Macquarie Christian Studies Institute: an illuminating Australian experiment in integrative Christian higher education

Macquarie Christian Studies Institute was an experiment in integrative Christian higher education that operated at Macquarie University in Sydney from 1999 to 2008. Its birth and demise sheds light on the meaning of the secular in Australian higher education, the relationship between theological education and universities in Australia, and the relationship of Australian churches to education. A key question is whether there is a viable business model for integrative Christian higher education in Australia. Examining the experience of Macquarie Christian Studies Institute is significant at this time of crisis in Australian theological education because other institutions are grappling with similar issues. This paper is a preliminary investigation that prepares the way for a future history of the Institute.