PhD (ACU)
MEdLead (ACU)
Dip.Teach (Dunedin College of Education)
BEd (Otago)
BTheol (Otago)
CFLE (NCRS)
TCOPR (RNZAF Wigram)
Role at Te Kupenga: Director of the National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS)
As director of NCRS, Colin is responsible for Religious Education curriculum and resourcing for Catholic Schools across NZ. He chairs the Religious Studies (RS) Teachers Association of Aotearoa NZ, the NZ Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations, and the St Brigid’s Tainui School Board. He also serves on Mercy Parish Pastoral Council. He has over two decades of past experience as Director of Religious Studies and Assistant Principal at Kavanagh College (now Trinity Catholic College). In recent times Colin has worked with the NZ Ministry of Education (MoE) ‘Subject Expert Group’ in the revision of national assessment for senior high-school RS, subsequently being part of the MoE ‘Social Sciences Contributing Group’ and serving as a subject advisor for Senior RS to support their revision of the NZ Curriculum. In 2025 he completed PhD studies in education – focusing on parish/school relationships. He is married to Jan, and they have a son, Callum, who teaches in a Catholic college in Auckland.
Colin believes it is a privilege to participate in Religious Education, and that life-long learning is necessary for the heart as well as the head.
Favorite quote/scripture: The Emmaus Story
Publications:
MacLeod, C. (2025a). They too belong here: Investigating the relationship between Catholic parishes and parish schools in Aotearoa, New Zealand [PhD, Australian Catholic University]. acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au. https://doi.org/10.26199/acu.92102
MacLeod, C. (2025b). “There’s a difference between staying a Catholic and being a Catholic”: Gathering student voice in creating a meaning-full RE curriculum for Catholic schools. Religions, 16(7), 887. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/887
Carswell, M., MacLeod, C., & Lanner, L. (2025). Māori before English: Religious education in Aotearoa NZ ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea—My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul. Religions, 16(8), 947. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/8/947
Stevens, D., Kleinsman, J., Stevens, A., Crutchley, J., & MacLeod, C. (2024). Wage policy and justice in Aotearoa New Zealand: Young adults’ perspectives. Policy Quarterly, 20(2), 55-63. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v20i2.9482
National Centre for Religious Studies. (2021a). Tō tātou whakapono our faith: Religious education curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand (C. MacLeod, Ed.) https://tekupengactc.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/External/EXcyfwQz_s5OtYEzPUc91QoBo6hXmMareMCiIqVDBUDVeg?e=J5XqXL
National Centre for Religious Studies. (2021b). Wonderfully made in God’s image: A revised framing document for human sexuality education in Aotearoa Catholic schools, and companion to the ‘having life to the full’ course. (L. Smith & C. MacLeod, Eds.) https://www.tekupenga.ac.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Wonderfully_Made_In_Gods_Image_5Oct2021.pdf
National Centre for Religious Studies. (2018a). The Religious Education Bridging Document
(C. MacLeod, Ed.) http://www.faithalive.org.nz/assets/REBD/The-REBD-2018-V2.pdf
National Centre for Religious Studies. (2018b). The Secondary Religious Education Bridging Document (C. MacLeod, Ed.) https://www.faithcentral.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/The-Secondary-REBD-Final.pdf
MacLeod, C. (2017). Praying with different tongues. Liturgy – Catholic Diocese of Auckland, 42(1), 22-25. https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/liturgy-prayer/magazine/
MacLeod, C. (2013). Jesus gave me a Crunchie today. Tui Motu InterIslands, March, 21. Link
