Stuart Sellar
QSO MA (Fordham), PhD (La Trobe), Dip Soc Admin, Dip App Soc Stud (LSE) Cert Rem Tchg (Q'land)

Lecturer in PastoralTheology

E-mail: stuart.sellar@gsc.ac.nz

Stuart Sellar is a priest of Dunedin diocese, ordained in 1959. Shortly after ordination he undertook postgraduate studies at London School of Economics majoring in psychology and social work. This was followed by 14 years at Catholic Social Services, Dunedin, and then in following years by three appointments as parish priest. In 1985 he was appointed full-time to the staff of the national seminary, Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, teaching pastoral theology. During part of that time he also acted as Vice Rector of the seminary and Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Otago. In 1988-89 he completed a Masters degree in theology at Fordham University, New York.

In 1995, he began doctoral research at La Trobe University, Melbourne, exploring the transformative and destructive potential of self-sacrifice, from psychological and theological perspectives. At the same time he taught Masters courses on the psychology of consciousness. Subsequently he taught Masters courses at Australian Catholic University on myth, symbol and spirituality, and pastoral theology at Catholic Theological College, Melbourne.

Research Interests:
A. Practical aspects of the relationship between nature and Grace.
B. The influence of human consciousness on the way we relate and understand.
C. The relationship between human experience, revelation and spirituality.

Current Research Projects:
Working on the text of a book about self-sacrifice in everyday life - its potential to transform or destroy.

Publications:
"Beyond reason: a way to re-enchantment?" In Towards re-enchantment education, imagination and the getting of wisdom, edited by Peta Heywood, Tricia McCann, Bernie Neville and Peter Willis. Queensland: Post Pressed Publishers (2005) 95-104.

"Knowledge reaching beyond reason". In Journal of Religious Education (2004) 52 (2), 30 - 35.

Ed. Asian-Pacific Christianity - A Reorientation. Dunedin, Research Group for Asian and Pacific Christianity, Faculty of Theology, University of Otago (1991) 30p

"Christ in Ten Thousand Places." In Asian-Pacific Christianity - A Reorientation. Dunedin, Research Group for Asian and Pacific Christianity, Faculty of Theology, University of Otago (1991) 5-7

"My Father Went to the War." In The New Zealand Experience: A Second Collection. B. Shaw Ed. Palmerston North, Dunmore (1991) 58-60

"Family Poverty in New Zealand", Tablet, October 1979.

"Some Religious Problems of the Mentally Ill". Furrow, Dublin, March 1977.

"The Dignity of man", in Towards a better world. Christchurch: Justice and Peace Commission, 1973

"The Care of Unmarried Mothers and the C.S. & A. Act", Tablet, March 1973.

"Philosophy of a Voluntary Church Social Work Agency", Proceedings of the Biennial Conference of the NZ Association of Social Workers, Hamilton, January 1970.

"Social Work Training in the United Kingdom", The New Zealand Social Worker, February 1969.

The Small Altar Missal: Liturgy of the Word, Ed. with Patrick Maloney, Dunedin, Tablet Print, 1965 220pp

The Small Altar Missal: Liturgy of the Eucharist, Ed. with Patrick Maloney, Dunedin, Tablet Print, 1965 208pp

Conference Presentations:
Is our faith open to dialogue?
Australian Association of Religious Education
Fourth National Symposium on Religious Education and Ministry,
Australian Catholic University, Canberra, Australia, April 2005

Communio as the theological foundation for pastoral reorganisation
Seminar with Clergy of the Anglican Diocese of Ballarat, Australia, August, 2004.

On transformative learning.
Colloquium on Re-enchanting Education.
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, September 2003.

Knowledge reaching beyond reason.
Australian Association of Religious Education
Third National Symposium on Religious Education and Ministry,
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia, May 2003.

The long hard road - persevering in doctoral research.
Postgraduate Association Conference, La Trobe University, September, 2002.

Pulling on the bit- when autonomy rebels against coercion
Australian Association of Process Thought
Alfred North Whitehead Conference, Melbourne, December, 2001.

Exploring an archetype of slavery.
La Trobe University Doctoral Candidates' Seminar, November, 2001.

Learning from hard experience - pitfalls to avoid in doctoral research.
Postgraduate Association Conference, La Trobe University, May, 2000.

Too long a sacrifice can make a stone of the heart: self-sacrifice in the Catholic tradition.
Keynote speaker, Christian Family Life Education Conference, Palmerston North, New Zealand, August, 1999.

Self-sacrifice - its destructive and transformative potential.
Postgraduate Association Conference, La Trobe University, September, 1998.

Religious devotion or masochism?
Religious Studies Seminar, La Trobe University, September, 1997.

Using the Internet for research.
Postgraduate Association Conference, La Trobe University, March, 1996.

Archetypes of suffering and self-sacrifice.
Australian Archetypal Society, Melbourne, September, 1995.

Human and spiritual growth, together.
Dunedin Catholic Eduction Office, Teachers' Annual Seminar, August, 1991.

About truth in everyday life.
Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Schools Conference, Brisbane, September, 1990.

Authority and subjectivity.
Dunedin Catholic Eduction Office, Teachers' Annual Seminar, August, 1990.

Some reflections on the Church's teaching authority in moral matters.
Christian Family Life Education National Conference, Teschemakers, July, 1990.

Compassion in everyday life.
St Vincent de Paul Society National Conference, Wellington, March, 1976.

Where the bible addresses contemporary injustices.
Inter-Church Consultation on Justice, Auckland, May, 1972.

Is prison the right place for an offender?
NZ Prison Chaplains' Conference, Wellington, May 1971.

Philosophy of a voluntary Church social work agency.
NZ Social Workers' Conference, Hamilton, 1970.

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