Q&A w/ John Dickson
John Dickson, Distinguished Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Public Christianity at Ridley College, Melbourne, joins us for a brief exchange. He authored Is Jesus History? (Christmas Selection 2020).
Are there one or two authors that have had an outsized influence on your work overall?
I have been particularly influenced by historical scholars who stay close to the sources and avoid exaggeration, such as Germany’s Martin Hengel and Jens Schröter, and Britain’s James Dunn and Richard Bauckham. Closer to home, Australia’s most prolific scholar of the Roman world, Edwin Judge, has had a profound influence on my thinking and approach. Sorry, that’s more than one or two.
Do you have a favourite novel, novelist or fiction genre?
My favourite novel is anything by Marilynne Robinson, especially her Lila. I am also a sucker for classic English fiction, like Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Can we expect more books from you in the future?
During the Australian lockdown, from March to November this year, I wrote an overly large history of the best and worst of the Christian Church, from the first century to today. It is called Bullies and Saints, and will be out in May 2021.
