Trinity postdoctoral fellow becomes first Australian to receive Gingko Foundation Fellowship

Trinity College Theological School Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Natalie Mylonas has become the first Australian to be granted the prestigious Gingko Foundation Interfaith Fellowship.

The Gingko Foundation aims to forge positive relationships between scholars in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and the West.

This incredible opportunity will see Natalie join a hand-selected cohort of 20 scholars from diverse religious backgrounds and locations from around the globe.

Dr Mylonas has strong pedigree in the area, having worked as a Postdoctoral and Honorary Research Associate at Macquarie University, and a Lecturer in Biblical Studies, Hebrew and Theology at the Australian Catholic University before joining Trinity. She has also penned several pertinent academic publications, most recently publishing Jerusalem as Contested Space in Ezekiel for Bloomsbury [London, 2023].

The fellowship offers a platform for interfaith dialogue between Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars, where participants will engage in meaningful discussions, exchange ideas, and foster lasting bonds of mutual respect and friendship.

Over the course of the two-year fellowship, Natalie will attend two retreats—one in the Middle East and another in the West — where themes like ‘Interfaith Dialogue in Times of Crisis’ and ‘Religious Polemic and Interfaith Dialogue’ have been explored in the past.

Dr Mylonas will also collaborate on research initiatives aimed at improving understanding between different religious and cultural groups.

Natalie is eager to bring a distinctly Australian perspective to the table, enriching the fellowship's focus on global interfaith dialogue, especially among the predominantly Northern Hemisphere-based members.

Speaking following the announcement, Natalie said, 'I was very excited to find out I was awarded the Gingko Foundation Interfaith Fellowship. It’s a humbling opportunity to engage with such a diverse and inspiring group of scholars from around the world. I’m especially excited to contribute an Australian perspective to the fellowship—offering insights shaped by our deeply multicultural, pluralistic society and a history of navigating interfaith relations in a secular, yet religiously diverse, context.

'The strength of the Gingko Foundation lies in its ability to create a space for cultural exchange between scholars from the Middle East/North Africa and West and fostering a deeper understanding of one another’s lived experiences. I’m thrilled to be part of that work over the next two years.'