Ridley Women

For several years, a group of academic women have been collaborating on various initiatives to inspire and support women in Christian ministry. Working under the support of Ridley College, the network has developed initiatives that encourage and equip women in their Christian ministry. There are three main initiatives the network has undertaken including:

Evangelical Women in Academia Conference
Women’s Preaching Network
Women’s Writing Group Network

In addition to the conferences, regular ongoing activities focus on building up preaching and writing skills through lively, interactive group sessions and networks.

The committee spearheading these initiatives includes Hannah Craven, Diane Hockridge, and Jill Firth who each contribute their skills and experience.

Whilst the sessions are mostly based in Melbourne, we encourage women from across the country and beyond to participate. Virtual attendance and recordings of sessions are available for some activities. The sessions are also recorded with links to relevant resources.

The initiatives are supported by many female volunteers. To be involved, please email the College, info@ridley.edu.au.

Please note that the networks have been created as initiatives to support women, therefore only women may participate/become members of the various networks.

Evangelical Women in Academia Network Women's Writing Network The Women’s Preaching Network

Evangelical Women in Academia Network

The Evangelical Women In Academia network connects, inspires and develops female theological students, lecturers, tutors, and ministry practitioners in the church and world.
We hold a conference in Melbourne, Australia annually in which women from across the world gather.

Evangelical Women in Academia Conference 2023 | Beauty As Witness
Date: 28-29 July 2023
Time: Friday Evening (7 pm- 9 pm) - Saturday (9 am - 5 pm)
Location: Ridley College + Livestream Sat Only

Beginning in 2017, Ridley’s biennial EWA conference seeks to platform, promote, encourage, train, equip, and inspire Christian women in academic work across Australia. This year’s conference keynotes are given by constructive theologian Natalie Carnes (Baylor University) teaching on ethics, art, and poverty in Christian theology.

Friday’s event will feature Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist and educator Safina Stewart, speaking about art, faith and indigenous spirituality. Safina will also lead us in some hands-on responsive creative work of our own.

In addition, short papers and workshops/seminars provide the opportunity to learn from a wonderful lineup of Australian Christian women HDR students, academics, writers, and practitioners.

Get your tickets here: https://www.ridley.edu.au/ewa/

Women's Writing Network

The Ridley Women's Writing Groups Network is open to any Christian women students, graduates, or others who are committed to improving their writing skills with the goal of the publication in popular or academic forums. The goal of the Network is to encourage women's writing for publication. We are currently running regular face-to-face and virtual writing groups.

Writing groups may include sessions of silent writing (Shut Up and Write), training in writing skills, discussion of writing, or peer review of participant's writing. Once each semester, we meet at Ridley for a meal, a Shut Up and Write session and conversation about our writing.
We also have a virtual writing group.

Campus writing group meetings are postponed until further notice. However, our virtual writing group is continuing to meet monthly via Zoom.

The Women’s Preaching Network

The Women’s Preaching Network is an initiative of the Ridley College Preaching Conference Committee. The Women’s Preaching Network has two aims:

To identify, train, support, and provide opportunities for new and potential women preachers.
To encourage, extend, and resource regular and experienced women preachers in Melbourne.

We hope that, over time, the network will provide women preachers with:

role-modelling
opportunities
education, training and resources
collegiality and encouragement.

The Women’s Preaching Network is an initiative of the Ridley College Preaching Conference Committee.

Women's Preaching Network Events for 2022

Monday 21 March
Monday 25 July
Monday 10 October

Join the Facebook Evangelical Women in Academia Network

Join the Facebook Women's Preaching Network

Join the Facebook Women's Writing Network

Ridley Women Resources

Women Biblical Scholars Interview: Jill Firth

By JohnC | Tuesday, August 8 2017

This interview first appeared on the Women Biblical Scholars website Dr. Jill Firth is on faculty at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, where she lectures in Hebrew and Old Testament. She earned her BA from the University of Western Australia, MA in Spiritual Direction from the Melbourne College of Divinity, and MDiv and PhD from Read more

Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture: Papers by Australian Women Scholars in Evangelical Tradition.

Our book Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture now available for purchase! Please visit the book website, www.groundedbook.com.au for more information on where to purchase it from.

Ridley Women

Ridley Women Resources

Women Biblical Scholars Interview: Jill Firth

Grounded in the Body, in Time and Place, in Scripture: Papers by Australian Women Scholars in Evangelical Tradition.

Edited by Jill Firth and Denise Cooper-Clarke