Dr DJ Konz
Honorary AssociateDJ Konz is an Honorary Associate of Alphacrucis. He is Lead Pastor at New Vine Church in Newcastle, and was previously Head of the School of Ministry and Theology at Alphacrucis. He has also been Executive Director of Advocacy at Compassion Australia.
DJ's doctoral thesis from the University of Aberdeen was on the child in the thought of Karl Barth. His wider teaching and research areas include systematic and historical theology (especially Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer), as well as mission theology, public and political theology, and child theology. He is the co-editor of Theology, Mission and Child: Global Perspectives (Oxford: Regnum, 2014) and has published various essays and journal articles. He is a member of the Society for the Study of Theology (UK), the American Academy of Religion, and an Associate Fellow with the Higher Education Academy (UK).
DJ is a member of the Theology and Society research cluster.
Qualifications
PhD (Divinity) (University of Aberdeen)
Dissertation Title The child in relation to God, with reference to the theology of Karl Barth.
2017
MA (Theology & Religious Studies) (Distinction) (University of Nottingham)
Dissertation Title "Choosing my religion": Patterns, trends and implications of recent Western conversions to Islam.
2004
Postgraduate Diploma, Mission Studies Research (Oxford Centre for Mission Studies)
Dissertation Title The child in historical, theological and missiological perspective.
2013
Graduate Diploma in Ministry (Tabor College, Adelaide) 2003
Bachelor of Ministry (Tabor College, Adelaide) 2001
Research Interests
Systematic and historical theology, Karl Barth studies, child theology, public theology, political theology, justice and human flourishing, and mission theology.
Book Chapters
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2021
- Konz, D. J.(2021). Reforming Mission with Child-Attentive Theology In Marcia J. Bunge (ed), Child Theology: Diverse Methods and Global Perspectives (pp. 190-205). Orbis.
- Konz, DJ (2021). Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Christo-ecclesial unity in Christian Higher Education In Johannes M. Luetz, Beth Green (eds), Innovating Christian Education Research: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (pp. 87-102). Springer.
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2017
- Konz, DJ (2017). Karl Barth’s theological anthropology as a resource for overcoming the objectification of children in mission In V. Kozhuharov and J. J. Knoetze, Conversion and Transformation: Children and Youth in Mission Contexts (pp. 136-150). International Association of Mission Scholars. Wellington, South Africa.
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2014
- Konz, DJ (2014). The many and the One: Theology, mission and child in historical perspective In B. Prevette, K. J. White, C. R. V. Ewell, & D. J. Konz, (pp. ). Regnum International. Oxford, UK. | External link
Journal Articles
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2019
- Konz, DJ (2019). Child Theology and its theological method, past and future. Anvil: A Journal of Theology and Mission, 35:1 21-27. | External link
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2018
- Konz, DJ (2018). The even Greater Commission: Relating the Great Commission to the missio Dei, and human agency to divine activity, in mission.'. Missiology: An International Review, Vol. 46:4 333-349.
Presentations
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2021
- The Kingdom of God as the Divine Machtergreifung (‘Seizure of Power’): Insights into Karl Barth’s Later Political and Eschatological Thought (2021), ANZATS 2021, Online, 05 Jul 2021
- Mission (2021), Preaching - New Vine Church, Newcastle, Australia, 28 Feb 2021
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2020
- One God (in Three) (2020), Preaching - New Vine Church, Newcastle, Australia, 20 Dec 2020
- Trinity and Community (2020), Preaching - Parramatta Christian Church, Parramatta, 04 Oct 2020
- The Divine Coup D’etat: Karl Barth’s theology of the State and its confrontation by the kingdom of God (2020), Charles Sturt University / United Theological College Research Colloquium, North Parramatta, 07 Aug 2020
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2019
- The hope and possibility of Christo-centric unity in Christian Higher Education, with reference to the theologies of Barth and Bonhoeffer (2019), Australian Christian Higher Education Alliance National Conference, Brisbane, Queensland, 01 Aug 2019
- Barth, the baby, and the Augustinian bathwater: Why a modified doctrine of original sin remains important to a theological anthropology of the child (2019), Society for the Study of Theology (UK) Annual Conference, University of Warwick, UK, 10 Apr 2019
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2018
- ‘Paedo-credo baptism’: A constructive renovation of Karl Barth’s theologies of children and baptism to embrace child baptism’. (2018), Australia New Zealand Association of Theological Schools National Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 03 Jul 2018
- 'Children and human flourishing.' (2018), Global Children's Forum, Budapest, Hungary, 15 May 2018
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2017
- Pneumatologising Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Evangelical Mission (2017), Harvest Research Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 14 Sep 2017
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2016
- Whither Child Theology? Some observations on the theological method of Child Theology (2016), Child Theology Futures Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 03 Nov 2016
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2015
- Barth’s child: The concept and challenge of the child in the theology of Karl Barth, with constructive proposals (2015), American Academy of Religion Annual Conference, San Diego, USA, 24 Nov 2015
- Seen but not (having) heard: Child faith in light of Barth’s doctrines of revelation and infant baptism (2015), Society for the Study of Theology (UK) Annual Conference, University of Nottingham, UK, 15 Apr 2015
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2014
- Beyond missio Dei: Barth's alternative vision of divine and human agency in mission (2014), Missio Dei – Evangelicalism and the New Politics Conference, University of Chester, UK, 13 Jun 2014
- Un-silencing the lambs: theological and epistemological foundations for speaking of, with and for the child in theological discourse (2014), Society for the Study of Theology (UK) Annual Conference, University of Durham, 09 Apr 2014
Professional Memberships
American Academy of Religion (since 2015)
Child and Youth Study Group, International Association of Mission Scholars (since 2016)
Child Theology Movement, International (since 2014)
Global Children’s Forum (since 2010)
Higher Education Academy (UK) - Associate Fellow (since 2015)
Society for the Study of Theology (UK) (since 2013)
Current Supervision
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Current
- Taddessee, T., Child spirituality and Its Implications for Holistic Ministry to Children: A Study of School Children in Wonji Shoa, Ethiopia (Doctoral Thesis)
- Meyer-Holt, S., Third-order suffering, the marginalisation of dependent care relations, and forming communities of care in Melbourne’s Inner North. (Masters Project/Thesis)
- Polles, A., Informing a Pentecostal theology of child Spirit baptism, through analysis of the Roman Catholic sacrament of confirmation in child confirmands. (Masters Project/Thesis)
Completed Supervision
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2024
- Harrison, W, Conditional Cessationism: A revised doctrine of cessationism for the Reformed Tradition (PhD thesis)
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2022
- Rizzo, D, Theological Foundations for a Pneumatology of Animals (PhD thesis)
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2020
- McPherson, K, Australian faith, work & economics through the thinking of Paul in Philippians (PhD thesis)
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2019
- Rizzo, D, Anima-Glossolalia: A Step Toward Pentecostal Animal Theology (Masters Project/Thesis)
- Badman, R, Peaceable Parenting: The Implications of a Theology of Nonviolence for Christian Parenting (Masters Project/Thesis)
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2018
- Garibay, GA, A Comparative Analysis of Calvin's Presentation of Free Will in his Doctrine of Creation of Humanity and Double Predestination with Implications for the Nature of God (Masters Project/Thesis)
- Holdsworth, S, The Spiritual Development of Children: Theories and Practice (Masters Project/Thesis)