DEACON SHERMAN'S PROFILE

The Reverend Deacon Professor Dr Sherman Kuek OFS, a permanent deacon of the Catholic Church and a Secular Franciscan, is a multidisciplinary scholar, theologian, teacher, and preacher. Incardinated in the Diocese of Malacca Johore, Malaysia, his academic specialisation lies at the nexus of ecclesial public theology and formative epistemologies. The hallmark of his intellectual approach is the integration of academic rigour with public-facing engagement to promote theological literacy and critical thinking among Christians. His Doctor of Theology degree was conferred by Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

As convenor of the Splendour Project, a Catholic apostolate for formation, evangelisation, and discipleship, Deacon Sherman is a prolific speaker, writer, and media producer who shapes the discourse on catechesis for the laity. He is also the Cornelius Cardinal Sim Professor of Theology and Dialogue at the Christian Institute for Theological Engagement (CHRISTE), and holds visiting professorships and lectureships at institutions of higher learning in Malaysia and internationally. In addition, he sits on the Editorial Board of the Scopus-indexed International Journal of Asian Christianity (IJAC). 

Related websites on Deacon Sherman's life and work:
| www.shermankuek.com |
| www.splendourproject.com |
| www.christeonline.org |

​DATE OF BIRTH
     16 June 1976

PLACE OF BIRTH
     Muar, Johor (Malaysia)

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
     English / Anglophone (fluently written and spoken)
     Malay (fluently written and spoken)
     Mandarin (spoken)
     Malaysian Sign Language (basic)
​​     Hokkien dialect (basic)
     Teochew dialect (basic)

SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION
     St Andrew's Secondary School, Muar

TERTIARY EDUCATION
     BSc Hons Management (1998)
     University of Bradford, UK

     Master of Divinity (2002)
     Trinity Theological College, Singapore

     Doctor of Theology in Public Theology (2009)
     Trinity Theological College, Singapore

     Master of Education studies (in progress)
​     Sunway University, Malaysia

MARITAL STATUS / CHILDREN
     Married | Two sons
     Elder son fostered | born Sep 1999
     Younger son by birth | born Sep 2010

RECEIVED INTO FULL COMMUNION WITH THE CHURCH
     Easter Vigil of 2008

PERMANENT PROFESSION, ORDO FRANCISCANUS SAECULARIS
     28 August 2009 (Feast of St Augustine of Hippo)

DIACONAL ORDINATION
     16 June 2010 (by the Rt Rev. Paul Tan SJ, Bishop of Malacca Johore)

PROFESSORIAL INSTALLATION
     16 September 2021
     Cornelius Cardinal Sim Professor of Theology and Dialogue
     Christian Institute for Theological Engagement (CHRISTE)

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
     Visiting Lecturer in Christian Spirituality and Ecclesiology
     Saint Paul's Theological College, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
     2020 - present
     
     Visiting Professor of Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue
     North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research, Nagaland (India)
     2023 - present

     Visiting Professor of Social Science
     Saint Xavier College Jalukie, Nagaland (India)
     2023 - present

     Visiting Professor of Asian Christianity
     Department of Christian Studies, University of Madras, Chennai (India)
     2023 - present

     Editorial Board Member
     International Journal of Asian Christianity (IJAC) | Scopus-indexed
     2025 - present

PRESENT MINISTRY
     Theologian, Formator, Catechist, Lecturer

RESEARCH INTERESTS
     ​Ecumenism
     Interreligious Dialogue
     Public Theology
     Modern Catholic Thought
     Social Theory
​     Secularism
​     Modernity in the Global South
     The New Evangelisation
     Theological Pedagogy
     Curriculum Development

RESEARCH PROFILES
     ORCID ID: 0009-0008-4893-9208 [LINK]
     Google Scholar: FKef3HkAAAAJ [LINK]