my study and grow my knowledge and understanding.'

--Heather Brown, Otago Theology student