Tonight saw the launch of a new public policy ‘think-tank’. The new venture is a co-operative effort between the Zadok Institute for Christianity and Culture, and the Evangelical Alliance Department of Publc Theology. Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia, addressed the topic “Post-Copenhagen, climate change and the poor” at the launch dinner at Ridley Melbourne. Responses to his address were given by Dr. Mick Pope, Amar Breckenridge and Dr. Gordon Preece.
Dr Preece was recently appointed to the position of Director of Ethos. He is internationally recognised as a leader in workplace theology and is a prolific writer. He has authored or edited eleven books, a plethora of articles and is currently the Executive Editor of Zadok Perspectives. Gordon has ministered at several Anglican churches in Sydney and is now at Yarraville Anglican. He lectured at Morling College Sydney and was Director of the Centre for Applied Christian Ethics (CACE) at Ridley College, Macquarie Christian Studies Institute and Urban Seed, a ministry of hospitality to the homeless.
The Revd Ian Packer, a Baptist minister based in Sydney, has been appointed as Assistant Director. Ian also serves on the Baptist Union Social Issues Committee for NSW & ACT and the executive for the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand. He completed his BA in politics, philosophy and sociology at Murdoch University, theology at the Baptist College of WA, and his MDiv at Ridley and Morling colleges and is currently pursuing doctoral research on vocation through Charles Sturt University. He lectures at several colleges in theology and ethics and their interface with other disciplines. This flows from his conviction that there is no sphere of life excluded from the call to follow Jesus Christ.
Ethos is constituted as a network of outstanding Christian thinkers and activists drawn together into a series of standing think-tanks that will offer in-depth theological and ethical analysis of and comment on critical issues to a broad range of groups.
The Centre is especially committed to empowering Christian professionals to profess their faith publicly by word and deed, hoping to demonstrate the relevance and distinctiveness of the public life of the Christian community.
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