About Jeff Stacey

I am married and live near Sydney, Australia. I became a committed Christian when I was a university student, age 20. After graduating in civil engineering (BE) from the University of Sydney I worked as a highways engineer for a number of years in Sydney and some regional centres in south eastern Australia.

During this time I also studied in Sydney at the NSW Baptist (Morling) Theological College and gained a BD(hons) degree awarded by the Melbourne College of Divinity. Later I gained an MTh degree awarded by the Australian College of Theology.

For about ten years I did part-time lecturing in a theological college and several Bible schools, although I am not an ordained minister. I continue to be involved in various church responsibilities and with other Christian organisations.

Often my engineering work required sorting out complex situations. I did this by analysing the basic processes involved. We called that “going back to first principles”. I am now trying to use this same approach for understanding the Bible. I keep looking for the “big picture” – the basic principles and patterns underlying all the detail. Then I illustrate these using boxes-and-arrows flow charts, just as engineers often do.

Working on this website has been an inspiring and creatively satisfying project for some years now. I give it as much time as I can, along with my other responsibilities.

Developing these ideas has been for me a bit like John Bunyan’s description of producing his 1678 classic, “The Pilgrim’s Progress”¹

More than twenty things which I set down.

This done, I twenty more had in my crown;

And they again began to multiply…

… I only thought to make

I knew not what: nor did I undertake

Thereby to please my neighbour: no, not I;

I did it my own self to gratify …

… Thus I set pen to paper with delight,

And quickly had my thoughts in black and white.

For having now my method by the end,

Still as I pulled it came; and so I penned

It down, until it at last it came to be,

For length and breadth, the bigness which you see.

Well, when I had put my ends together,

I showed them others, that I might see whether

They would condemn them, or them justify

And some said, let him live; some, let him die;

Some said: John print it; others said, not so.

Some said, it might do good; others said, no.

Now I was in a strait, and did not see

Which was the best thing to be done by me;

At last I thought, since you are thus divided,

I print it will; and so the case decided.

So I too have said to my website “let it live”! But unlike Bunyan’s masterpiece, my efforts will always be a work in progress…

Now over to you – my hope and prayer is that “it might do good”.

FOOTNOTE

1. The Complete Works of John Bunyan [Brantford, Ontario, 1877], page 85. Our old leather-bound copy of this volume is a treasured heirloom of my wife’s family, who are direct descendants of Bunyan (Return to reading).