Thanks to the St John’s Opportunities Fund, Theology and Religion PhD student Chris de Stigter attended the Tyndale Fellowship Conference in High Leigh. He presented a paper comparing ethical decision-making in Acts and Paul’s letters, with mention of the surprising continuity in New Testament moral reasoning.
For those that don’t know me, my name is Chris de Stigter and I am a PhD student in the Theology & Religion department working with Prof. John Barclay. This is the second time I have received the John’s Student Opportunities Award, and it has been a tremendous gift to my time as a research student. This year, I attended the Tyndale Fellowship Conference in High Leigh. It was a time to meet colleagues (old and new), hear stimulating presentations, and open doors to further conversation. More specifically, I reconnected with an old friend from my undergraduate, Wes Vander Lugt, and connected with other postgrads working in the field of Pauline studies.
During most of the conference, I attended the New Testament study group headed up by John’s (and Cranmer’s) own Nicholas Moore. The focus of the study group this year was the Acts of the Apostles. Though my primary area of research is St Paul’s letters, I was able to present a paper on the relationship of ethical decision-making in Paul and Acts. More specifically, I showed that Acts’ representation of early Christian decision-making was very similar to what is represented in Paul’s letters. This reveals a higher degree of continuity in the New Testament’s portrayal of Christian moral reasoning than had previously been appreciated. Being able to present this argument facilitated valuable feedback on how I can better communicate and argue these ideas in the future.
Photo Credit: Chris de Stigter
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