Rex A E Hunt
MSc(Hons) GradDipCommMgt
Rex Hunt is a progressive 'grass roots' theologian and liturgist, and social ecologist.
Ordained for more than 38 years, he is a (recently) retired minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, where his last placement was at The Church of St James in Canberra, ACT - Canberra being Australia's capital city.
Some highlights from a 40+ year progressive career include:
• Founder and National Co-ordinator (1990-96) The Network of Biblical Storytellers, Australia
• Founding Director (2002-09) of The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Canberra where he was a regular keynote presenter
• Assisted with the establishment of The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Sydney (2004), The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Brisbane (2005) - now combined with the Progressive Spirituality Network, Brisbane, The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria (2006) and The Progressive Christian Network, Central Coast (2010)
• Keynote presenter at the launch of the Lay Forum - a progressive movement within the Queensland Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia (2009)
• Associate of the Westar Institute - an international gathering of scholars who advocate religious literacy, located within Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA. In 2005 he became a member of its Literacy and Liturgy Seminar which attempts to take seriously the difference scholarship on the 'historical' Jesus and early christianities makes, and how to reimagine what these new understandings imply for worship (the Sunday morning experience), preaching, prayer, and life in community
• Chair of the Planning Team of an international gathering of progressive religion in Sydney, Australia, in August 2007, called Common Dreams1 Conference with the theme "Progressive religion as a transforming agent". He continues in that role for the Common Dreams2 Conference where the theme is "Living the 'progressive' religion dream" - planned for April 2010 in Melbourne, Vic. (Check the web site: <www.commondreams.org.au>)
• Between both Common Dreams conferences he was the initiative behind the "Common Dreams on the Road" tour of five Australian states by USA biblical scholar and 'Jesus Seminar' Fellow, Prof. B Brandon Scott.
• Founding Director (2002-09) of The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Canberra where he was a regular keynote presenter
• Assisted with the establishment of The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Sydney (2004), The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Brisbane (2005) - now combined with the Progressive Spirituality Network, Brisbane, The Progressive Christian Network of Victoria (2006) and The Progressive Christian Network, Central Coast (2010)
• Keynote presenter at the launch of the Lay Forum - a progressive movement within the Queensland Synod of the Uniting Church in Australia (2009)
• Associate of the Westar Institute - an international gathering of scholars who advocate religious literacy, located within Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA. In 2005 he became a member of its Literacy and Liturgy Seminar which attempts to take seriously the difference scholarship on the 'historical' Jesus and early christianities makes, and how to reimagine what these new understandings imply for worship (the Sunday morning experience), preaching, prayer, and life in community
• Chair of the Planning Team of an international gathering of progressive religion in Sydney, Australia, in August 2007, called Common Dreams1 Conference with the theme "Progressive religion as a transforming agent". He continues in that role for the Common Dreams2 Conference where the theme is "Living the 'progressive' religion dream" - planned for April 2010 in Melbourne, Vic. (Check the web site: <www.commondreams.org.au>)
• Between both Common Dreams conferences he was the initiative behind the "Common Dreams on the Road" tour of five Australian states by USA biblical scholar and 'Jesus Seminar' Fellow, Prof. B Brandon Scott.
LIfe Memberships include:
(i) The Network of Biblical Storytellers Australia/New Zealand (2008)
(ii) The Centre for Progressive Religious Thought, Canberra (2009)
In 2004 he was made a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International (Rotary Club of Canberra-Woden)
His vision of ministry includes:
• Awakening others to the best/latest contemporary religious scholarship currently available, allowing that scholarship to shape liturgies, sermons, prayers and hymns;
• Shaping services of celebration, especially the Sunday morning experience, which blend tradition with the contemporary, using inclusive language, story, conversation, Australian images and new metaphors - all from a progressive/liberal theological perspective;
• Inviting parishioners to focus on a theology which advocates: (i) Creativity-God as expressed within religious naturalism; (ii) the humanity of Jesus; and (iii) an ethical/social stance which values compassion and social justice;
• Encouraging all to push theological boundaries - to reimagine, reconceive and reconstruct, rather than just restate.
Over the past 30+ years he has published several articles on various topics - media, communication, preaching, Christmas, liturgy, parables, etc. (some available on this site) - edited a published collection of story sermons, New Green Shoots and other story sermons (Out of Print), and is working on at least one new book. He is recognised as one of Australia's leading progressive theological thinkers and commentators.
Rex writes: "So here they are. A bit of this. A bit of that. Sermons. Liturgies. Prayers. Affirmations. Articles. Read on if you are interested in wanting to push some theological boundaries in open and honest ways. Theology has always been an imaginative construction. Seek out those others who have helped me shape my thoughts for they have much more to offer than suggested here. And may we all be blessed and empowered as we re-imagine the world".
Rex