Principal
Rev Dr. Joseph Wood, BA, MTS, MA, PhD (Manchester)
Senior Lecturer in Theology and Church History
Research Faculty in Church History, Theology and Wesley Studies, Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK.
About:
After completing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville, Tennessee, I moved to NTC Manchester in September of 2006 to take my MA in Theology. I was seeking to have a year abroad in the UK, earn an MA, and move back to the States, but that ‘year abroad’ turned into a ‘new home’. I completed my MA and began my PhD at NTC in September 2008. With my studies complete I began working at NTC Manchester in 2012, where I held a number of administrative and academic roles until 2021, at which time I began working for NTC Australia, finding a new home and place to minister.
My academic interests are the areas of church history, ecclesiology, sacramental theology, worship, Wesley studies, diakonia, and the intersection of theology and culture. My most recent publications and presentations include work on baptism, the history of the Church of the Nazarene, prevenient grace, and the diaconate.
I have a passion for learning, and I seek to help form and shape future learners of the next generation. My goal as a teacher of theology and church history is to enable students to see the rich heritage of the Christian faith and to discover the ways in which we may be faithful to Jesus in our day. Learning about who we were is as important as trying to develop who we are. As an ordained Deacon in the Church of the Nazarene, I understand the vital relationship between the Church and the Academy. Consequently, I find myself teaching in the classroom, the pulpit, and the house group on a regular basis.
I am married to Revd Kathryn (Kat) Wood who is a pastor at the Redlands Church of the Nazarene. We have two children called Evelyn and Miriam who are full of life! As a family, we enjoy exploring the outdoors, walking along the beach, and discovering all that God’s creation has to offer!
Favourite verse: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15-20 ESV
Research Interests: Historical Theology, Wesley Studies, diakonia, Worship and Sacraments
Recent Publications (ORCID):
Wood, Joseph. "Wesley's Education and Early Spiritual Formation" in The Routledge Companion to John Wesley (2024).
Wood, Joseph. "John Wesley's Approach to Contemporary Issues: Open Discourse and Compassionate Action" in Lucas: An Evangelical History Review, Series 3, No. 2 (December 2023).
Wood, Joseph "'Popish Pelagianism' or the Work of Divine Providence? A Re-evaluation of John Wesley's Theology of Prevenient Grace" in Evangelical Quarterly, Vol. 93, Issue 4 (December 2022).
Why NTC?
The opportunity to share in the mission of the Church of the Nazarene through the exceptional work of NTC Australia was not something to miss! It is a joy to be able to participate in the education of people from all walks of life in this part of the world. My hope is that NTC continues to engage the world with diligence, openness, and compassion, as we seek to provide quality education for leadership, ministry and mission.
Email: [email protected]