Teaching and Pastoral
Rachel Ciano
Lecturer in Christianity in History
BTh (Hons) (SMBC/ACT)
Role at SMBC:
As part of the Christian Thought team, Rachel lectures in Christianity in History.
Prior to SMBC:
Rachel studied Visual Communication and International Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney (2001-2003), before commencing studies at SMBC in 2004. She moved to England in 2005, where she and her husband ministered at an evangelical Anglican church in Hove, East Sussex. They returned to Sydney in 2009, where they began a church plant in Marrickville. Rachel completed her studies at SMBC in 2010, specialising in the English Reformation, particularly Thomas Cranmer and the interaction between two key points of his theology: his Erastianism and his Eucharistic position.
Academic Interests:
Church History, particularly the English Reformation, and Roman Catholicism. She has also spent time researching Church History in Italy and the UK, hence church history connected with those areas is also of particular interest.
Publications and Research:
Book Chapters and Journal Articles
- Maddock, Ian J., Stuart Coulton and Rachel Ciano. 10 Dead Guys You Should Know, (Fearn, Christian Focus, 2021).
- Ciano, Rachel. "Lament Psalms in the Church: A History of Recent Neglect.” Pages 9-23 in Finding Lost Words: The Church’s Right to Lament. Edited by K. M. Barker and G. G. Harper. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2017. (Available for purchase from the SMBC online store)
- Ciano, Rachel. “Cranmer’s Doctrine of the Monarchy & Eucharist: An Examination of their Interaction.” Lucas: An Evangelical History Review 2:3 (2011): 19–43.
- Allison, Gregg and Rachel Ciano. “Roman Catholic Theology and Practice of the Priesthood Contrasted with Protestant Theology and Practice of the Priesthood.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 23/1 (2019): 137-55.
Book Reviews
Academic Papers Presented
- Ciano, Rachel. 2019. Thomas Cranmer, Clerical Celibacy and the English Reformation. Paper presented at the Moore College Reformation Anglicanism Symposium. Sydney, Australia. August 28.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2019. The Stephen Gardiner – Thomas Cranmer Exchange: Lessons for us today. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 21.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2019. Theological and Structural Issues in the Roman Catholic Church in the Child Sexual Abuse Scandal. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 19.
- Allison, Gregg and Rachel Ciano. 2019. The Roman Catholic Theology of Priesthood. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 17.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2019. The Cardinal Sadoleto - John Calvin Exchange: Lessons for us today. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 17.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2019. Theological and Structural Issues in the Child Sexual Abuse Scandal in the Roman Catholic Church. Paper presented at the United Theological College Colloquium. Sydney, Australia. May 3.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2018. Historical Framework for Understanding Catholicism. Paper presented at the Understanding Catholicism Today Conference, Sydney, Australia. August 25.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2018. History of the Bible in the Roman Catholic Church. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 22.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2018. History of the Roman Catholic Church: the Reformation and Counter Reformation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 21.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2018. History of the Roman Catholic Church: Middle Ages to the Eve of the Reformation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 20.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2018. History of the Roman Catholic Church: The Early Church. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rome Scholars Network. Rome, Italy. June 19.
- Ciano, Rachel. 2017. Roman Catholic Worldview: A Holistic, Systemic Approach. Paper presented at the Understanding Catholicism Today Conference, Sydney, Australia. September 2.
Online Publications
Speaking Ministry:
- “Run For Your Life: Bible Talks from the Book of Hebrews,” SMBC Women’s Conference. March 7, 2020.
- “Reclaiming Marriage: Risky, Renegade Reformers,” SMBC Hot Topic series. February 12, 2020.
- “Home is Where The Heart Is,” Marrickville Road Church Christmas Event, December 7, 2019.
- Two talks on “Mary and Martha: How to Prioritise in a World of Too Much,” Menai Anglican Women’s Conference. August 10, 2019.
- “Getting Ready for Christmas,” Marrickville Road Church Christmas Event, December 8, 2018.
- “Is the Pope Catholic?” SMBC Hot Topic series. March 21, 2018.
- “Pure Freedom: Richard Baxter,” Thinking of God Conference, Sydney. November 29, 2017.
- “500 Years On: The Reformation that Changed the World,” Marrickville Anglican Church. October 31, 2017.
- 3 sessions on “Augustine”, “Augustine vs. Pelagius”, and “The Church from Augustine to Luther” at Marrickville Anglican Church Winter School, July – August 2016.
- “Dead Guys You Should Know: Thomas Cranmer,” Church History Seminar, Rooty Hill Anglican Church January 7, 2015.
- “Right Perspective: Daniel 7,” SMBC Women’s Conference. March 2014.
- “Dead Guys You Should Know: Augustine,” Church History Seminar, Rooty Hill Anglican Church, January 8, 2014.
- “Augustine vs. Pelagius: The Fight For Grace,” Tasmanian Christian Convention, January 2013.
Podcasts and Interviews:
Personal:
Rachel is married to Ross, and they have two young sons. They live in Marrickville where her husband is the pastor of Marrickville Road Church. She loves enjoying the diversity of Marrickville and reading for fun.
High res photo download (8.1MB)
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