Matthias Media: Tony, you’ve just started a new full-time job. Tell us about it, and why you decided to take it on.

Tony Payne: I’m honoured to have been appointed to the faculty of Moore Theological College as a lecturer in Christian thought to teach in ethics (and some other areas). As part of this appointment, I’m also now the director of the College’s ethics centre, The Centre for Christian Living. As to why I agreed to take on this role, it was both an easy and a difficult decision! Moore College had a particular gap and need, and I was one of a small number of people who were suitable to fill it. I love the College and its work, and so in that sense it was not at all difficult to be enthusiastic about this new opportunity. The hard part was that saying yes to this role meant saying no to the other very good things I’ve been doing recently—being part of the ministry team at Campus Bible Study (UNSW), collaborating with Phillip Jensen on the Two Ways News podcast, and having a decent amount of time available each week to write.

MM: Most of us think of ‘ethics’ as the subject where you learn how to answer tricky moral questions on issues like euthanasia or same-sex marriage from a Christian perspective. But is Christian ethics more than that?

TP: There’s the kind of leading question that I like! Ethics is the discipline that seeks to understand morality and moral action, and Christian ethics does that from the viewpoint of God and the gospel.

In that sense, ethics is sort of a partner to systematic theology. Systematic theology seeks to understand and explain what is real and true in light of God’s revelation in Christ. Ethics seeks to understand and explain what is good and right in light of that theological truth, and what that means for our character and action in the world. Ethics is where all our biblical exegesis and theological integration land in the moment of moral decision, where we have to resolve what to do.

So of course, it’s one of the most important courses in the College curriculum!

MM: In the press release put out by the College announcing your appointment, you’re quoted as saying “Moore College is one of the most important Christian training institutions in the world”. Is that just a bit of ‘press release hyperbole’? What makes you say that?

TP: Well, I could answer that in terms of how important Christian ministry is, and thus how important it is to train men and women deeply and thoroughly for that task. And as to why Moore College itself is so important, I could answer by talking about its absolutely central role, historically and ongoing, not just within Sydney but within the landscape of Australian evangelical Christianity. Go almost anywhere within Australian evangelicalism—you won’t have to scratch very far below the surface to find the imprint of Moore College via the thousands of men and women who have trained there over the past 50 years.

But I think Moore’s significance is international as well. It is one of a small number of theological colleges around the world successfully melding together an academically rigorous commitment to Reformed evangelical theology and exegesis in the original languages with a warm-hearted, gospel-centred ministry and mission culture, within a residential model of communal learning—all with the aim of not just growing in skills and knowledge but in knowing and loving the God who saves us. It’s a brilliant place, and students are increasingly coming from all over the world to study here.

MM: What aspects of Moore College life are you especially looking forward to getting back to? What new things do you anticipate?

TP: Being a lecturer at Moore is a threefold role: you’re a teacher, a pastor and a scholar. I’m looking forward to all of these! Teaching and interacting with students in class is stimulating and fun, as is the reward of seeing them grow in understanding. The pastoral side of it means looking after a small group of students, as well as participating in the Christian community life of the College—which is a privilege and a joy. And having some space to read and research and write is also kind of up my alley, so I’m looking forward to that as well.

All the same, from chatting to other faculty members, I get the sense that juggling these different facets, along with all the normal frustrations of working life in our fallen world, makes for a pretty demanding role. I’m anticipating being stretched!

MM: Many people have appreciated the books and other resources you’ve written over the years. But does this new academic role mean the end of Tony Payne as a popular-level author?

TP: Well, I hope not! My work with The Centre for Christian Living, in particular, will provide plenty of opportunities for bringing an evangelical approach to ethics to bear on the challenges of living as God’s people in his world. So I’m expecting that some popular level writing (and podcasting and other things) will emerge from that. But realistically, I won’t be able to write quite as much as in recent years. I’ve averaged around a book a year in the past five years, and I suspect I won’t be able to keep that pace up!

MM: What would you like us to pray for you with these new responsibilities?

TP: Pray for Ali and me as we move from West Ryde into a College house in Newtown and settle into a new community, a new job and a new church. Pray that I’d adjust to the rhythms and demands of the new role and be a faithful, creative and effective teacher.