Matt, together with his wife Zara, teaches Laidlaw’s youth-focussed Practical Theology papers.

He is interested in how theology makes sense of the world around us and its integration with other disciplines such as philosophy, psychology and the sciences. His current research stems from his interest in embodied cognition and how what we do with our bodies creates a certain kind of knowledge.

Matt has been doing youth ministry for a decade in both Ōtautahi and Tāmaki Makaurau. He studied theology while working in youth development for the Salvation Army and a local youth trust in Christchurch. He served as a youth pastor for a number of years and is now a teaching pastor at Saint Augustine’s Anglican church. He is currently completing his Masters in Applied Theology, exploring the role of practices in the theology of the French philosopher Blaise Pascal. 

When he’s not got his face in a book, Matt enjoys mixed martial arts, Xbox in moderation, the art of coffee making (and consuming), strumming a guitar and riling up his daughter Piper before bed.