Position: Lecturer / Wellington Site Coordinator / Researcher
Location: National Office, Wellington
Qualifications: S.T.D. (Dogmatic Theology) Summa cum laude; S.T.L. (Dogmatic Theology) Summa cum laude; M.A. (Moral Theology) Summa cum laude; S.T.B. Magna Cum Laude: Pontificia Studiorum Universitas a Sancto Thoma Aquinate in Urbe, “Angelicum,” Rome, Italy
Contact: Tel. 04 650 2970 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Research Interests: Theological Aesthetics, Comparative Theology, Inter-theological Dialogue, Theological Renewal
My primary academic interests revolve around intersections between theology and visual arts. My doctoral thesis considered how all genuine pictorial artworks have potentially and inextricably an emotive and intellective god-centeredness evident not only when the artwork has a religious theme or when the artist knows how to create an artwork of spiritual value, but even for presumably secular artworks and also where the artist provides a provocation to religion.
More recent research addresses issues such as theology in global dialogue, theology in comparative tension, and theology as intellectual core of religion. I am also interested in Christian-Muslim dialogue, in particular, how Islamic non-figural imagery and aniconic Christian imagery interact in concrete cases to construct interfaith understanding. I am also researching how the Catholic Church's institutional crisis of clerical child sexual abuse impacts Catholic theology and vice-versa.
Prior to returning to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2017, I worked as an educational officer (operatore didattico) for the Scientific and Administrative Management of the Vatican Museums, Rome, Italy. Currently I serve on the Council of the Wellington Theological Consortium, the Wellington Interfaith Council, and the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations.
In 2019 I was honoured to be selected as a Fellow of the KAICIID (King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue) 2020 International Fellows Programme. I believe that dialogue is one of the most effective ways to show love towards one another.
Selected Publications
"Interreligious Dialogue? Interfaith Relations? Or, Perhaps Some Other Term?" Journal of Ecumenical Studies, vol. 51(1), 2020, pp. tbc.
"Epiphanic Paintings: A Universal Subjective Relationality,” Stimulus, Laidlaw College, New Zealand, vol. 26(2), 2019.
“Nuclear-free New Zealand and Catholic Moral Theology Interwoven by the David Lange Address.” Australasian Catholic Record, 96(1), January 2019, pp. 45-55.
“Christian-Muslim Perspectives on God as Love and a Loving Community,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 53(3), 2018, pp. 444-449.
“Te Kahurangi o Māhutonga”, Stimulus, Laidlaw College, New Zealand, vol. 25(1), 2018.
“Maryam bint ‘Imran as ‘Our Lady of Muslims’,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 52(3), University of Pennsylvania Press, Summer 2017, pp. 465-469.
“Confluence Between Christian and Muslim Iconography,” ENCOUNTER - Documents for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Pontifical Institute of Arabic Studies and Islamology, Rome, Italy, vol. 42(1), 2017, 42 pp.
“Western Mosque and Muslim Integration: Identity Crisis and Resolution,” Muslim Integration: Pluralism and multiculturalism in New Zealand and Australia, Lexington Books, 2016, pp. 49-66.
“A Pictorial Response to Religious Disunity,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 49(4), Fall 2014, pp. 657-660.
“Palestrina’s Outworking of Sacred Music: Divine Infinitude and Omnipotence in the Sounds and Silences of Missa Papae Marcelli,” The Catholic Response X/3, November-December 2013, pp. 25-29.
“Islamic Cosmogony According to Sūrah Al-Hashr Verse 24: ‘He Is Allāh, The Creator, The Originator, The Fashioner of Forms’,” European Scientific Journal, Special edition 2, December 2013, pp. 116-125.
“Tawhīd and Homooúsios: Narrowing the gaps between Muslim and Christian understanding of God’s divine oneness,” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 48(2), Spring 2013, pp. 255-258.
“Mihrab: Symbol of Unity and Masterpiece of Islamic Art and Architecture,” LONAARD, Art and Architecture Magazine – London 14(3), March 2013, pp. 33-46.
“Eucharistic Spirit of Islam: Parallels between Islam and Christianity on the Eucharist,” ENCOUNTER - Documents for Muslim-Christian Understanding 382-383, Pontifical Institute of Arabic Studies and Islamology, Rome, Italy, February-March 2013.
“Approaching the Divine through Form and Colour: A theological reflection on the pictorial apophasis of Malevič and Reinhardt,” American Theological Inquiry: A Biannual Journal of Theology, Culture & History 5(2), Minneapolis, USA: 15 July 2012, pp. 67-82.
“Theology of a Mosque: The Sacred Inspiring Form, Function and Design in Islamic Architecture,” LONAARD, Art and Architecture Magazine – London 8(2), March 2012, pp. 3-13.
“Catholic Education Owed to All: The Church’s response to the universal right to basic education,” The Catholic Educator 14, Winter 2013, pp. 27-29.
“Mary in Islam: Importance of the Mother of Jesus the Messiah in the Qur’an,” The Catholic Response VIII(6), May-June 2012, pp. 6-14.
“A Sculpture Spurned: When Modern Art Meets Religion,” America 206, 16, May 14, 2012, pp. 27-30.
“Formation of the Whole Person (Can. 795) – A perspective on what it means and how it might be achieved,” The Catholic Educator 13, Spring 2012, pp. 18-20.
“Thaborian Light: Reflections from the Greek tradition on The Transfiguration by Raphael,” L’Osservatore Romano 31, Vatican City State: 4 August 2010, p. 12.
Academic Memberships
Position: Dunedin Lecturer for TCI; Catholic Education Office Advisor for the Dunedin Diocese
Location: Roxburgh
Qualifications: MA Theol (ACU), MEd RE (ACU), B Theol (Otago), Dip Tchg (Wellington)
Contact details
021 308 601
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Katrina has taught primary and secondary in Catholic schools and colleges in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and has had various roles within them including, Religious Education Coordinator, Head of Humanities, Information Technology Coordinator and, periods as acting principal in three Catholic schools.
While in Western Australia she worked as the Religious Education Consultant for the Broome Regional Office from 2000-2004. During 2004 she was a sessional lecturer at the University of Notre Dame Broome Campus.
From 2005-2007 Katrina worked for the Diocesan Religious Education Adviser, Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Palmerston North, as Secondary/ Tertiary Religious Education Advisor.
She currently works for the Diocese of Dunedin and lives in Roxburgh, Central Otago. Katrina has a strong background of active parish life in each place she has lived. This includes involvement on Parish Councils, Eucharistic Minister, Reader and writer of parish newsletters.
Position: NCRS Resource Developer
Location: Catholic Pastoral Centre, 300 Rattray Street, Dunedin 9016
Qualifications: RCN (Wellington), BA (Otago), PGDip (Hebrew), PhD (Otago), DipGrad Teaching (Dunedin)
Contact details: 04 6502928
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Laurel is passionate about enthusing young people and teachers (…well, everybody really!) to enjoy learning, growing and passing on their faith. She joined NCRS in Jan 2019, after twelve years of teaching Religious Education in Dunedin, holding the role of DRS for the last two and a half years. Laurel came to secondary teaching following her return from the University of Botswana where she lectured in Hebrew, Old Testament and Judaism. She has wide academic and non-academic interests ranging across topics like literary theory, ancient history and human pre-history and embroidery.
She has three adult children and, in the days before they arrived, trained in nursing, worked as a houseparent for IHC, and as a cleaner, carer and candle-maker.
Academic papers and presentations:
2007 Lanner, L.; Nkomazana, F. (eds.) (2007) Some Aspects of the History of the Church in Botswana. Pietermaritzburg, Cluster Publications.
Lanner, L. (2007) Contexts and Ideologies. Pp. 1-14. In Lanner, L.; Nkomazana, F. (eds.) Some Aspects of the History of the Church in Botswana. Pietermaritzburg, Cluster Publications.
2006 Lanner, L. (2006) Who will Lament Her? The Feminine and the Fantastic in the Book of Nahum. Playing the Texts 11: Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 434, New York, Continuum [T&T Clark Imprint].
2005 Lanner, L. (2005) Murder, Medicine and Moral Crises, presented at the Boleswa Conference for Theology, Religious Studies and Philosophy, Swaziland.
2003 Lanner, L. (2003) Pain and the Hebrew Bible, presented at Women Writing in Theology, Dunedin.
2002 Lanner, L. (2002) The Lepers, the King and the Cannibal. SeaChanges. Brisbane. http://www.wsrt.com.au/seachanges. (Peer reviewed).
Lanner, L. (2002) The Lepers, the King and the Cannibal, presented at Women Writing in Theology, Dunedin.
2000 Lanner, L. (2000) Cannibal Mothers and Me: A Mother’s Reading of 2 Kings 6.24-7.20. Pp. 129-137. In Brenner, A. (ed.) Samuel and Kings: A Feminist Companion to the Bible (Second Series) Sheffield, Sheffield Academic Press.
1999 Lanner, L. (1999) Cannibal Mothers and Me: A Mother’s Reading of 2 Kings 6.24-7.20. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament,85: 107-116.
Position: Director of NCRS and Head of Partnerships
Location: Catholic Pastoral Centre, 300 Rattray Street, Dunedin 9016
Qualifications: MEdLead (ACU); CFLE; Dip.Teach (Dunedin); BEd (Otago); BTheol (Otago); TCOPR (RNZAF Wigram)
Contact details: 04 8198386
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Colin is enthusiastic about faith in Jesus and participation in the Catholic Church. He was appointed to his roles in TCI in 2016 and is based in Dunedin. Prior to this he has enjoyed 22 years as DRS, and 16 years as assistant principal, at Kavanagh College, and has long represented the Dunedin Diocese at the national level in Religious Education curriculum development and is a member of several parish and diocesan committees centred around faith and service.
Colin has also written a couple of home-based group reflection programmes for the Dunedin Diocese. He is a member and past chair of the Dunedin Abrahamic Interfaith Group and the Dunedin Interfaith Council and is a member of the NZ Catholic Bishops committee for Interfaith Relations.
He is a keen, but average, social volleyball player. He is married to Jan and they have one son studying at Otago University. As a couple they lead one group and coordinate Passionist Family Groups in Dunedin, as well as being significantly involved in parish life.
Colin believes it is a privilege to participate in religious education, and that life-long learning is necessary for the heart as well as the head.
Position: Distance Education Lecturer and Tutor
Qualifications: Dip Teaching (Loreto Hall), Dip Rel Studies (NCRS), BEd (ACU), MEd (ACU), Understanding Sexuality (CFLE), Certification in RE grad level (NCRS)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Research and academic interests: Scripture studies, Feminist theology and creative liturgical theology
Tracy has been involved in Catholic education for over 30 years, initially as a primary school teacher before moving into being a specialist R.E teacher in the secondary system, later taking the position as a DRS. At various periods of time she has been an advisor to Catholic secondary schools and BOT in the Wellington diocese, Walk By Faith and Catechetical Studies course director and tutor for the Hamilton diocese and more latterly worked for Anglican Social Services as a manager of a pre-school.
As part of her parish involvement, Tracy is the coordinator for Caritas and promotes the cause for canonisation of Suzanne Aubert. Tracy is married with an adult daughter and lives at Wainui Beach in Gisborne.