معرفی
Bernard Doherty serves as Associate Head of School and Associate Professor at the School of Theology, Charles Sturt University, with an affiliation to St Mark's National Theological Centre in Canberra. His academic career spans religious studies with a particular focus on New Religious Movements, Patristics, and Australian religious history.
Dr. Doherty earned his academic credentials from Macquarie University, completing a BA in Ancient History, an MA in Early Christian and Jewish Studies, and a PhD. He also holds a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) from St Mark's National Theological Centre. Following his PhD, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in the United States where he worked on projects related to New Religious Movements in Australia and applying social science methodologies to early Christianity.
Doherty's research interests are wide-ranging and include New Religious Movements, Patristics, Australian religious history, Church and State issues, and religion and the media. His scholarly work demonstrates particular expertise in the study of Satanism, demonology, religious conspiracy theories, and minority religious movements in Australia. He has published extensively on topics related to Roman Catholic traditionalism, early Christianity, and contemporary religious controversies.
His publication record shows a consistent pattern of scholarly output across multiple disciplines within religious studies. Recent works (2020-2024) demonstrate a particular focus on the intersections of religious history, cultural representation, and contemporary religious controversies. Doherty's research often examines how religious movements interact with broader cultural and political contexts, particularly in Australian settings.
Dr. Doherty serves as Course Director for THL242 – New Religious Movements, Cults and Sects, reflecting his expertise in contemporary religious movements. His academic contributions have established him as a significant voice in the study of new and minority religious movements in Australia and beyond. With an h-index of 26 and 32 research outputs, his work bridges historical religious studies with contemporary religious phenomena, providing valuable insights into both ancient and modern religious movements.
