Centenary Celebrations

CALVIN QUINCENTENARY

In July 2009 the Uniting Church of Australia Centre for Theology and Ministry, Parkville, Victoria, held a week-long Seminar in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. The distinguished Calvin scholar, Elsie McKee, Archibald Alexander Professor of Reformation Studies and the History of Worship at Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey, delivered the Northey Lecture in the course of the seminar. Pacifica is delighted to publish Professor McKee’s lecture in this issue of the journal, along with articles derived from two other lectures given in the course of the conference, both dedicated, in a complementary way, to Calvin’s treatment of the Psalms: Dr Gregory Goswell explores Jewish influences behind the Reformer’s exegesis and Professor Howard Wallace indicates the light the Preface sheds upon the hermeneutic that is operative in Calvin’s commentary on Psalms. A review article of Professor McKee’s recent translation of the French version of Calvin’s Institutes (1541) by Emeritus Professor Ian Breward completes the contributions that render the major part of this issue a commemoration of the great Reformer. As an ecumenical journal within an ecumenical age, Pacifica is pleased in this way to honour the memory of so significant a figure within the wider Christian tradition.

Appropriately, the two remaining articles in the issue pursue the ecumenical impetus in further directions. Dr Duncan Reid examines the recent work of a prominent theologian of the Eastern Orthodox tradition, John Zizioulas. Professor Douglas Pratt examines the implications of interfaith dialogue for Christian discipleship.

MELBOURNE COLLEGE OF DIVINITY CENTENARY CONFERENCE

In 2010 the Melbourne College of Divinity will celebrate the centenary of its foundation as a unique enterprise in ecumenical theological education. The major element of the celebration will be a four-day conference in Melbourne, 4-7 July, with the overall theme “The Future of Religion in Australian Society”.

The theme of the conference arises out of a commitment on the part of the College to encourage both its scholars and its students to anchor “a faith that seeks understanding” in the secular milieu, and to engage in a spirit of dialogue with wider social contexts. It reflects a long- standing objective to address significant societal issues from a sound and reasoned theological viewpoint, as well as offering various sectors within Australian society opportunities for dialogue with traditions and values that have been refined over centuries. The aim is to aid, by research and other appropriate means, the advancement and develop- ment of theological knowledge and its practical application in the life of the churches, public policy and the well-being of society at large.

A number of overseas and local scholars who are pre-eminent in their field have been invited to contribute to the conference, leading to the expectation that it will be a seminal event in theological reflection in Australia. As well as developing a base for the Melbourne College of Divinity to move forward into its next century, it will provide valuable insights for theological and academic institutions in Australia and overseas.

In preparation for the centenary and the conference, the June 2010 issue of Pacifica will be an enlarged dedicated issue containing a com- missioned history of the Melbourne College of Divinity and a series of articles from a representative selection of scholars associated with the College. The October 2010 issue will be dedicated to the publication of noteworthy papers delivered at the conference. Pacifica is happy to contribute in this way to the celebration of the centenary of the academic institution that is its primary sponsor.

Brendan Byrne S.J. Editor-in-Chief