Fergus King

Fergus has a particular interest in the missiological implications of the New Testament. In his doctorate, awarded by the University of South Africa, he explored how the phenomenon of inculturation or contextualisation was used by the gospel writers to explain the phenomenon of Jesus’ life and death, and the church’s response to those events. All this is founded on Martin Hengel’s judgment that the NT is missiological in nature.

In his more recent work, he has researched how the NT writings resonate with the religious, philosophical and literary traditions of the ancient world to present the Christian faith in ways understood by their first audiences. This work recognises the porous boundaries which exist between Judaism, Graeco-Romanitas and emerging Christianity.

This research is then complemented by a hermeneutics of correspondence (Clodovis Boff) or resonance (Fidon Mwombeki) to suggest appropriate missiological theory and practice for our very different circumstances.

Fergus has also been influenced strongly by a lived experience and study of Christian faith in Africa and holds the view that African theological thinking and discourse must not be relegated to the sidelines of contemporary theology, or made to conform to the agendas of the North and West. Indeed, that there needs to be, as an act of justice and historical integrity, an increased recognition of the contribution made historically by African thinkers to Christianity, particularly in antiquity.

Current Research Areas

• Missional introduction and readers for the NT
• Anglican Church in Tanzania
• NT and post-Aristotelian Philosophy
• Sociocultural readings of the NT

Areas for Supervision

• Hermeneutics
• Socio-cultural and socio-literary readings of the NT
• Post-Aristotelian Philosophy
• African Christian Theology
• Missional readings of the NT

Publications

• “Epicureanism and the Gospel of John: A Study of their Compatibility. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe 537/. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020.
• With Emmanuel Mbennah, Mecka Ogunde and Dorothy Prentice, Nuru na Uzima: Essays Celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, 1970-2020. North Augusta GA: Missional University Press, 2021.
• A Missional Introduction to the New Testament. North Augusta GA: Missional University Press, 2021. 
• With Dorothy A. Lee. “Lost in Translation: Rethinking Words about Women in 1–2 Timothy.” Scottish Journal of Theology 74, no. 1 (2021): 52–66. 
• "Hit or Myth? Methodological Considerations in Comparing Dionysos with the Johannine Jesus." Biblical Theology Bulletin 51, no. 2 (May 2021): 88–100.
• With Matt Brain and Srebrenka Kunek. “Aether and Ethernet: Historical Perspectives on Immediacy and Eucharistic Participation in a Digital Age”. Cursor_ Zeitschrift Für Explorative Theologie, GDNT (2021): 1-25.
• “Of Blood and Black Puddings: Learning of the Importance of Contextual Biblical Reading from the Anglicans of Tanzania”. Pages 189-200 in Nuru na Uzima: Essays Celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, 1970-2020, edited by Emmanuel Mbennah, Mecka Ogunde, Dorothy Prentice and Fergus J. King. North Augusta GA: Missional University Press, 2021.
• “A Failure to Launch: Paul and the Philosophers of Athens” ABR 69 (2021): 53-70.
• “Friends, Foes, or Rivals: John Among the Philosophers” Pages 21-42 in The Enduring Impact of the Gospel of John, edited by Robert Derrenbacker, Dorothy A. Lee, and Muriel Porter. Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock, 2022.
• “A Sair Trauchle?: Reflections on process, mediation and reconciliation in Aberdeen & Orkney”, International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church, 21:3-4 (2022): 282-300.
• With Isaac Poobalan, “The Bronze Serpent: Abuse, Trauma and the Lifted Healer in the Wilderness.” Journal of Anglican Studies (2023): 1–21. 

Community Engagement

• “Exiles, not Enemies: Petrine Self-Determination in the Face of Empire”, Figuring the Enemy Workshop 2023, University of St Andrews. Tuesday 6th - Thursday 8th June, 2023.
•  “Friends, Foes or Rivals?: John among the Philosophers”. Fellowship for Biblical Studies Conference. Melbourne. October 2021.
• University of St Andrews Biblical Studies Symposium, “‘Duplicitous’ Philosophers? Reflections on Stoic and Epicurean Participation in Ritual.” September 2021.
• Participant, Conference, Gone Digital: How Digitality Disrupts Theology Co-author of “Aether and Ethernet: Historical Perspectives on Immediacy and Eucharistic Participation in a Digital Age”. July 2021.
• "Hit or Myth? Methodological Considerations in Comparing Dionysos with the Johannine Jesus." Fellowship for Biblical Studies Online Meeting, 2020.
• November 2022. Lecture, The Conversation, The Abbey, Gippsland. 
• October 2022. Founders’ Lecture, St Stephens, Gardenvale.
• May 2022. Panellist. AAMS Online Panel: Missional Introduction to the NT. 
• May 2022. Key Speaker. Diocese of Wangaratta Ministry Conference. 
• February 2022. Facilitator. Continuing Education Seminar, Trinity College- Global Anglican Identity.
• February 2022. Panellist, “Christos Tsiolkas talks ‘Damascus’ with Theologians”, Ridley College, Melbourne.
• November 2019. Key Speaker. Quiet Day, Deacons’ Day, Diocese of Ballarat.
• Member, International Association for Mission Studies.
• Member, Fellowship of Biblical Studies.
• Member, Society for New Testament Studies.

Web Materials including seminars, sermons, lectures, non-refereed publications and presentations:

• Wandering Aberdonian