My Story

Early Years

I grew up on a small farm in Victoria, Australia. Breaking with family tradition, I made the decision to attend high school — a step that opened doors I could not have imagined at the time. That choice set me on a path toward study, ministry, and a life shaped by language and learning.

Seminary and Scholarship

At Concordia Seminary I immersed myself in the ancient languages — German, Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. The discipline of working closely with biblical texts in their original tongues became the foundation for everything that followed, from parish ministry to ecological hermeneutics.

Ministry in America

Ordained as a missionary-at-large to America, I served a parish in Brooklyn, New York. Those years in a vibrant, diverse urban community deepened my pastoral instincts and gave me a lasting appreciation for the ways faith takes root in everyday life.

India and the Grihini Community

Later, as principal of the Kodaikanal International School in South India, I encountered the Grihini women — a community that came to call me thatha, or grandpa. Laying foundations for the Middle School and living alongside the Grihini shaped my understanding of education, culture, and belonging in ways I carry with me still.

Read more about the Grihini stories and the school on the Grihini page, or return to the About section for a broader overview.

Norman Habel's journey from the small farms of Victoria to the halls of theological scholarship reflects a deepening commitment to reading ancient texts with fresh eyes. His early decision to pursue education opened pathways into the biblical languages, where he learned to wrestle with scripture in its original voices. Yet that training did not lead him toward conventional paths alone. Over time, his attention turned outward — from the page to the planet — as he began to see the natural world as a living text worthy of its own interpretation. This ecological turn reshaped his understanding of wisdom, justice, and the sacred stories that connect humanity to the earth beneath their feet.