Discover part of the ‘Way of the Cross’ in Melbourne’s CBD, as The Reverend Professor Russell Goulbourne and Dr Jonathan Zecher delve into early Christian history, and reflect on the Nicene Creed.

2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the ecumenical Way of the Cross through Melbourne’s CBD. Marked by fourteen bronze relief sculptures by the Melbourne artist Anna Meszaros (granddaughter of Andor Meszaros and niece of Michael Meszaros) on the exterior of city-centre churches of several denominations, the Way of the Cross offers those who follow it a means of reflecting on Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

2025 is also the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council. This year Christians around the world are being asked to delve into their history, to contemplate the Nicene Creed and to think about how their faith has been shaped through ecumenical dialogue and doctrinal commitments.

We invite you to join with us as we walk part of the Way of the Cross, beginning at St Francis’s Church on Lonsdale Street and ending at Collins Street Baptist Church. As we walk, we will reflect on:

the background to Nicaea and the challenges of unity in the early churches
the development of shared traditions, especially through the Nicene Creed, what it contains and how it is used in different churches today
how different traditions and communities meet in remembering Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
the landmarks and places of meeting created by Melbourne’s Way of the Cross.

Presented as part of the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative's 2025 walking tour series.

What to expect:

A 2-hour walking tour of the Melbourne CBD.
A small group with plenty of opportunities for discussion and questions.

Notes on accessibility:

While every effort will be made to accommodate mobility levels, please note the tour will involve approximately 3 km of walking, including across uneven surfaces and steep inclines.

Your tour guides:

Dr Jonathan Zecher is a Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at the Australian Catholic University. His work has focused on early Christian monasticism and ancient medicine, and more recently, he’s been drawn to the material history of Eastern Christian writings and the work of largely anonymous authors and readers in creating and preserving theological and spiritual traditions.

The Reverend Professor Russell Goulbourne, completed his MA, MSt and DPhil at Keble College, Oxford. He then taught in the Department of French at the University of Leeds between 2000 and 2013, first as a Lecturer (2000-05), then as a Senior Lecturer (2005-06) and then as Professor of Early Modern French Literature (2006-13); he also served as Head of Department from 2008 to 2011. In January 2014 he moved to King’s College London as Professor of French Literature and was Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Humanities from January 2014 to August 2018. In January 2019, he joined the University of Melbourne as Professor of French Literature and was Dean of the Faculty of Arts from January 2019 to January 2024.

Questions? Contact arts-engage@unimelb.edu.au

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