The Australian College of Theology (ACT) is an Australian higher education provider based in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. The college delivers awards in

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and was one of the first Australian non-university providers to offer an

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

and a

research doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

. Over 22,000 people have graduated since the foundation of the college. It is a company limited by guarantee as of September 2007. On 7 October 2022 it was granted

university college In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

status by the

Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia's independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. The agency's purpose is to protect student interests and the reputation of Australia' ...

. The

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

of the

Anglican Church of Australia The Anglican Church of Australia, formerly known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania, is a Christian church in Australia and an autonomous church of the Anglican Communion. It is the second largest church in Australia after the R ...

presides as chairman at a general meeting of the Australian College of Theology Limited. The current chair of the board is Roger Lewis. The current dean is James Dalziel, while the deputy dean is Edwina Murphy.

History

The college was established by the 1891

General Synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Anglican Communion The General Synod of the Church of England, which was established in 1970 replacing the Church Assembly (Church of England), Church Assembly, is t ...

of the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania. The college was founded in order to provide for the "systematic study of divinity", especially among clergy and ordination candidates, there being In 1899, there were four awards of the college - the Associate in Theology, the Licentiate in Theology, the Scholar in Theology and the Fellow of the College of Theology - and about 30 students. Today the college offers a wide range of accredited higher education awards catering not only for the specialised needs of ministerial and missionary candidates but also for the needs of lay people interested in an understanding of the Christian faith and its implications for contemporary life. The ACT is a national consortium of affiliated colleges with 17 theological and Bible colleges approved to deliver its accredited courses. Over 1,500 equivalent full-time students, or over 3,000 individual active students and research candidates, are enrolled in courses each year. On 12 November 2004, the delegate of the Minister for Education, Science and Training approved the college as a higher education provider (HEP) under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth). This approval took effect in March 2005. As a HEP, the ACT administers the FEE-HELP program, by which students enrolled in accredited higher education courses of the ACT may receive an income contingent loan for their tuition fees. In addition, as a HEP under the Higher Education Support Act, the ACT was required to undergo a quality audit conducted by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA). In November 2006, the college was the first non-self-accrediting HEP to be audited. The AUQA audit report was completed in January 2007 and publicly released on the AUQA website in February 2007. The process was repeated in 2011 and the college underwent a Cycle 2 quality audit by AUQA. The report of the audit was publicly released on the website of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency in March 2012. In July 2010, the college received self-accrediting authority through to 2015, under the terms of the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes. The college is the first institution to be awarded self-accrediting status under the protocols. This means that the college can accredit its own courses in theology and ministry within the scope of the self-accrediting authority specified by the Department of Education and Training in New South Wales. The college is currently accredited by

TEQSA The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia's independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. The agency's purpose is to protect student interests and the reputation of Australia' ...

through till 2025.

Affiliated colleges

;New South Wales * Chinese Theological College Australia * Christ College * Mary Andrews College * Morling College * Sydney Missionary and Bible College * Youthworks College ;New Zealand *

Laidlaw College Laidlaw College (previously known as the Bible College of New Zealand) is the largest theological college in New Zealand. The college offers tertiary courses in biblical, theological, historical and pastoral studies, as well as professional d ...

, Auckland ;Queensland * Brisbane School of Theology *

Malyon College Malyon College is a Baptist college located in Brisbane, Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland. The college is associated with the Queensland Baptists (Australian Baptist Ministries) in Gaythorne, Queensland. It offers degrees through the Australian Co ...

Queensland Theological College The Queensland Theological College (QTC) is a theological college in Queensland, Australia. Based in Brisbane, it is the training college of the Presbyterian Church of Queensland and takes a Reformed Evangelical or Reformed Protestant stance. T ...

* Trinity College Queensland ;South Australia * Bible College of South Australia ;Victoria *

Melbourne School of Theology The Melbourne School of Theology (MST) is an evangelical Christian theological college with its main campus in Wantirna, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school has a Chinese department, known as MST Chinese, in which under ...

Presbyterian Theological College The Presbyterian Theological College (PTC) is the theological college of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. It provides theological education for candidates for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, as well as for members of o ...

Reformed Theological College The Reformed Theological College (RTC) is the theological college supported by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand, and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia. It is located in the Melbou ...

Ridley College Ridley College (also known as RC, Ridley) is a private boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, 20 miles (32 km) from Niagara Falls. The school confers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma ...

;Western Australia * Trinity Theological College * the Perth campus of Morling College

Courses

The accredited higher education courses have grown from the Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree, first accredited in 1975 and the research degree of

Master of Theology Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a stand ...

(MTh) in 1976. The Master of Arts (Theology) (MA h degree was added in 1988. 1992 saw the accreditation of the Bachelor of Ministry (BMin) degree – the first of several coursework degrees in theology with a ministry major. The

Doctor of Ministry The Doctor of Ministry (abbreviated DMin or D.Min.) is a professional doctorate, often including a research component, that may be earned by a minister of religion while concurrently engaged in some form of ministry. It is categorized as an advanced ...

(DMin), a doctorate modelled on Australian university professional doctorates and North American Doctor of Ministry degrees, was first accredited in 1998. The courses of the college are accredited by the Australian College of Theology, under approval as a self-accrediting provider. *Undergraduate Certificate of Theology *Undergraduate Certificate of Ministry *Diploma of Theology *Diploma of Ministry *Diploma of Theology / Diploma of Ministry *Advanced Diploma of Theology *Advanced Diploma of Ministry *Associate Degree of Ministry *Associate Degree of Theology *Bachelor of Christian Studies *Bachelor of Theology *Bachelor of Ministry *Bachelor of Theology / Bachelor of Ministry *Bachelor of Theology (Honours) *Bachelor of Ministry (Honours) *Graduate Certificate of Divinity *Graduate Diploma of Divinity *Master of Ministry *Master of Divinity *Master of Divinity / Graduate Diploma of Divinity *Graduate Certificate of Christian Studies *Graduate Certificate of Pastoral Care for Mental Health *Graduate Certificate of Christian Mentoring *Graduate Certificate of Christian Leadership *Graduate Certificate of Leadership *Master of Christian Leadership *Master of Arts (Christian Studies) *Master of Missional Leadership *Master of Arts (Theology) *Master of Arts (Ministry) *Master of Theology *Doctor of Ministry *Doctor of Philosophy *Doctor of Theology

Notable alumni

* Peter Adam, former principal of Ridley College (Melbourne) * John Armstrong, Anglican bishop * Robert J. Banks, biblical scholar and practical theologian *

Paul Barker Paul Gordon Barker (born February 8, 1959), also referred to as Hermes Pan, is the former bass guitarist, producer and engineer of the industrial metal band Ministry from 1986 to 2003. Prior to Ministry, Barker provided bass for the Seattle ...

, bishop in the Anglican Church of Australia * Paul Barnett, Anglican bishop, ancient historian and New Testament scholar * Geoffrey Bingham, former principal of the Bible College of South Australia *

Ross Clifford Ross Richard Clifford AM (born 1951) is an Australian Baptist theologian, political commentator, radio personality and author. A former lawyer who later joined the ministry, Clifford became a campaigner on moral issues while a suburban Sydney pa ...

, Baptist theologian, political commentator, radio personality and author * Gordon Cheng, author *

Richard Condie Richard Condie, (born 1942) is a Canadian animator, filmmaker, musician and voice actor. Condie is best known for his 1985 animated short '' The Big Snit'' at the National Film Board of Canada and has won six international awards for ''Getting ...

, the

Anglican Bishop of Tasmania The Bishop of Tasmania is the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania, Australia. List of Bishops of Tasmania John Vernon Kestell Cornish (13 October 193126 January 1982) was consecrated 19 May 1979 at St George's Cathed ...

Mark Durie Mark Durie (born 1958) is an Australian Anglican priest and a scholar in linguistics and theology. He is the founding director of the Institute for Spiritual Awareness, a Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a senior research fellow of the Art ...

, scholar in linguistics and theology * John Dickson, apologist, historian and founder of the Centre for Public Christianity * John Fleming, priest and bioethicist * Michael Frost, Baptist missiologist *

Kevin Giles Kevin N. Giles (born 1940) is an Australian evangelical Anglican priest and theologian who was in parish ministry for over 40 years. He and his family live in Melbourne, Australia. Giles studied at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Durham Uni ...

, author and Anglican priest *

Graeme Goldsworthy Graeme Goldsworthy (born 7 September 1934) is an Australian evangelical Anglican theologian specialising in the Old Testament and biblical theology. His most significant work is a trilogy: ''Gospel and Kingdom'', ''Gospel and Wisdom'', and ''The ...

, evangelical Anglican theologian *

Harry Goodhew Richard Henry "Harry" Goodhew AO (born 19 March 1931) is a retired Australian Anglican bishop who served as the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney from 1993 to 2000. Appointed as a compromise between opposing "conservative" and "liberal" factions of ...

, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney from 1993 to 2001 *

John Harrower John Douglas Harrower (born 16 October 1947) is an Australian Anglican bishop who served as the eleventh Bishop of Tasmania from 2000 to 2015. Harrower was educated at the University of Melbourne and worked as a petroleum engineer and indu ...

, eleventh

Alan Hirsch Alan Hirsch (born 24 October 1959) is an Australian author, serial entrepreneur, thought leader in the missional church movement, key missions strategist for churches around the world, and founder of numerous global organizations. Life Earl ...

, missional thinker and author *

Philip Edgecumbe Hughes Philip Edgcumbe Hughes (1915–1990) was an Anglican clergyman and New Testament scholar whose life spanned four continents: Australia, where he was born; South Africa, where he spent his formative years; England, where he was ordained; and the ...

, New Testament scholar, professor at

Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary is a Protestant theological seminary in the Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Princeton Theological Seminary in 1929 after Princeton chose to t ...

* Grenville Kent, academic, film producer, author and Christian communicator *

Norman Lacy Norman Henry Lacy (born 25 October 1941) is a former Australian politician, who was a Victorian Government Minister from May 1979 to April 1982 who grew up in Richmond, Victoria and three times represented his state at national under age basket ...

, politician and

Victorian Government The Victoria State Government, also referred to as just the Victorian Government, is the state-level authority for Victoria, Australia. Like all state governments, it is formed by three independent branches: the executive, the judicial, and th ...

minister 1979 to 1982 *

Phillip Jensen Phillip David Jensen (born 1945) is an Australian cleric of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the former Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral. He is the brother of Peter Jensen, the former Anglican Archbishop of Sydney. Early life and conversion J ...

, former dean of St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney * Peter Jensen, retired Australian Anglican bishop, theologian and academic *

Leon Morris Leon Lamb Morris (15 March 1914 – 24 July 2006) was an Australian New Testament scholar. Born in Lithgow, New South Wales, Morris was ordained to the Anglican ministry in 1938. He earned Bachelor of Divinity (with first class honors) in 1943 ...

, New Testament scholar *

Dianne "Di" Nicolios Dianne Dialecti "Di" Nicolios (born 1947) is a retired Australian Anglican priest. She was the first woman appointed Archdeacon for Women's Ministries in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. She held that position from January 1994 to May 2002. She was ...

, Anglican archdeacon * Charles Sherlock, theologian * Ray Smith, Anglican bishop * Dominic Steele, Anglican priest * Daniel Willis, former CEO of the Bible Society in New South Wales * Bruce W. Winter, New Testament scholar

Notable faculty and staff

* Peter Adam, former principal of Ridley College * Michael Bird, academic dean at Ridley College *

, principal of Morling College *

, lecturer at Melbourne School of Theology * John Dickson, fellow and lecturer at Ridley College * Michael Frost, lecturer at Morling College * Peter Jensen, retired Australian Anglican bishop, theologian and academic, Moore College (when part of the ACT) *

, former principal of Ridley College

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Australian College of Theology 1891 establishments in Australia Anglican Church of Australia Educational institutions established in 1891 Seminaries and theological colleges in New South Wales