David T. Runia
Encyclopedia
David Theunis Runia is a Dutch-Australian
classical scholar and educational administrator who has worked in both Australia
and the Netherlands
.
, The Netherlands. At the age of four he emigrated to Australia when his father Klaas Runia
took up a chair at the Reformed Theological College in Geelong
. After attending Newtown State School and The Geelong College
, he studied Classics at the University of Melbourne
from 1969 to 1976 and was a resident of Queen’s College
from 1969 to 1971. In 1977 he returned to the Netherlands, where he obtained his doctorate
at the Free University, Amsterdam in 1983.
. In 2002 he returned to Australia on his appointment as Master of Queen’s College
at the University of Melbourne
, a position he still holds. He is also Professorial Fellow
in the School of Historical Studies in the Faculty of Arts
at the University of Melbourne.
Runia was elected a Fellow
of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
in 1999 and a Correspondent of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 2004.
Runia’s scholarship research has focused on two main areas: (1) the interaction of Greek philosophy
and Jewish-Christian thought, with particular attention paid to the contribution of the Hellenistic-Jewish author Philo of Alexandria; (2) the genre of ancient doxography
, which gives us valuable information on the thought of early Greek philosophers.
Editor of The Studia Philonica Annual, 10 volumes 1989–1998; with Gregory E. Sterling, 10 volumes 1999–2008
Dutch Australian
A Dutch Australian is an inhabitant of Australia with full or partial Dutch ancestry, the majority of these people are part of the Dutch diaspora.-History:...
classical scholar and educational administrator who has worked in both Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Early life
Runia was born in the Noord Oost PolderNoordoostpolder
Noordoostpolder is a municipality in the Flevoland province in the central Netherlands. Formerly, it was also called Urker Land. Emmeloord is the administrative center, located in the heart of the Noordoostpolder. The municipality has the largest land area in the Netherlands...
, The Netherlands. At the age of four he emigrated to Australia when his father Klaas Runia
Klaas Runia
Klaas Runia was a Dutch theologian, churchman and journalist. He studied at the Free University, Amsterdam and obtained his doctorate with a dissertation on the concept of theological time in Karl Barth in 1955...
took up a chair at the Reformed Theological College in Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
. After attending Newtown State School and The Geelong College
The Geelong College
The Geelong College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Newtown, an inner-western suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia....
, he studied Classics at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
from 1969 to 1976 and was a resident of Queen’s College
Queen's College (University of Melbourne)
Queen's College is a residential College affiliated with the University of Melbourne providing accommodation to 220 students who are attending the University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, RMIT University and Monash University's Victorian College of Pharmacy.In addition to the...
from 1969 to 1971. In 1977 he returned to the Netherlands, where he obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
at the Free University, Amsterdam in 1983.
Academic career
In 1992 David T. Runia was appointed to the Chair of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at Leiden UniversityLeiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
. In 2002 he returned to Australia on his appointment as Master of Queen’s College
Queen's College (University of Melbourne)
Queen's College is a residential College affiliated with the University of Melbourne providing accommodation to 220 students who are attending the University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, RMIT University and Monash University's Victorian College of Pharmacy.In addition to the...
at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, a position he still holds. He is also Professorial Fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
in the School of Historical Studies in the Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne
The Faculty of Arts is the oldest faculty at the University of Melbourne. It began teaching the Bachelor of Arts in 1855 when students were first welcomed into the university....
at the University of Melbourne.
Runia was elected a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Australian Academy of the Humanities
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia...
in 1999 and a Correspondent of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands...
in 2004.
Runia’s scholarship research has focused on two main areas: (1) the interaction of Greek philosophy
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
and Jewish-Christian thought, with particular attention paid to the contribution of the Hellenistic-Jewish author Philo of Alexandria; (2) the genre of ancient doxography
Doxography
Doxography is a term used especially for the works of classical historians, describing the points of view of past philosophers and scientists. The term was coined by the German classical scholar Hermann Alexander Diels.- Classic Greek philosophy :...
, which gives us valuable information on the thought of early Greek philosophers.
Publications
- Philo of Alexandria and the Timaeus of Plato, 1986 (dissertation).
- Philo of Alexandria: an Annotated Bibliography 1937-86, 1988 (with R. Radice)
- Exegesis and Scripture: Studies on Philo of Alexandria, 1990
- Philo in Early Christian Literature: a Survey, 1993
- Philo and the Church Fathers: a Collection of Papers, 1995
- Aëtiana: The Method and Intellectual Context of a Doxographer, Volume 1 The Sources, 1997 (with J. Mansfeld)
- Philo of Alexandria: an Annotated Bibliography 1987-96, 2000
- Philo of Alexandria On the Creation of the Cosmos according to Moses: Translation and Commentary, 2001
- Proclus Commentary on Plato’s Timaeus. Volume II Book 2: Proclus on the Causes of the Cosmos and its Creation, 2008 (with Michael Share)
- Aëtiana: The Method and Intellectual Context of a Doxographer, Volume 2 The Compendium, 2009 (with J. Mansfeld)
Editor of The Studia Philonica Annual, 10 volumes 1989–1998; with Gregory E. Sterling, 10 volumes 1999–2008