St John's College is proud to welcome two new doctoral graduates to our academic community. We congratulate The Revd Dr Matthew Wright and Dr Michael Boyd on their recent doctoral achievements.
The Revd Dr Matthew Wright, from the Chaplaincy, completed a thesis titled Exegeting the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 15:4–7) and the Good Shepherd Discourse (John 10:1–16) in Light of Insights into Caprine Husbandry Practices of First-century Judea and Galilee His research explores Biblical Studies through the lens of the animal economy in first-century Judea and Galilee. It reveals how the Jewish Temple's sacrificial cult created a demand for large-scale sheep production, contrasting with traditional pastoral practices, and examines the interactions and tensions between these two systems.
Dr Michael Boyd, from the English Department, completed a thesis titled Reading for the Road: Routes Through African Literatures, which analyses the role of roads and infrastructure in three seminal African novels: Ben Okri's The Famished Road (Nigeria), Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's Petals of Blood (Kenya), and Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country (South Africa). His study offers valuable insights into how physical infrastructure shapes political, economic, and social dynamics within these works and the countries they represent.
They join an esteemed group of PhD holders at the College, including Drs Nkosiphile Bhebhe, Alistair Douglas, and Nyiko Mahonisi in Physical Sciences; Drs Elise Lemmer, Grethe Nöthling, and Allan Thompson in Music; Dr Stephen Sproule, Head of Mathematics; and Dr Craig Higginson in the English Department.
With 10 PhDs now among our teaching community, we celebrate the depth of academic expertise at St John’s College. They add to an already highly qualified and experienced teaching staff where rigorous academic inquiry, professional excellence and a passion for education inspire curiosity, critical thought and a lifelong love of learning in our students.
