About - Spirituality and Society with Hilly

About Spirituality and Society with Hilly

Contemplative faith, cultural witness, and the common good.

Welcome to my Substack. I’m Graham Joseph Hill, an Australian theologian and author who studies Christian spirituality in the public square and an associate professor at the School of Theology at Charles Sturt University, Australia (My bio is here). This Substack is my free online journal exploring Christian spirituality and public life.

Please pull up a chair, grab your favorite mug, and join me for a thoughtful conversation about the things that matter most.

Here, I reflect on the richness of Christian spirituality, the beauty of God’s presence in culture and society, and the call to live justly, love deeply, and walk humbly with God.

Spirituality and Society with Hilly is 100% free—no paywalls, no locked posts. It lands in your inbox twice weekly, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays.

If you'd like to support this work, a paid subscription helps keep the journal free for readers worldwide who can't afford it. My mission is to serve God’s people globally, especially in communities where paid content isn’t accessible. Your support makes that possible.

Grace and peace,

Graham Joseph Hill (OAM, PhD)
(aka Hilly)

About Graham Joseph Hill OAM PhD (aka Hilly)

I’m an Adjunct Research Fellow and Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University, and hold a PhD from Flinders University. I’ve written more than twenty books, including Salt, Light, and a City, which was named Jesus Creed’s 2012 Book of the Year (church category); Healing Our Broken Humanity (with Grace Ji-Sun Kim), named Outreach Magazine’s 2019 Resource of the Year (culture category); and World Christianity, shortlisted for the 2025 Australian Christian Book of the Year. In 2024, I was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for my service to theological education. I live in Sydney with my wife, Shyn.

See my ORCID information HERE

See my CSU university profile HERE

See my professional and academic references HERE

Qualifications: OAM, Cert C&M (ACT), Cert IV WT&A (Tabor), HonsDipMin (SCD), BTheol (SCD), PG Cert TESOL (Macquarie), GradCertPS (UD), MTheol (Notre Dame Aust), PhD (Flinders)

Please take a look at my bio here.

Here’s my pattern of life for writing:

What Do I Believe?

I explore the relationships between Christian spirituality and public life, shaped by a high view of the Christian Scriptures, a deep commitment to the core beliefs of historical Christianity, and practicing the Way of Jesus in everyday life (as a disciple of Jesus Christ). I affirm the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Chalcedonian Definition as faithful expressions of Christian orthodoxy. My work is grounded in the authority of Scripture, the centrality of Christ, the Triune God’s life, and the gospel’s hope for personal transformation and the common good.

Why Subscribe?

Free articles on Christian spirituality and public life.
Free articles on World Christianity, intercultural theology, and global mission.
Free articles on biblical perspectives on women in leadership and ministry.
Free articles on the Bible and theology.
Free articles on contemporary social and political issues.
Free articles on devotional themes and topics.

Join my Substack Community

Join me at Spirituality and Society with Hilly as we explore faith, spirituality, culture, and mission, revealing the beauty of God’s work in the world.

About Paid Subscriptions

I appreciate the Substack model. It lets writers share directly with readers, and for many, it becomes a way to make a living from their craft. But I’m in a slightly different situation.

I’ve got a fulfilling job and other sources of income, so I’m not here because I need to earn from this platform. I’m here because I care deeply about the future of Christian spirituality and what it means to live faithfully in contemporary culture.

One challenge I’ve seen with platforms like this is how easy it is to get caught up in “audience capture,”—where the temptation to please a crowd or chase clicks shapes your tone, message, and integrity. I want to avoid that at all costs. I want to stay grounded, honest, and open-hearted in my writing and teaching.

That’s why everything I write here will remain 100% free and accessible to all. There won’t be a paywall. Everyone should be able to access this—whether in Nairobi or Nashville, a seminary student or a weary pilgrim searching for meaning.

Still, some people have asked how they can support my work, and I’m grateful for their generosity.

If you’d like to support what I’m doing here, you can become a paid subscriber ($50/year) or gift a subscription to someone else.

As a small thank you, paid subscribers will be invited to a once-a-year group Zoom call. That Zoom conversation is offered exclusively to paid subscribers. I’ll share what I’ve been working on, offer some reflections, and open it up for questions and conversation. It’s just a small way to connect and say thanks. Upgrade to a paid subscription here ($4.17/month or $50/year).

So, welcome. I’m delighted you’re here. If you find value in what I’m sharing, please recommend this Substack to friends, colleagues, or communities you care about.

I learned this rationale and approach to paid subscriptions from Jon Haidt at the After Babel Substack.

Let’s begin. Let’s walk together. And let’s keep asking how we might live faithfully, humbly, and courageously in this complex world.

Grace and peace,

— Graham Joseph Hill (aka Hilly)

Rev. Dr. Graham Joseph Hill OAM PhD

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