Noel Preston
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Noel Preston is an ethicist, theologian and social commentator and is Adjunct Professor in the Key Centre for Ethics, Law Justice and Governance, Griffith University.
He retired in November 2004 as the founding Director of the UnitingCare Centre for Social Justice.
From 1987–2001, he held senior academic positions at Queensland University of Technology and Griffith University in the fields of Applied and professional ethics.
He is a Member of the Advisory Panel of Green Cross Australia and the Committee of Earth Charter Australia. He is a regular public commentator on social ethics though in retirement he is particularly researching ecotheology and eco-spirituality.
Among seven books he has sole or co- authored and edited, his introductory textbook Understanding Ethics was reissued as a revised third edition in late 2007 with major additions and updates.
In 2004, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the community in the field of ethics.
In his capacity as a social justice campaigner since the early 1970s and as a Minister of the Uniting Church, he has previously held leadership roles in various church social justice portfolios including inaugural Convenor of the Uniting Church’s Commission on Social Responsibility, Queensland Director of Action for World Development and Executive Officer of the Victorian Synod Division of Social Justice. In retirement he is now Minister in Association of the West End Uniting Church and active in the Progressive Spirituality Network.
He has been the founding chair/convenor of the Queensland social action groups Concerned Christians (1976), People for Nuclear Disarmament (1983), Citizens Against Corruption (1988). In 2006, he published a memoir/social history book - Beyond the Boundary: a memoir exploring ethics, politics and spirituality. It was published by Zeus Publications.
Academic qualifications
Noel’s academic qualifications are: Cert.Teach. (KGCAE), BA., BD.,(Uni of Qld), M.Ed (Hons.) (UNE), Th.D. (Boston University) [citation needed].
Personal life
Noel is a grandfather and father of two daughters and a son.
Major publications
- Preston N (2007) Understanding Ethics (3rd edition) Sydney: Federation Press
- Preston N (2006) Beyond the Boundary: a memoir exploring ethics, politics and spirituality, Zeus Publications
- Preston N, Sampford C with Carmel Connors (2002) Encouraging Ethics and Challenging Corruption: reforming Governance in Public Institutions, Sydney: Federation Press
- Preston N (2001) Exploring Eco-justice: reframing ethics and spirituality in the context of globalisation, St Francis’ Theological College, Brisbane, Occasional Paper No. 13
- Co-editor with Bishop P (2000) Local Government, Public Enterprise and Ethics, Federation Press
- Preston N (1999) Engaging Empowerment, Papers to the AHWCA National Conference, QUT
- Co-editor with Sampford C and Bois C-A (1998) Ethics and Political Practice: Perspectives on Legislative Ethics, Federation Press and Routledge
- Co-editor (1998) Public Sector Ethics: Finding and Implementing Values, Federation Press and Routledge
- Preston N (ed) (1994) Ethics for the Public Sector: Education and Training, Sydney: Federation Press
- Miller S and Preston N (1996) (eds) Ethics in Practice: Proceedings of the Second National Conference of the Australian Association for Professional and Applied Ethics, Charles Sturt University: Keon Press
- Preston N and Symes C (2000) (2nd ed) Schools and Classrooms: a cultural analysis of education, Longmans
External links
- Progressive Spirituality Network
- Writings at On Line Opinion