Ruan Bessa is a theologian whose work is shaped by engagement with church life and ministry, particularly in the context of church planting in the United States and Brazil, where he was born and raised. He lived in the United States for the past ten years, where he worked in the business sector as a training manager prior to completing his advanced theological studies. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) from Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he also served as a teaching and research assistant and as Associate Director of Admissions. He is currently a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford.
Research Interests
I research on moral and political theology, with a focus on the historical and conceptual development of moral and political thought and the intersection of Scripture, practical reason, and ethics. I am especially interested in the work of the Anglican theologian Oliver O’Donovan, and my Portuguese translation of his Resurrection and Moral Order is forthcoming.
Research Centres and Projects
I am involved with the “Christian Moral and political thought for British public life” project led by Revd Prof Joshua Hordern and funded by the McDonald Agape Foundation.
