I have been a Faculty member of Nisbis Assyrian Theological College since inception, in 2020. I am humbled by and grateful for being appointed as the college’s academic dean. This appointment inaugurates a new stage of my scholarly career, of thirty years so far, within various settings—in Romania, the country of my upbringing, and Australia, the country of my adoption. And here I am, culturally and ecclesiastically a foreigner, but welcomed by my sisters and brothers of the Church of the East and encouraged by the honouring love of the Church’s leadership.
In this capacity, my calling, as I see it, is to explore the wisdom of the Assyrian apostolic tradition in its own terms, with scholarly rigour and in the spirit of the Church’s prophetic ministry—together with willing seekers of truth from nearby and from far and wide—against the complex tapestry of world Christianity and with a view to addressing the theological, spiritual, social, pastoral, ethical, and cultural challenges of our time. For the impasses we now experience as Christians and global citizens—as human beings—cannot be aptly and efficiently addressed without the insights of the believers before us, nor in ignorance of present realities.
I will therefore make it my mission to encourage all interested people, Assyrians and of other backgrounds alike, to join our effort, to draw together from the wells of wisdom and to apply the wisdom of the Christian tradition to our circumstances today. The venerable experience of the Church of the East across the gulfs of history and within multiple cultural geographies can teach us valuable lessons.
God, grant us knowledge!
Protopresbyter Dr Doru Costache, Academic Dean
May 2025
