Research Institute - The Australian Biblical Project

The Australian Biblical Project initiated at the Adelaide College of Divinity in 1992 seeks to communicate the fruits of biblical research with as broad as possible a group of people unfamiliar with such research. This is a research project fundamentally concerned about communication and education. It draws on the expertise of biblical scholars who teach at the Adelaide College of Divinity and the School of Theology at Flinders University, and their colleagues teaching in other schools of theology at Australian tertiary institutions who have been invited to join the project.

The project, in collaboration with St Paul Publications of Homebush, New South Wales, seeks to disseminate the fruits of biblical research in a way that makes this research accessible to those seeking to deepen their understanding of the Bible. The key method of dissemination has been through the publication of books which summarise the best current scholarship on one writing or a collection of similar writings in the Bible.

Two theological themes draw this literature together:

1. Publications concerned with the writings of the Jewish or Hebrew Bible (the "Old Testament") are clustered around the theme of "God". This becomes the perspective of the writer's exploration of the particular biblical work(s).
2. Similarly, authors summarising scholarship on the writings produced by the earliest Christian communities (the "New Testament") focus on the theme of "Jesus".

Further elements characterise the Project:

• Writers chosen have an ability to summarise scholarship and communicate at a popular level;
• The project is non-denominational and unambiguously ecumenical;
• The writing seeks to be inclusive at all levels;
• The project offers a way for readers and participants to engage the material for small groups;

To date the following books have been published:

Jesus in Luke's Gospel (1995), Michael Trainor
Jesus in Mark's Gospel (1995), Bernadette Kiley
Jesus in Paul (1998), Alan Cadwallader
Jesus in Revelation (1999), John McSweeney
God in Isaiah (1996), Pamela Foalkes
God of Jeremiah (1996), Norman Habel
God in Psalms (1998)

The following books are in preparation:

Jesus in John's Gospel
Jesus in Matthew's Gospel
Jesus in the Book of Acts

Further Information
For further information about this research project, please contact:

Revd Dr Michael Trainor
"Australian Biblical Project" Coordinator
Centre for Theology, Science and Culture
Adelaide College of Divinity
34 Lipsett Terrace
Brooklyn Park SA 5032
Australia

Tel: (+61 8) 8416 8400
Fax: (+61 8) 8416 8410
Michael.Trainor@flinders.edu.au