Dr Daniela Rizzo
Lecturer in Systematic Theology; Director of HE Diplomas of Leadership and MinistryDaniela Rizzo is a Lecturer of Systematic Theology at AC, and her research articulates a unique intersection between systematic pneumatology and animal studies. She is a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and her academic memberships extend to the Australasian Animal Studies Association, A Rocha Australia, and the Pentecostal World Fellowship Creation Care Task Force. She is the book review editor for the Australasian Pentecostal Studies journal and the Leader of the Environment and Sustainability Interest Group within the Society for Pentecostal Studies. In 2025 she was awarded both the Alphacrucis President's Doctoral Research Medal and the inaugural Ross Winchester Award for Pentecostal Studies, in recognition of her innovative contribution to contemporary Pentecostal scholarship.
Daniela's published research is in the field of Pentecostal studies, and centres on the connection between animals and theology. She is a member of the Pentecostal Studies, Ecotheology and Sustainable Development and Theology and Society research clusters.
Qualifications
PhD (Alphacrucis University College) , Theological Foundations for a Pneumatology of Animals – 2025
M.A.(Theology) (Alphacrucis University College) , 'Animal Glossolalia- Towards a Pentecostal Theology of Animals.' – 2020
B.A.(Biblical Studies) (Harvest Bible College) – 2006
Research Interests
Animal Theology
Eco-Theology
Pneumatology
Pentecostal Theology
Systematic Theology
Key Interlocutors that inform my research include Jürgen Moltmann, Andrew Linzey, David Clough, Frank Macchia, Amos Yong, Denis Edwards, Elizabeth Johnson, Celia-Deane Drummond, AJ Swoboda, Richard Bauckham and Christopher Southgate.
Field of Research
TheologyBooks
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Forthcoming
- Rizzo, D. God Cares For Animals (And So Should You). Cascade.
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2026
- Daniela Rizzo (2026). Animal Pneumatology. Palgrave Macmillan: Animal Ethics Series. | External link
Book Chapters
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Forthcoming
- Rizzo, D and Sampson, P.. Animal Ambassadorship In Philipp Öhlmann and Ignatius Swart (eds), Elgar Companion to Religion and International Development (pp. ). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Rizzo, D. The Invisible Captives of Christian Redemption In Linzey, A & Linzey, C (eds)., (pp. ). .
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2026
- Rizzo, D (2026). Pentecostal and Evangelical Ecotheologies In Eaton, M. & Harvie, T., The Routledge Handbook of Ecotheology (pp. ). Routledge. | External link
- Rizzo. D (2026). Towards a More Holistic Sustainability: Animal Sentience and Spiritual Potential In Luetz, J.M., Nunn, P., & Filho, W.L., Handbook of Traditional Spirituality and Sustainability (pp. 633-649). Springer. | External link | AC Link
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2025
- Rizzo, D (2025). Beyond Eco-Mission: Towards Zoological Imperative in Theological Discourse. In Eugene Baron and Amos Yong, eds., Wonders Above, Signs Below: Pentecostal Missiology and Environmental Degradation (pp. 163-179). Carlisle, UK: Langham Global. | External link | AC Link
Journal Articles
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2026
- Rizzo, D (2026). The Spirit and “All Flesh”- Developing an Incarnational Pneumatology that Embraces the Non-Human Creature. Journal of Animal Ethics, 16 (1). | External link | AC Link
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2024
- Rizzo, D (2024). Animal Glossolalia: A Pneumatological Framework for Animal Theology. Pneuma, 46 (1), 60-79. | External link | AC Link
- Rizzo, D (2024). The Word Made Flesh and the Spirit's Breath: Bridging Christology and Pneumatology in Animal Theology. Religions, 15(11):1355. | External link
Edited Books
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Forthcoming
- Daniela Rizzo, John Griffiths and Jacqueline Grey (eds). Voice of Creation: Pentecostals Engaging Scripture for Ecological Renewal. Palgrave Macmillan: Charis Series. .
Internal and External Grants
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2025
- Academic Conference Funding, $3000, Alphacrucis University College
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2024
- Academic Conference Funding, $3500, Alphacrucis University College
- AC Conference Funding, $2000, AC
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2023
- HDR Travel Grant, $1500, Alphacrucis University College
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2021
- Winner of the Three Minute Thesis Peoples' Choice Award, $500, Alphacrucis University College
Presentations
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2026
- (with Awudi, E; Hunter, H; Onyinah, O; Urvas, S; Wells, D.) Pentecostalism and Ecology: Friends or Foes? (2026), World Pentecostal Creation Care Conference, Ghana, Africa, 01 Sep 2026
- The Activity of Spirit in Animals (2026), The Spiritual Forum | Podcast, USA, 10 Aug 2026
- Toward a Theological Ethic of Creaturely Listening: Animal Theology in an Age of AI (2026), The Eleventh Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, UK, 06 Aug 2026
- God Conversations with Animals (2026), God Conversations | Podcast, Australia, 28 Jul 2026
- Animals Are Not Ecosystems: Rethinking Theological Categories (2026), Society for Pentecostal Studies, Waco, United States, 12 Mar 2026
- The pain of love and grief for our pets (2026), God Forbid - ABC Radio, ABC Sydney, 13 Feb 2026
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2025
- Liberation in Chains: A Theological Reflection on Captivity as a Spiritual Metaphor (2025), The Tenth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, UK, 05 Aug 2025
- The Natural Will and the Divine Logoi: Maximus the Confessor, Animal Spirituality, and the Boundaries of Orthodoxy (2025), ANZATS: Remembering Nicaea, Melbourne, AUS, 02 Jul 2025
- All Creatures of the Earth, Come Praise the Lord!: Worship, Creaturely Flourishing and Pentecostal Animal Theology (2025), Society for Pentecostal Studies, Seattle, United States, 13 Mar 2025
- Potential Spiritual Behaviour in Animals (2025), Sunday Brunch with Kim Huynh, ABC Canberra, 02 Feb 2025
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2024
- Jürgen Moltmann: Pioneering Animal Eschatology (2024), The Nineth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School, Oxford, UK, 07 Aug 2024
- Animal Glossolalia: A Pneumatological Framework for Animal Theology (2024), Society for Pentecostal Studies, Atlanta, United States, 15 Mar 2024
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2023
- Animal Glossolalia: A Pentecostal Consideration of Animal Voice (2023), Pilgrims with the Planet, Sydney, Australia, 05 Oct 2023
- Animal Glossolalia: A Pentecostal Consideration of Animals (2023), World on Fire: Pentecostal Eschatology and Eco-theology, Frankfurt, Germany, 01 Sep 2023
Book Reviews
Book Reviews
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2022
- Rizzo, D. (2022). Review of Glossolalia and the Problem of Language, by Nicholas Harkness. Reading Religion. , . | External link
Engagement Publications
Book Chapters
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Forthcoming
- Rizzo, D. Zoological Mission In David Onnekink and Jan van der Stoep (eds), Mission and Creation Care (Zending en sch eppingszorg) (pp. ). .
Popular Articles
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2026
- Rizzo, D. (2026). I Rejected the Rapture Because of My Cat. SARX, . | External link
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2025
- Rizzo, D. (2025). The Spirit in All Flesh: Reimagining Animals Through the Work of the Spirit. SARX, . | External link
- Rizzo, D (2025). In the Footsteps of St. Francis: The Path Towards Zoological Mission. SARX, . | External link
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2024
- Rizzo, D. (2024). God's Creatures, Our Responsibility: Jürgen Moltmann on Animal Rights. Ethos Centre for Christianity and Society, . | External link
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2023
- Rizzo, D (2023). Animals in Relationship with God. Zadok Perspectives, Winter Edition. | AC Link
Other Publications
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2023
- Rizzo, D. (2023). The CreatureKind Lectionary- Season after Pentecost: Proper 11. | External link | AC Link
Awards
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2025
- President’s Doctoral Research Medal, Alphacrucis University College
- Ross Winchester Award for Pentecostal Studies, Alphacrucis University College
Professional Memberships
A Rocha Australia (since 2024)
Australasian Animal Studies Association (since 2021)
Book Review Editor: Australasian Pentecostal Studies Journal (since 2025)
Interest Group Leader (Environment and Sustainability): Society for Pentecostal Studies (since 2025)
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics (since 2021)
Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics (Fellowship) (since 2026)
Society for Pentecostal Studies (since 2023)
The Australian and New Zealand Association of Theological Studies (ANZATS) (since 2021)
Current Supervision
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Current
- Adrian Tam, Luke-Acts Theology of Empowered Witness and Contemporary Discipleship Practice (Masters Project/Thesis)
- Daniel Selhorst, A Spirit Christology for Pentecostal Mission in the Twenty-First Century (Masters Project/Thesis)
- Zoe Stewart, Sanctuary in the Spirit: Reimagining Belonging, Disability, and Sabbath in the Australian Pentecostal Church (Masters Project/Thesis)
- McKenzie, S, Beyond Genetic Determinism: A Theological Exploration of Human Agency, Belonging and Flourishing (Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours))
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