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Dr Daniela Rizzo

Associate Lecturer in Systematic Theology; Director of HE Diplomas of Leadership and Ministry

Biography

Daniela is an Associate Lecturer of Systematic Theology at AC. She has recently completed her PhD, which articulates a unique intersection between systematic pneumatology and animal studies. Her academic memberships extend to the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, the Australasian Animal Studies Association, A Rocha Australia, and the Pentecostal World Fellowship Creation Care Task Force. Outside academia, she is a member of the Warrnambool Environment and Sustainability Advisory Committee, contributing to local environmental discussions and sustainable community initiatives.

Daniela's published research is in the field of Pentecostal studies, and centres on the connection between animals and theology. She is a member of the Pentecostal Studies, Ecotheology and Sustainable Development and Theology and Society research clusters.

Qualifications

PhD (Alphacrucis University College), Theological Foundations for a Pneumatology of Animals – 2025

M.A. (Theology) (Alphacrucis University College), 'Animal Glossolalia- Towards a Pentecostal Theology of Animals.' – 2020

B.A. (Biblical Studies) (Harvest Bible College) – 2006

  • Research Publications

    Books

    • Forthcoming
      • Daniela Rizzo. Animal Pneumatology. Palgrave Macmillan (2026).

    Book Chapters

    • Forthcoming
      • Rizzo, D. Pentecostal and Evangelical Ecotheologies In Eaton, M. & Harvie, T., The Routledge Handbook of Ecotheology (pp. ). Routledge.
      • Rizzo. D. Towards a More Holistic Sustainability: Animal Sentience and Spiritual Potential In Luetz, J.M., Nunn, P., & Filho, W.L., Handbook of Traditional Spirituality and Sustainability (pp. ). Springer.
    • 2025
      • Rizzo, D (2025). Beyond Eco-Mission: Towards Zoological Imperative in Theological Discourse. In Eugene Baron and Amos Yong, eds., Pentecostal Missiology and Environmental Degradation (pp. ). Carlisle, UK: Langham Global.

    Journal Articles

    • 2025
      • Rizzo, D (2025). The Spirit and “All Flesh”- Developing an Incarnational Pneumatology that Embraces the Non-Human Creature. Journal of Animal Ethics, 15 (2).
    • 2024
      • Rizzo, D (2024). The Word Made Flesh and the Spirit's Breath: Bridging Christology and Pneumatology in Animal Theology. Religions, 15(11):1355. | External link
      • Rizzo, D (2024). Animal Glossolalia: A Pneumatological Framework for Animal Theology. Pneuma: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, 46 (1), 60-79. | External link

    Edited Books

    • Forthcoming
      • Daniela Rizzo, John Griffiths and Jacqueline Grey (eds). Voice of Creation: Pentecostals Engaging Scripture for Ecological Renewal.
  • Scholarship

    Internal and External Grants

    • 2025
      • Academic Conference Funding, $3000, Alphacrucis University College
      • Inaugral Winner of the Ross Winchester Award for Pentecostal Studies, Alphacrucis University College
      • Winner of the President's Doctoral Research Medal, Alphacrucis University College
    • 2024
      • Academic Conference Funding, $3500, Alphacrucis University College
      • AC Conference Funding, $2000, AC
    • 2023
      • HDR Travel Grant, $1500, Alphacrucis University College
    • 2021
      • Winner of the Three Minute Thesis Peoples' Choice Award, $500, Alphacrucis University College

    Presentations

    • 2025
      • Liberation in Chains: A Theological Reflection on Captivity as a Spiritual Metaphor (2025), The Tenth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, UK, 05 Aug 2025
      • The Natural Will and the Divine Logoi: Maximus the Confessor, Animal Spirituality, and the Boundaries of Orthodoxy (2025), ANZATS: Remembering Nicaea, Melbourne, AUS, 02 Jul 2025
      • All Creatures of the Earth, Come Praise the Lord!: Worship, Creaturely Flourishing and Pentecostal Animal Theology (2025), Society for Pentecostal Studies, Seattle, United States, 13 Mar 2025
    • 2024
      • Jürgen Moltmann: Pioneering Animal Eschatology (2024), The Nineth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, UK, 07 Aug 2024
      • Animal Glossolalia: A Pneumatological Framework for Animal Theology (2024), Society for Pentecostal Studies, Atlanta, United States, 15 Mar 2024
    • 2023
      • Animal Glossolalia: A Pentecostal Consideration of Animal Voice (2023), Pilgrims with the Planet, Sydney, Australia, 05 Oct 2023
      • Animal Glossolalia: A Pentecostal Consideration of Animals (2023), World on Fire: Pentecostal Eschatology and Eco-theology, Frankfurt, Germany, 01 Sep 2023

    Professional Memberships


    A Rocha Australia (since 2024)

    Australasian Animal Studies Association (since 2021)

    Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics (since 2021)

    Society for Pentecostal Studies (since 2023)

    The Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Studies (ANZATS) (since 2021)


  • Teaching

  • Supervision