Ridley College Podcast

🎙️ S4 E12 — Inside Ridley: Semester Two, Reformation Tour & Women's Writing Retreat with Rhys Bezzant & Bec Muir
Episode Description
In this episode of Inside Ridley, our Principal, Rhys Bezzant, sits down once again with faculty member Bec Muir for a warm catch-up on everything that's been happening at Ridley over the mid-year break. They cover a lot of ground, from the new kitchen and caterers on campus, to a new COO and CFO joining the executive team, to a long-awaited upgrade of the library catalogue that's already making life easier for students on campus and online. Bec shares highlights from Ridley's Women's Writing Retreat, a two-day gathering that brought together 40 women for focused writing time, workshops, and the kind of encouragement that's hard to find elsewhere. Rhys then takes listeners along on his recent Reformation tour through Germany, France and Switzerland, sharing two standout moments: Luther burning the papal bull at the spot where the local hospital burned its rags, and a centuries-old procession at the abbey church where Zwingli was radicalised. They also look ahead to Open Day, and give a shout-out to Ridley's often-invisible doctoral community, currently 28 strong and researching across the globe. A warm, wide-ranging, and genuinely enjoyable episode.

Got Questions?
Got questions about Ridley College? We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're thinking about studying with us or just want to know what life at Ridley is really like. No question is too big or too small. Drop your questions in the comments below or email us at pod@ridley.edu.au and we'll do our best to answer every single one. 👇
Open Day
Explore studying Theology and Ministry at Ridley College and meet our faculty and other prospective students.
Whether you join on campus or online, you’ll have the chance to hear from Ridley faculty, learn about our college and our courses, and ask any questions you may have about study or the admissions process. RSVP: https://www.ridley.edu.au/open/

Study With Ridley
If you are interested in finding out more about studying at Ridley College or have any questions regarding any courses or units, we invite you to contact us via this link: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/
Ridley Chapel Podcast
Be sure to check out our Ridley Chapel Sermons Podcast through this link: https://ridleychapel.transistor.fm/
Donate
This podcast is made possible through the generous donations of our alumni and supporters. We welcome your partnership with us in our mission of equipping men and women for God’s mission in our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. If you’d like to contribute to our work, you can donate by clicking this link if you wish to donate: https://www.ridley.edu.au/donate/
Connect with Ridley College
Website: https://www.ridley.edu.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegeridley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleycollegemelbourne/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/ridley-melbourne/
Study at Ridley: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/

🎙️ S4 E11 — The Leon Morris Lecture in New Testament Studies 2026
 “I live by the faith of God and Christ: A Deep Dive into Galatians 2:20.”
With Stephen Carlson
Episode Description
In Paul’s letters there are debates about whether certain Greek phrases should be translated as “faith in Christ” or “Christ’s faithfulness.” In this presentation, Dr. Stephen Carlson provides a comprehensive analysis of Galatians 2:20 to show how a close reading of the text, including some very interest textual variants, gives us a fresh perspective on Paul’s account of faith and faithfulness in Galatians. 
Speaker Bio:
Dr Stephen C. Carlson is Associate Professor in the Biblical and Early Christianity program in the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at the Australian Catholic University. He is author of three books, The Gospel Hoax: Morton Smith’s Invention of Secret Mark (2005), The Text of Galatians and its History (2015), and Papias of Hierapolis, Exposition of Dominical Oracles: The Fragments, Testimonia, and Reception of a Second-Century Commentator (2021). He is also the author of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, including those on the so-called "inn" in Luke's infancy account and the donkeys in Matthew's triumphal entry.
Got Questions?
Got questions about Ridley College? We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're thinking about studying with us or just want to know what life at Ridley is really like. No question is too big or too small. Drop your questions in the comments below or email us at pod@ridley.edu.au and we'll do our best to answer every single one. 👇

Study With Ridley
If you are interested in finding out more about studying at Ridley College or have any questions regarding any courses or units, we invite you to contact us via this link: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/
Ridley Chapel Podcast
Be sure to check out our Ridley Chapel Sermons Podcast through this link: https://ridleychapel.transistor.fm/
Donate
This podcast is made possible through the generous donations of our alumni and supporters. We welcome your partnership with us in our mission of equipping men and women for God’s mission in our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. If you’d like to contribute to our work, you can donate by clicking this link if you wish to donate: https://www.ridley.edu.au/donate/
Connect with Ridley College
Website: https://www.ridley.edu.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegeridley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleycollegemelbourne/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/ridley-melbourne/
Study at Ridley: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/

🎙️ S4 E10 A Third Way: The Text and Theology of Galatians 2:20 with Stephen Carlson
 
Episode Description
In this episode, Ridley's own Revd Dr Mike Bird sits down with Dr Stephen Carlson, Associate Professor of New Testament and Biblical Studies at the Australian Catholic University, ahead of the annual Leon Morris Lecture.
Their conversation is, by Mike's own admission, "epic Bible nerd stuff" and it absolutely is. But it's also genuinely fascinating for anyone who has ever opened a Bible and wondered how we got the text we have. The episode centres on a single verse, Galatians 2:20, and the insight that the earliest manuscript we have of Galatians, dating to just after 200 AD, actually reads differently from most of our modern English translations. Dr Carlson explains what is going on in this verse, what is at stake, and how we live by faith in God and Christ. They then dive into what the new reading means theologically, opening up a third way beyond the long-running "faith in Christ vs. faithfulness of Christ" debate, and landing on a rich, Trinitarian understanding of what it means to live by faith. If you've ever wanted to understand how scholars work out what the Bible actually says, and why it matters, this is the episode for you.

Open Day
Explore studying Theology and Ministry at Ridley College and meet our faculty and other prospective students.
Whether you join on campus or online, you’ll have the chance to hear from Ridley faculty, learn about our college and our courses, and ask any questions you may have about study or the admissions process. RSVP: https://www.ridley.edu.au/open/

Got Questions?
Got questions about Ridley College? We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're thinking about studying with us or just want to know what life at Ridley is really like. No question is too big or too small. Drop your questions in the comments below or email us at pod@ridley.edu.au and we'll do our best to answer every single one. 👇

Study With Ridley
If you are interested in finding out more about studying at Ridley College or have any questions regarding any courses or units, we invite you to contact us via this link: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/
Ridley Chapel Podcast
Be sure to check out our Ridley Chapel Sermons Podcast through this link: https://ridleychapel.transistor.fm/
Donate
This podcast is made possible through the generous donations of our alumni and supporters. We welcome your partnership with us in our mission of equipping men and women for God’s mission in our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. If you’d like to contribute to our work, you can donate by clicking this link if you wish to donate: https://www.ridley.edu.au/donate/
Connect with Ridley College
Website: https://www.ridley.edu.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegeridley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleycollegemelbourne/
Study at Ridley: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/

🎙️ S4 E9 — Preaching to Uncle Bob: Evangelistic Preaching in a Post-Christian World with John Dickson
Episode Description

In this episode, Ridley Faculty member, Tim Johnson, sits down with the John Dickson — historian, author, podcaster, and public Christian — ahead of the annual Ridley Preachers Conference. Their conversation centres on one of the most important and underestimated skills in ministry: evangelistic preaching. Not the Billy Graham crusade kind — but the kind that happens every Sunday in local churches around the country, where real doubters are sitting in real pews. John makes a compelling case that the local church is still the most powerful evangelistic tool we have, and that any preacher — not just the gifted evangelist — can learn to preach in a way that has something for the doubter in the room. They explore the difference between evangelistic preaching and evangelism, the common missteps that lose sceptical listeners, how to handle questions about Christianity's goodness and reputation, what Aristotle's three elements of persuasion have to do with the pulpit, and John's one piece of advice for anyone preparing an evangelistic sermon this Sunday. Whether you're a seasoned preacher or just starting out, this is a conversation that will change the way you think about your next sermon.
The Ridley Preachers Conference takes place 27–28 August at Ridley College, Melbourne — in person and online. Visit ridley.edu.au/apc for details.

Got Questions?
Got questions about Ridley College? We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're thinking about studying with us or just want to know what life at Ridley is really like. No question is too big or too small. Drop your questions in the comments below or email us at pod@ridley.edu.au and we'll do our best to answer every single one. 👇

Study With Ridley
If you are interested in finding out more about studying at Ridley College or have any questions regarding any courses or units, we invite you to contact us via this link: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/
Ridley Chapel Podcast
Be sure to check out our Ridley Chapel Sermons Podcast through this link: https://ridleychapel.transistor.fm/
Donate
This podcast is made possible through the generous donations of our alumni and supporters. We welcome your partnership with us in our mission of equipping men and women for God’s mission in our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. If you’d like to contribute to our work, you can donate by clicking this link if you wish to donate: https://www.ridley.edu.au/donate/
Connect with Ridley College
Website: https://www.ridley.edu.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegeridley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleycollegemelbourne/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/ridley-melbourne/
Study at Ridley: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/

🎙️ S4 E8 — Why Youth Ministry Needs to Innovate And What That Actually Means with Chris Curtis
 
Episode Description
In this episode, Graham Stanton — Director of Youth Ministry Futures and the Ridley Centre for Children's and Youth Ministry  — sits down with Chris Curtis, CEO of Youthscape from Luton in the UK, fresh off the week-long YMF residential with 50 youth ministry leaders from across Australia. Their conversation picks up where the residential left off, exploring one of the most important — and sometimes misunderstood — words in ministry today: innovation. Chris unpacks his definition of innovation as: “The Spirit-led reimagining of mission and ministry in changing contexts, while remaining rooted in the unchanging person of Jesus Christ." They dig into the history of the word (spoiler: it started in the church — and it wasn't a compliment), the four levels at which innovation happens in youth ministry — structures, methods, language and tools — and what "creative destruction" really means for those of us who love the programs and traditions through which we came to faith. Chris also shares his observations on Australian youth ministry from the outside, why youth ministry is the R&D department of the church, and what a sixth-century Irish monk named Brendan might have to teach us about leaving the familiar for the unknown. A rich, wide-ranging, and genuinely energising conversation for anyone in or around youth and children's ministry.
Youth Ministry Futures
The youth ministry futures project has a vision to grow the number of long-term youth ministry leaders with the theological and practical wisdom to meet the challenges of sharing Jesus with young people in a complex world. 
We dream of a fellowship of people, committed to praying, promoting, and providing for local church youth ministries, to shift youth ministry from a part-time side hustle into a viable, long-term ministry calling, and see a reinvigorated system of healthy youth ministry in churches across Australia. Learn more: https://ymfutures.com.au/
Got Questions?
Got questions about Ridley College? We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're thinking about studying with us or just want to know what life at Ridley is really like. No question is too big or too small. Drop your questions in the comments below or email us at pod@ridley.edu.au and we'll do our best to answer every single one. 👇

Study With Ridley
If you are interested in finding out more about studying at Ridley College or have any questions regarding any courses or units, we invite you to contact us via this link: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/
Ridley Chapel Podcast
Be sure to check out our Ridley Chapel Sermons Podcast through this link: https://ridleychapel.transistor.fm/
Donate
This podcast is made possible through the generous donations of our alumni and supporters. We welcome your partnership with us in our mission of equipping men and women for God’s mission in our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. If you’d like to contribute to our work, you can donate by clicking this link if you wish to donate: https://www.ridley.edu.au/donate/
Connect with Ridley College
Website: https://www.ridley.edu.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collegeridley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridleycollegemelbourne/
Study at Ridley: https://www.ridley.edu.au/study/