About Me

I specialise in the New Testament and Christian origins. Originally from Aotearoa New Zealand, before joining the University of Divinity in 2021 I previously held research and teaching positions at the University of Auckland and then Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia.

My current research explores two key themes:

1. Social and economic upheaval and the early Jesus movement: looking at how social, economic, and religious factors influenced its development and the creation of early Christian ideas and texts.
2. Ideological and political interpretations: My work explores early Christian literature through various critical lenses, including historical materialism, masculinity and gender studies, history from below, and reception history.

Academic Journey

• GradCert in Aboriginal Studies, University of Notre Dame Australia (2024)
• PhD, University of Auckland (2013)
• BTheol(Hons) in Biblical Studies, University of Auckland (2010)
• BA in Philosophy, University of Auckland (2009)

Teaching

I’m passionate about empowering students as critical readers. Ancient texts come alive when we understand their historical, literary, and ideological contexts. Currently, I coordinate several units at the University of Divinity:

• New Testament and its World (watch promo)
• Conflict in Corinth
• Judaism in the Time of Jesus
• Decolonising the Gospels.

Supervision

I welcome supervision enquiries from prospective doctoral and minor thesis students, particularly those interested in exploring the implications of “history from below” in the study of the New Testament and/or early Christianity. My previous postgraduate supervision includes topics such as the resurrection of Jesus in its historical context and postcolonial readings of the Gospels.

Professional Contributions

Major Editorial Roles: Executive Editor of the Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus and former co-managing editor of The Bible and Critical Theory.

Academic Associations: Elected member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas and an active participant of the Society of Biblical Literature where I currently co-chair the “Bible and Its Influence: History and Impact” section of the International Meeting.

University Committees/Roles: Member of the Learning Environment’s Committee, and Deputy Chair of Examiners.

University Appointments

External Affiliations

• Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus (Executive Editor)