James Haire
The Reverend Professor Ian James Mitchell Haire AC is a theologian and Christian minister of religion. He is professor emeritus of Charles Sturt University, Australia and past executive director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. He was formerly the fourth president of the National Council of Churches in Australia and the ninth president of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Education
Haire was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and at Worcester College, University of Oxford, where he studied classics and theology as an open exhibitioner, and was a rower. He graduated with a B.A., which became an M.A., in theology.He undertook management training in Britain and Europe, and then postgraduate theological studies in Leiden, Birmingham and Belfast. His Ph.D. in theology is from the University of Birmingham.
Honorary degrees
He has received the following honorary degrees- Doctor of Divinity from the Presbyterian Theological Faculty, Ireland, Belfast in 1999,
- Doctor of the University from Griffith University, Queensland in 2000,
- Doctor of Letters from Ulster University, Northern Ireland in 2006, and
- Doctor of the University from the Australian Catholic University in 2011.
Work
Haire served as Uniting Church minister of Darwin City Parish from 1985 to 1986.
From 1987 to 2003, he was professor of New Testament studies at Trinity Theological College, Brisbane, and was principal of Trinity College from 1992 to 2000. He was also the dean of the Brisbane College of Theology from 1991 to 1997, and president of the Brisbane College of Theology from 1997 to 1999. In addition, he was professor of theology at Griffith University in Brisbane, and was head of the School of Theology at Griffith University from 1993 to 2000.
He has examined for higher degrees at various universities in Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands and South-East Asia. He has been visiting professor at two Indonesian Universities, and has been on the editorial boards or advisory boards of seven international theological journals and two international theological book series. From 1990 to 1993 he was editor of Colloquium: The Australian and New Zealand Theological Review, and from 1992 to 1996 he was president of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Theological Studies.
In 2009 he became a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry at Princeton, USA, and in 2019 he became a McCord Fellow at the CTI. In 2011 he became an Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College, University of Queensland. In 2012 he became extraordinary professor of theology at the University of Halmahera, Indonesia, where he had previously been visiting professor. Since 2012 he has been a member of the Board of International Evaluators for the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise in the Wissenschaftlich-theologisches Seminar at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He is an elected Member of the International Academy of Practical Theology, an elected Member of the International Association for Mission Studies, and a Foundation Member of the International Reformed Theological Institute. Since 2011 he has been a Centre Member of the Global Network of Research Centers for Theology, Religious and Christian Studies.
He was co-chair of the National Dialogue between the Uniting Church in Australia and the Catholic Church in Australia from 1992 to 2004. He represented the Uniting Church at the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches at Santiago de Compostela, Spain in 1993, and was an official guest at the Ninth Assembly of the World Council of Churches meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2006. In 2001 he became the first non-Anglican to preach at the Opening and Closing Eucharist Services, and to conduct the daily Bible Studies, at the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia.
From 2002 to 2014 he was a member of the International Joint Commission for Dialogue between the World Methodist Council and the Roman Catholic Church. From 2004 to 2010 he was a member of the Network of Theologians of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and from 2009 to 2019 was a member of the editorial advisory board of Reformed World of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
He was a main speaker at the Maramon Convention in India in 2006. He was Niles Memorial Lecturer and Keynote Speaker at the Twelfth General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2005, and was a member of the executive and general committees of the Christian Conference of Asia from 2005 to 2010. He was Thomas Mar Athanasius Memorial Lecturer in India in 2004, and Ferguson Lecturer at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 2007. In 2013 he was appointed Lipman Fellow at St. Peter's College, Adelaide, and delivered the Lipman Fellow Lecture that year. He was the St. Andrew's College, University of Sydney annual lecturer in 2016. He was the Norman and Mary Miller Memorial Lecturer in Brisbane in 1989, the Canon Ivor Church Lecturer in Brisbane in 1995, the Archdeacon Glennie Memorial Lecturer in Toowoomba, Queensland in 1997, the Margaret McKinnon Memorial Lecturer in Melbourne in 1999, and the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department Seminar Lecturer at the Asian Law Centre at the University of Melbourne in 2010.
Haire was also a member of the advisory board of the National Institute of Law, Ethics and Public Affairs, and was a member and chairperson of the Griffith Asia Pacific Council. From 2010 to 2011 he was a member of the panel appointed by the Government of Victoria to assess the application of the Melbourne College of Divinity to become a specialist university. It subsequently became the University of Divinity.
He was president-elect of the Uniting Church in Australia from 1997 to 2000, president of the Uniting Church in Australia from 2000 to 2003, and ex-president from 2003 to 2006. He was chairperson of the National Heads of Churches from 2000 to 2003. From 2005 to 2014 he served as minister-in-association of Canberra Central Parish of the Uniting Church, and since 2015 he has been minister-in-association of St Paul's and Armitage Uniting Churches, Mackay, Queensland. From 1994 to 2006 he was Chairperson of the international mission committee of the Uniting Church in Australia.
From 2003 to 2013 he was executive director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture within Charles Sturt University, of which he is also professor emeritus. In addition, he continues as a research professor within the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, of which he was also a member of council from 2001 to 2013, and of which he became a centre ambassador in 2018. From 2005 to 2015 he was director of the Research Centre for Public and Contextual Theology within Charles Sturt University, of which he continues to be a PACT Professorial Research Fellow. From 2008 to 2011 he was chair of the Global Network for Public Theology.
Haire served as president of the National Council of Churches in Australia from 2003 to 2006.
He is a published book author, and has had many academic articles and book chapters published internationally in English and Indonesian, with translations also into German, Indonesian and Korean.
Two Festschrift volumes of essays in his honour have been presented to him by international groups of scholars. In 2012 a Festschrift, entitled in English: Gospel and Cultures: Friends or Foes?, was presented to him to mark the fortieth anniversary of his ordination. In 2016 a second Festschrift, entitled in English: James Haire: Halmaheran from Beyond, was presented to him to mark his seventieth birthday.
He became a Presidential Friend of Indonesia in 2010. In 2012 the "James Haire Study Centre", a study and research centre, was opened in Halmahera, Indonesia, and named after him.
From 2014 to 2015 he was chairman of the advisory council of The Global Foundation, and in 2016 he became a patron of The Global Foundation. In 2014 he served as president of Christians for an Ethical Society in Canberra.
Selected publications
Haire, James. The Character and Theological Struggle of the Church in Halmahera, Indonesia, 1941–1979. Frankfurt-am-Main und Bern: Verlag Peter D. Lang.Haire, James, “Indonesia”, Chapter I.B.1, translations, Lukas Vischer, ed., Reformed Witness Today: A Collection of Confessions and Statements of Faith issued by Reformed Churches. Bern: Evangelische Arbeitsstelle Oekumene Schweiz, 31–58
Haire, James, "Indigenous and Reformed", Reformed World 38.7, 374–384
Haire, James, "Animism: People and Spirit in Religious Life", Yeow Choo Lak, ed., Doing Theology with Religions of Asia. Singapore: ATESEA, 92–113
Haire, James, "Visions for the Church in the Great Southern Land", Trinity Occasional Papers 9.1, 63–77
Haire, James, "Indonesia: The Island World of the Far East", J Thompson, ed., Into All the World: A History of the Overseas Work of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, 1840–1990. Belfast: Overseas Board, Presbyterian Church in Ireland, 111–124
Haire, James, Chapter 8, World of Worship. Sydney: Australian Broadcasting Corporation Enterprises, 163–184
Haire, James, "Stories in Animism and Christian Pneumatology", John C England and Alan J Torrance, eds., Doing Theology with the Spirit's Movement in Asia. Singapore: ATESEA, 119–135, and Asia Journal of Theology 5.2, 397–409
Haire, James, "Culture and Interpretation", Irish Biblical Studies 14.2, 72–88
Haire, James, "Animism in Indonesia and Christian Pneumatology", J A B Jongeneel et al., eds., Pentecost, Mission and Ecumenism: Essays on Intercultural Theology: Festschrift in honour of Professor Walter J Hollenweger. Frankfurt-am-Main und Bern: Verlag Peter Lang, 177–188
Haire, James, "Halmahera : People and Spirit", John C England and Archie C C Lee, eds., Doing Theology with Asian Resources: Ten Years in the Formation of Living Theology in Asia. Hong Kong/Auckland, New Zealand: PTCA/Pace, 199–229
Haire, James. Sifat dan Pergumulan Teologis Gereja di Halmahera 1941–1979, translated by Stephen Suleeman. Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia.
Haire, James, “Animisme: Manusia dan Roh dalam Kehidupan Agama”, Georg Kirchberger, SVD & John Mansford Prior, SVD, eds., Antara Bahtera Nuh dan Kapal Karam Paulus: Dialog Antaragama, Jilid II. Ende, Indonesia: Penerbit Nusa Indah, 17–49
Haire, James, with G Watson, “Authority and Integrity in the Ministry of the Church”, Phronema 18, 29–53
Haire, James, “The Trends of the Ecumenical Movement in the Era of Globalisation”, D Premen Niles, introduction, Windows into Ecumenism: Essays in Honour of Ahn Jae Woong. Hong Kong: Christian Conference of Asia, 61–69
Haire, James, “Halmahera: people and spirit in Religious Life”, Chr G F de Jong, ed., Een vakkracht in het Koninkrijk: Kerk- en zendingshistorische opstellen. Heerenveen, The Netherlands: Groen, 82–103
Haire, James, “Asian Realities and the Ecumenical Response”, C T C Bulletin: Bulletin of the Program Area on Faith, Mission and Unity, Christian Conference of Asia 22.3, 1–10
Haire, James, Christine Ledger and Stephen Pickard, eds., From Resurrection to Return: Perspectives from Theology and Science on Christian Eschatology. Adelaide: ATF Press
Haire, James, “Public Theology - a Latin Captivity of the Church: Violence and Public Theology in the Asia-Pacific Context”, International Journal of Public Theology 1.3 & 4, 455–470
Haire, James, “Public Theology - a Purely Western Issue? Public Theology in the Praxis of the Church in Asia”, C T C Bulletin: Bulletin of the Program Area on Faith, Mission and Unity, Christian Conference of Asia 23.3, 48–61
Haire, James, “Injil, HAM dan Kebudayaan Halmahera”, Ruddy Tindage and Riang M P Hutabarat, eds., Gereja dan Penegakan HAM. Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Kanisius, 217–240
Haire, James, “Confessional Theological Struggles in the Uniting Church, 1997-2003”, Uniting Church Studies 15.1, 1–19
Haire, James, “Sentralitas Teologi Kontekstual bagi Keberadaan Kristen Dewasa Ini”, Jurnal Ledalero: Wacana Iman dan Kebudayaan 9.2, 176-199
Haire, James, “The Search for Communities of Peace: An International Reflection on Christian - Muslim Relations”, Luca Anceschi, Joseph Anthony Camilleri, Ruwan Palapathwala, and Andrew Wicking, eds., Religion and Ethics in a Globalizing World: Conflict, Dialogue and Transformation. New York, NY, USA: Palgrave Macmillan, 175–190
Haire, James, Education and Transformation. Brisbane: Emmanuel College, University of Queensland
Haire, James, “Towards a Theological Understanding of Peace in the Ecumenical Context of Asian Christianity”, Prakesh K. George, ed., Swords into Ploughshares: Towards a Culture of Peace and Justice: Festschrift in honour of Rt. Rev. Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos. Delhi, India: ISPCK, 41–57
Haire, James, “Public Theology: Reflection on the Future of the Discourse”, Jesper Svartvik and Jakob Wirén, eds., Religious Stereotyping and Interreligious Relations. New York, NY, USA: Palgrave Macmillan, 21–32
Haire, James, “Christology in Context in Reformed Theology: Opportunities and Limitations”, Reformed World 63.2, 2–16
Haire, James, “My Journey in Mission”, Australian Journal of Mission Studies 7.1, 3–6
Haire, James, “Dinamika Teologi Pergumulan Rangkap”, Richard A. D. Siwu, Karolina Augustien Kaunang and Denni H. R. Pinontoan, eds., Melayani Gereja dan Masyarakat Secara Utuh: Buku Penghormatan 80 tahun Pdt. Prof. Dr. Wilhelmus Absalom Roeroe. Tomohon, Indonesia: UKIT Press, 206–213
Haire, James, “Teologi Kontekstual dan Hendrik van Dijken di Halmahera”, Karolina Augustien Kaunang, ed., Ziarah Dalam Misi: Buku Penghormatan 75 Tahun Pdt. Prof. Dr. Jan Arie Bastiaan Jongeneel. SH, Tomohon, Indonesia: UKIT Press, 284–290
Haire, James, “Őffentliche Theologie - ein rein westliche Angelegenheit? Őffentliche Theologie in der Praxis der Kirche in Asien”, Florian Höhne und Frederike van Oorschot, eds., Grundtexte Őffentliche Theologie. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 153–171
Haire, James, “Contextual Theology and Religious Discourse in Indonesia”, Douglas J Davies and Adam J Powell, eds., Sacred Selves, Sacred Settings: Reflecting Hans Mol. Farnham, U. K. and Burlington, VT, U. S. A.: Ashgate, 145–163
Haire, James, “Australian Methodist Ecumenism”, Aldersgate Papers: Theological Journal of the Australasian Centre for Wesleyan Research 11, 77–93
Haire, James, “Christology in the Context of Indonesia: Opportunities and Limitations”, Mission Studies: Journal of the International Association for Mission Studies 32.3, 398–417
Haire, James, “United and Uniting Churches”, Paul McPartlan and Geoffrey Wainwright, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Ecumenical Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press/ Oxford Handbooks Online
Haire, James, “Can Christianity and Islam live in peace? - A Christian Perspective”, Karolina Augustien Kaunang and Denni H.R. Pinontoan, eds., Teologi Perjumpaan: Pengalaman, Gagasan dan Refleksi. Tomohon, Indonesia: UKIT Press, 67–84
Haire, James, “Evolution of Christian Beliefs in Asia” and “Politics and Christianity in Asia”, Mark A Lamport, ed., Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South. Lanham, MD, USA: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 276–277; 646
Haire, James, “Halmahera dan Pentingnya Teologi Kontekstual”, translated by Liliane Mojau, Liliane Mojau, Jerizal Petrus dan Sirayandris J Botara, eds., Bertumbuh Bersama dalam Arus Zaman yang Terus Berubah: Bunga Rampai 70 Tahun Gereja Masehi Injili di Halmahera . Jakarta: BPK Gunung Mulia, 229-240
Haire, James, “The Uniting Church and Christian Unity”, Robert W. Renton, ed., Finding a Home in the Uniting Church. Melbourne: Uniting Church National History Society, 187-199