Daniel Ang is currently the Pastoral Planning Officer for the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. He teaches ecclesiology, ministry and ecumenism at the Parramatta Institute for Mission and holds a Bachelor of Arts/Commerce from the University of Sydney and a Master of Divinity from the Sydney College of Divinity (SCD), undertaken at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.
Daniel has extensive experience within the Catholic Church in the context of parish, diocesan and religious life, with a focus on strategic planning and faith education in communities of faith.
In his current role, Daniel is responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of a Diocesan Pastoral Plan in the Parramatta Diocese. The Diocese takes in some 340,000 Catholics across 49 parish communities, a variety of youth and ecclesial movements, and institutional commitments including 80 Catholic schools, hospitals, migrant chaplaincies and social support services.
Daniel has been published in a number of peer reviewed journals in the areas of ecclesiology, spirituality, youth ministry, and contemporary issues of pastoral concern in the life of the Catholic community.
His theological outlook is shaped by the scholars of the ressourcement movement, among others. This project of religious revitalisation took place within the French Church from the period of 1930 to 1950 and engaged theologians and historians including Henri de Lubac, Yves Congar, Jean Daniélou, Henri Boulliard, Henri Rondet, and Émil Delaye. This movement emphasised the theological meaning of history, sought to overcome the recurrent separatio between knowledge and life, and sought a return to a more substantial tradition, accessed through the ‘monuments’ of Scripture, liturgy and the Church Fathers.
A further influence is ecumenism as an integral dimension of Catholic theology. This brings the recognition of a real but incomplete communion with other churches and communities that includes within its ‘bond’ baptism, the work of the Spirit, sharers in holiness, unexpected dimensions of Christian commitment, as well as a call to complete, visible unity in sacraments, faith and hierarchical ministry.
In addition to writing timeofthechurch, Daniel can also be followed on Twitter (@DanielAngRC), at LinkedIn or contacted by email (DanielAngRC@gmail.com)
