Postgraduate Research Conference

In June, Trinity and Bristol Baptist College warmly welcomed forty of our postgraduate students to college from around the world for our annual postgraduate research conference.

The conference’s keynote address was given by William Meade Chair in Systematic Theology at Virginia Theological Seminary Prof Katherine Sonderegger. During the week, students presented research papers and participated in a weekend sightseeing trip to Oxford.

Last June, as Trinity welcomed its postgraduate students from around the world to come to Bristol for three days of presentations, discussion, and workshops, we were pleased to welcome author and New Testament scholar Prof NT Wright from the University of St Andrews to the conference as this year’s senior scholar.

Prof Wright spoke on the topic of ‘History, Eschatology and New Creation: How the Early Christians Saw God’s Activity in Jesus,’ and, after supper together, he met for a fireside chat with postgraduate students at a local Bristol pub. He also gave a public lecture on the topic of his new book, The Royal Revolution: Fresh Perspectives on the Cross.

During the conference, 26 postgraduate students presented papers related to their research topics, and all had the option to attend a publishing workshop presented by a commissioning editor from T&T Clark. First-year doctoral student Bruce Henning was awarded the annual prize for his essay ‘The Matthean Jesus’ Broad, Eschatological Use of Scripture, with Isaiah 61:1-3 as a Test Case.’

Next year’s guest scholar will be internationally recognised systematic theologian Rev Dr Katherine Sonderegger from Virginia Theological Seminary.

The audio from NT Wright’s public lecture during his time at Trinity is available here: http://bit.ly/2uDBzjL.

At the end of June, 44 postgraduate (PGR) students gathered from around the world to attend the annual postgraduate conference hosted by Trinity and Bristol Baptist College.

From 19-21 June, the students presented research papers, met with their supervisors, and attended seminars that included ‘Academic Writing: A Practical Approach to Improving Your Writing’ with Trinity tutor Prof Steve Walton and ‘After the PhD’ with Director of Postgraduate Research Dr Justin Stratis. In the evenings, they enjoyed the option of pub nights out together and a farewell dinner on Friday night.

The week’s keynote speaker, Old Testament Professor Rev Dr Lissa Wray Beal from Providence Theological Seminary in Manitoba, Canada, spoke on ‘Foreign Gods, Foreign Lives, Foreign Land: Indictment and Repentance in Jeremiah 5’. At the end of the week, she shared these remarks about Trinity’s PGR programme: ‘The programme is clearly situated in the church’s grand tradition of scripture and prayer, with Christ at its centre. It provides a supportive community to recognise, enable, and affirm research strengths. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the conference. The faculty was welcoming, strong in their love of Christ, and clearly passionate about their vocations of theological education.‘

On Saturday, PGR students had the option to participate in a trip to the British Museum in London, where Prof Steve Walton led a tour through the museum’s ancient artefacts. Those students still in Bristol on Sunday joined together for an afternoon barbecue at Trinity.

‘The annual research conference has become one of the highlights of my year and a central part of my life as a student,’ says research student Michael Rhodes. ‘As a distance student, it has been an incredible gift to be able to return to Trinity each year to a community of fellow students and scholars genuinely invested in one another’s work.  Doing research can be lonely, but the annual conference has been a tangible, experiential reminder that we work for the glory of God and as members of his body.’

The week’s paper prize was won by research student Allen Hill, who presented a paper on ‘The Implications of New Creation for a Christian Understanding of Time: Galatians 4:9-10’.

‘Once again, I am blown away by the quality and creativity of our students’ research,’ says Dr Stratis. ‘I am proud to be part of a faculty which invests so intentionally in students’ development as emerging scholars.’