John Wilcken is on the staff of Jesuit Theological College, Melbourne. He teaches in an ecumenical faculty, the United Faculty of Theology, Parkville. His doctoral work was done on the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor and theologian executed by the Nazis at the end of World War II. He has taught Systematic Theology for the last 37 years, working in a number of areas, especially Ecclesiology and the Theology of the Human Person.

As well as contributing articles to various periodicals, John has published the following books:

• Religious Life Today (1974),
• The Priest Today (1976),
• The Gospel and the Church's Teaching Role (1977),
• Jesus Christ: Yesterday and Today (1984),
• God in Our World (1992).

In recent years he has been teaching and writing in the area of the relationship between Christian theology and Australian Aboriginal religions. Another special interest is Liberation Theology and Feminist Theology.

John has also been extensively involved in retreat-giving and spiritual direction. An important area of pastoral concern has been work among homeless people, and he is at present Superior of a Jesuit Community living with homeless, alcoholic and emotionally-disturbed men at Greenvale, a suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne.