John Martis has been teaching Philosophy at the United Faculty of Theology since 2000.

Before joining the Society of Jesus in 1981, he studied science at the University of Western Australia. In the Society, he undertook studies for priesthood, and was ordained in 1991. Since then he has focussed on philosophy. His PhD was from Monash University, in 2000, its research focus being the link between representation and subjectivity in the writings of the French poststructuralist Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe.

In 2003-4 John spent nine months in a program based at Weston, near Boston, preparing to take final vows in the Society of Jesus. As part of this, he spent four months in Jamaica, based at St Annie's Parish, West Kingston, and Annotto Bay, on the North Coast.

From June-December 2004 he was Visiting Scholar in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.

Since 2005, he has been Principal of Jesuit Theological College. He is Head of the Department of Philosophy at the United Faculty of Theology, and Chair of Humanities (Field A) for the Melbourne College of Divinity.

His philosophical research interests are in subjectivity, and especially the possibility of a postmodern subjectivity, as this relates to religious faith.

His book Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe: Representation and the Loss of the Subject was published by Fordham University Press in 2005.

Among his recently published articles are:

• Awaiting Faith: Jacques Derrida and the Impossible Encounter with Death, Pacifica 18 (1) 2005: 1-17.
• Living Away From Home — and Loving It: Tweaking a Christian Metaphor, Pacifica 15 (2) 2002: 123-27.

John is a member of the Jesuit Community at Jesuit Theological College. His recreational interests are chess, cricket and humour.