When the Broken Bay Institute in Australia decided it wanted to make theology available to people at all levels, all over the world, the obvious answer was online learning.

However, what Dr Gerard Goldman, CEO of the institute, did not want was another course in which the student is a passive recipient of information. He says some universities mistake online learning for simply uploading lectures on to their website. “Quite honestly, that’s disastrous because it is the lowest-level educational experience for the student,” explains Goldman. “It is cheap and easy.”

Instead, Goldman wanted to offer quality spiritual formation, blending online lectures with the latest research tools and a discussion board where students can air research topics. Lecturers are available by email or phone, and students are assigned a tutor to assist them individually.