Very Reverend Dr. Abate Gobena teaches Patristics and Eastern Christian Theology (Tewahedo) at the Tewahdo seminary. He qualified with a PhD from University College Stockholm (Enskilda Högskolan Stockhom). His dissertation is called “Sanctity and Environment in Ethiopian Hagiography: The Case of Gedle Gebre Menfes Qiddus” and handles eco-theology from the perspective of the Ethiopian Tewahedo tradition. He has also a BTh. from Holy Trinity Theology College in Addis Ababa where he has also taught.
His research interests are in Eco-theology, Church History, Patristics, and Hagiography. Fr Abate lives in London in the UK and serves as parish priest at the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church there.
Fr. Abate also has a BSc. in Agro-Engineering and Mechanization (Hawassa University, Ethiopia), an MSc. in Biodiversity Conservation (Gottingen University, Germany), an M.A. in Sustainable Development (Middlesex University, UK) and an MSc. in Forest and Nature Management (SLU, Sweden).
He is involved in several research projects: Eco-Theology and Environmental Ethics (ECOTHEE-2019); Sustainable Alternatives for Poverty Reduction & Eco-Justice (SAPREJ-2020); European Academy of Religion (EuARe-2020) Bologna.
“If you are theologian you will pray in truth, and if you pray in truth you are a theologian”. St. Ephraim
Role
Deputy Senior Lecturer, History of Christianity with Systematic Theology; Rector, Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Seminary
abate.gobena@sanktignatios.org
