The Meaning and Significance of the Kingdom of God in Luke-Acts: A Narrative-Critical and Discourse Analytical Approach
Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor David Neville
Co-Supervisor: Dr Alexandra Robinson
This study will utilise an inductive approach to examine occurrences of the phrase, the kingdom of God (ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ) in Luke–Acts with a view to obtaining a deeper understanding of its meaning and significance as a key theological theme, central to the mission of Jesus of Nazareth. The study identifies explicit references to the kingdom of God in Luke–Acts, together with a number of intrinsically related motifs, studying the pattern of occurrences through narrative criticism and text linguistics (discourse analysis). The intention of this study is to explore evidence for understandings of the kingdom of God that may have been held by Jesus’ implied hearers, and thereby transmitted to Luke’s hearers or readers some decades after Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. This study makes two key assumptions: firstly, that the Gospel and Acts share a common, though anonymous author, hereinafter referred to as Luke; and secondly, there is demonstrated unity of purpose linking the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles as two closely related volumes.
I wished to study theology through St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra. Recommendations from other students re the quality of the program have been more than confirmed throughout my MA (Theological Studies) program and now my PHD.
I am a member of Centre for Gospels and Acts Research.
None related to Theology. (Previous publications and conference presentations related to my PHD/research in Education).