We are delighted to welcome two new members to the OCMS Faculty team, whose lives and work reflect a deep commitment to theological scholarship, mission, and the formation of the next generation of Christian leaders. Here we introduce Dr Dejan Aždajić and Pengxiang Li, who have recently joined OCMS as part-time Research Tutors. Both are based in our office overlooking the Paschal Lamb stained glass window — a daily inspiration of Christ’s sacrifice, victory, and hope at the heart of OCMS’s calling.
Dr Dejan Aždajić – Research Tutor
It is a particular joy to welcome Dr Dejan Aždajić back to OCMS, this time as a member of Faculty, taking up the post of Research Tutor. An alumnus of OCMS, Dejan completed his PhD here in Oxford, researching the anthropology of Islam with a specific focus on lived religion and Sufism in Southeast Europe. His doctoral work, later published as The Shaping Shaikh: The Role of the Shaikh in Lived Islam among Sufis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, remains a significant contribution to interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of anthropology, missiology, and Islamic studies.
Together with his wife, Dejan has served as a full-time missionary for over fifteen years, partnering with Pioneers and working across Europe in church planting, evangelism, and theological education. Much of Dejan’s ministry and research has centred on Muslim-Christian engagement. Having completed two master’s degrees in Christian and Islamic Theology, he has spent many years listening carefully to Muslim communities, seeking to understand faith as it is lived and practised, and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with sensitivity, intellectual rigour, and deep respect.
Alongside his role at OCMS, Dejan serves as Lecturer and Research Associate at the Giessen School of Theology (Freie Theologische Hochschule Gießen) in Germany, where he teaches Practical Theology and equips students for ministry in a complex European context. He also teaches at evangelical theological institutions across Europe, including in Croatia and Belgium, and travels widely throughout Western and Eastern Europe to teach courses in church planting, mission, and evangelism.
As a Research Tutor at OCMS, Dejan brings a strong passion for accompanying scholars as they develop research ideas rooted in their own contexts and oriented towards real impact. He is deeply committed to helping researchers think theologically from where they are, and to supporting work that serves churches, communities, and wider society. His experience as both scholar and practitioner will be a significant gift to OCMS students engaged in interdisciplinary, missional, and contextually embedded research.
We are delighted to welcome Dejan into this role and look forward to the ways his wisdom, experience, and pastoral experience will enrich the OCMS community.
Dr Pengxiang Li – Research Tutor
We are also delighted to welcome Dr Pengxiang as a Research Tutor at OCMS, a role that builds on his long-standing involvement in the life of the Centre. Based in Oxford, Pengxiang has been studying, living, and ministering here for several years, during which time he has supported OCMS Faculty while completing his doctoral research and serving his local church. Pengxiang recently completed his PhD at the University of Oxford, where his thesis, The Theological Eschatology of Geerhardus Vos, explored the deep theological structure of Vos’s eschatological vision.
Pengxiang’s research is shaped by his earlier training at Westminster Theological Seminary. Theologians such as Cornelius Van Til, and through him Vos, Bavinck, and Kuyper have inspired Pengxiang’s vocation for theological study, teaching, and research. Alongside this, the work of John Webster has influenced his pursuit of theology and church-serving practice.
Pengxiang is currently preparing his thesis for publication with a US publisher and is actively contributing to the academic community through conference presentations and publications. A forthcoming article is in revision, and his recent book review of The Digitalised Image of God: Artificial Intelligence, Liturgy, and Ethics by Ximian Xu will appear in Reformed Theological Review.
Alongside his academic work, Pengxiang is deeply engaged in Christian ministry and formation. He serves as Teaching Elder at Oxford Chinese Gospel Church, where he preaches regularly and is involved in youth ministry. His wider ministry experience includes teaching theology, leading Bible studies, translation work, and participating in short-term mission initiatives. This close integration of scholarship, church life, and theological education is central to his vocation.
Pengxiang first came to know OCMS through former Academic Dean Tom Harvey and was drawn to the Centre by its embodiment of world Christianity. He values the rich diversity of OCMS scholars and research contexts, describing it as a place where horizons are continually broadened through shared learning across cultures and traditions. As he steps into the Research Tutor role, he is particularly grateful for the support and collegiality of OCMS Faculty and staff.
Looking ahead, Pengxiang hopes to develop his work in public theology and Chinese theological education, alongside his tutorial responsibilities. He is also exploring a future book project on theology of work and Christian calling, offering a perspective shaped by theological depth rather than prevailing evangelical trends.
We are delighted to welcome Pengxiang to the Faculty team and look forward to his scholarly contributions.