Michael Bird (theologian)

Michael F. Bird (born 18 November 1974) is an Australian New Testament scholar, theologian and Anglican priest.

Michael Bird
Born (1974-11-18) 18 November 1974 (age 49)
Paderborn, West Germany[1][2]
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Vice principal and lecturer, Ridley College (Melbourne)
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Queensland (Ph.D.)
ThesisMany will come from the East and the West: Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission (2005)
Doctoral advisorRick Strelan
Robert L. Webb
Academic work
DisciplineTheology and New Testament
Sub-disciplinePauline studies, Christology, patristics
Websitepatheos.com/blogs/euangelion

Life and career

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In his teenage years, Bird was an atheist who saw Christianity "as a way of oppressing people, a purely human construct".[citation needed] After becoming a Christian he was firstly a Baptist, then a Presbyterian and now an Anglican.[3] He has been called by the ecumenical media platform Eternity a "heavy hitter" in the world of New Testament scholarship and Jesus's divinity.[4]

Bird is vice principal and lecturer in theology and New Testament at Ridley College, having previously taught at the Brisbane School of Theology and Highland Theological College.[5] He studied at Malyon College and the University of Queensland.[5] He is also Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist University.[6]

Bird has written a number of books, including The New Testament in Its World (2019, with N. T. Wright), Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction (2013) and The Gospel of the Lord: How the Early Church Wrote the Story of Jesus (2014). The Gospel of the Lord won the Biblical Studies section of the 2015 Christianity Today Book Awards.[7] Bird is also the author of a fantasy novel titled Iskandar: And the Immortal King of Iona.[8]

Bird is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Society of Biblical Literature and Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas.[5]

In November 2015, he was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church of Australia.[9]

Works

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Books

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  • Bird, Michael F. (2006). Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission. The Library of New Testament Studies. Vol. 331. London: T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567044730.
  • ——— (2007). The Saving Righteousness of God: studies on Paul, justification and the new perspective. Paternoster biblical monographs. Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster. ISBN 9781842274651. OCLC 154723550.
  • ———; Crossley, James G. (2008). How did Christianity Begin?: a believer and non-believer examine the evidence. London: SPCK ; Peabody, Mass. : Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 9780281058501. OCLC 233940908.
  • ——— (2008). Introducing Paul: the man, his mission, and his message. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830828975. OCLC 262430760.
  • ——— (2009). Colossians & Philemon: a new covenant commentary. New Covenant Commentary Series. Cambridge, England: The Lutterworth Press. ISBN 9780718842819. OCLC 889271472.
  • ——— (2010). Crossing over Sea and Land: Jewish missionary activity in the Second Temple period. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 9781598564341. OCLC 430054695.
  • ——— (2012). Jesus is the Christ: the Messianic testimony of the Gospels. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830828234. OCLC 812258100.
  • ——— (2013). Evangelical Theology: a Biblical and systematic introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310494416. OCLC 829239510.
  • ——— (2014). The Gospel of the Lord: how the early church wrote the story of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802867766. OCLC 854612618.
  • ———; Evans, Craig A.; Gathercole, Simon J.; Hill, Charles E.; Tilling, Chris (2014). How God became Jesus : the real origins of belief in Jesus' divine nature--a response to Bart Ehrman. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310519591. OCLC 871186821.
  • ———; Johnson, Adam J. (2016). The Reconciling Wisdom of God: Reframing the Doctrine of the Atonement. Snaphots. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 9781577997252. OCLC 989057109.
  • ———; Wright, N. T. (2019). The New Testament in its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310499305. - (forthcoming Nov. 2019)<ref>"Coming in November 2019: N.T. Wright and Michael Bird - the New Testament in its World". 18 December 2018.
  • ———; Wright, N. T. (2024). Jesus and the Powers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310162247.

As editor

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References

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  1. ^ Halcomb, T. Michael W. (2012). Entering the Fray: A Primer on New Testament Issues for the Church and Academy. Wipf and Stock. p. 280. ISBN 9781620323281. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Michael F. Bird's - CurriculumVitae". Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  3. ^ Bird, Michael (20 May 2016). "Go Ahead, Evangelicals: Use the P-Word". Christianity Today. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  4. ^ Lim, Anne (11 March 2016). "How an atheist became a leading Christian scholar". Eternity News. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Mike Bird". Ridley College. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  6. ^ "Houston Baptist University hires four new professors in School of Christian Thought". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Christianity Today's 2015 Book Awards". Christianity Today. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  8. ^ Bird, Michael F. (9 January 2013). Iskandar: And the Immortal King of Iona. ISBN 9781621896470.
  9. ^ Bird, Michael. "Go Ahead, Evangelicals: Use the P-Word". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
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