Rev Dr Philip Hughes has been appointed as the Acting Head of College for Pilgrim Theological College and will start at the beginning of February on a part-time basis.
Philip has graduate qualifications in philosophy, education and theology.
From 1978 to 1982, he undertook his doctorate mostly in northern Thailand, examining the rise of the Christian community within a Buddhist context, and developing his skills in sociology, anthropology and the theology of culture.
Ordained in the Baptist denomination in 1977, he was admitted as a minister with the Uniting Church in 1987 and has been a minister of religion in three churches in city and regional contexts.
From 1985 to 2016, Philip was the senior research officer with the Christian Research Association and continues to work with the association in a voluntary capacity as a researcher, executive officer of the Human Research Ethics Committee (which provides ethics oversight for the University of Divinity and four other colleges) and as honorary treasurer.
Between 1997 and 2008, Philip was also employed by the Centre for Social Justice at Edith Cowan University to work on major research projects on religious faith and community, spirituality and wellbeing.
Philip’s major academic work has been the study of the changing Western culture and what that meant for religion, particularly in Australia.
He has done extensive analysis of Census data and national surveys, examining how Australians make sense of life.
He has also examined a number of sub-groups within Australian culture, including the culture of people living in rural areas, the culture of young people, and the many cultures and religions that recent immigrants have brought to Australia.
Phillip has noted and analysed the growth both of those who describe themselves as having ‘no religion’ and those who describe themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious’.
He has written about 70 books and hundreds of articles and chapters of books.
Between 2017 and 2023, he was employed part-time at Alphacrucis College, teaching research methods and supervising doctoral students, while his current research focus is on meaning in life and social connections.
Rev Associate Professor Kylie Crabbe will take over from Phillip as Head of College, beginning in January 2026.
Kylie is currently serving as Associate Professor of Biblical and Early Christian Studies in the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University.
A recent article on Kylie’s appointment for 2026 can be found here
