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Short biography

Born in Melbourne and now living in Canberra, Paul Collins is an historian, broadcaster, and writer. For many years he has worked in varying capacities in TV and radio with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He has also acted as a commentator on the BBC, PBS in the United States, NHK Japan, Danish and New Zealand TV, Sky TV News, as well as SBS and commercial TV and radio stations in Australia. He has written regularly for most of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines, as well as for print media in the UK, the United States, Germany and Austria.

He has a Master’s degree in theology (Th.M.) from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D) in history from the Australian National University (ANU), and is a Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London. He has taught history and theology in Australia, US and Pacific countries and worked as a parish priest in Sydney and Hobart. He has wide experience in tertiary and adult education. Between 1986 and 1996 he was a producer-presenter in the ABC in radio and TV, and for three years he was Specialist Editor-Religion for the ABC.

In March 2001 he resigned from the active priestly ministry of the Catholic Church after thirty-three years service due to a doctrinal dispute with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith over his book Papal Power (1997).

He is the author of fourteen books including Mixed Blessings, God’s Earth, Papal Power, Burn: The Epic Story of Bushfire in Australia, Believers: Does the Catholic Church in Australia have a Future? and Judgment Day: The struggle for life on earth. The Birth of the West will be published in 2013.

While he is well known as a commentator on Catholicism and the papacy, he also has a strong interest in environmental and population issues. Nowadays he works as a freelance writer, speaker and broadcaster on environmental issues, social ethics, theology, history and media.

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