Michael F. Bird (born 18 November 1974) is an Australian Anglican priest, theologian, and New Testament scholar.

Biography

In his teenage years, Bird was an atheist who saw Christianity, "as a way of oppressing people, a purely human construct.” After becoming a Christian, he was a Baptist, after which a Presbyterian, and (most recently) an Anglican.^[3] He has recently been called by the ecumenical media platform Eternity a "heavy hitter" in the world of New Testament scholarship and Jesus's divinity.^[4]

Bird is Vice Principal and Lecturer in Theology and New Testament at Ridley College, having previously taught at Brisbane School of Theology and Highland Theological College.^[5] He studied at Malyon College and the University of Queensland.^[5] He is also Distinguished Research Professor of Theology at Houston Baptist University.^[6]

Bird has written a number of books, including The New Testament in Its World (2019, with N. T. Wright), Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction (2013) and The Gospel of the Lord: How the Early Church Wrote the Story of Jesus (2014). The Gospel of the Lord won the Biblical Studies section of the 2015 Christianity Today Book Awards.^[7] Bird is also the author of a fantasy novel titled Iskandar: And the Immortal King of Iona.^[8]

Bird is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Society of Biblical Literature, and Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas.^[5]

In November 2015 he was ordained as a priest in the Anglican Church of Australia.^[9]

Works

Books

• Bird, Michael F. (2006). Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission. The Library of New Testament Studies. Vol. 331. London: T&T Clark. ISBN 9780567044730.
• ——— (2007). The Saving Righteousness of God: studies on Paul, justification and the new perspective. Paternoster biblical monographs. Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster. ISBN 9781842274651. OCLC 154723550.
• ———; Crossley, James G. (2008). How did Christianity Begin?: a believer and non-believer examine the evidence. London: SPCK ; Peabody, Mass. : Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 9780281058501. OCLC 233940908.
• ——— (2008). Introducing Paul: the man, his mission, and his message. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830828975. OCLC 262430760.
• ——— (2009). Colossians & Philemon: a new covenant commentary. New Covenant Commentary Series. Cambridge, England: The Lutterworth Press. ISBN 9780718842819. OCLC 889271472.
• ——— (2010). Crossing over Sea and Land: Jewish missionary activity in the Second Temple period. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers. ISBN 9781598564341. OCLC 430054695.
• ——— (2012). Jesus is the Christ: the Messianic testimony of the Gospels. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830828234. OCLC 812258100.
• ——— (2013). Evangelical Theology: a Biblical and systematic introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310494416. OCLC 829239510.
• ——— (2014). The Gospel of the Lord: how the early church wrote the story of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802867766. OCLC 854612618.
• ———; Evans, Craig A.; Gathercole, Simon J.; Hill, Charles E.; Tilling, Chris (2014). How God became Jesus : the real origins of belief in Jesus' divine nature--a response to Bart Ehrman. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310519591. OCLC 871186821.
• ———; Johnson, Adam J. (2016). The Reconciling Wisdom of God: Reframing the Doctrine of the Atonement. Snaphots. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. ISBN 9781577997252. OCLC 989057109.
• ———; Wright, N. T. (2019). The New Testament in its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310499305. - (forthcoming Nov. 2019)<ref>"Coming in November 2019: N.T. Wright and Michael Bird - the New Testament in its World". 18 December 2018.
• ———; Wright, N. T. (2024). Jesus and the Powers. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310162247.

Edited by

• ———; Willitts, Joel, eds. (2011). Paul and the Gospels: christologies, conflicts, and convergences. Library of New Testament studies. Vol. 411. London & New York: T & T Clark. ISBN 9780567617422. OCLC 697599761.
• ———; Dodson, Joseph R., eds. (2011). Paul and the Second Century. Library of New Testament studies. Vol. 412. London & New York: T & T Clark. ISBN 9780567158277. OCLC 657604488.