John Hirt OAM (born 1943) is an Australian pastor, educator, and one of the leaders of the radical discipleship movement in Australia.

Education

Hirt attended the

NSW Baptist Theological College Morling College is a Baptist college in Macquarie Park, New South Wales. It is affiliated with the Australian Baptist Ministries. It is an approved teaching institution of the Australian College of Theology and a registered teaching institution ...

, where he obtained the

Licentiate in Theology The Licentiate in Theology or (in Britain) Licence in Theology (LTh or, in Australia, ThL) is a non-degree qualification in theology awarded in Canada and previously awarded in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. A qualification simil ...

, and was subsequently ordained as a Baptist minister. Later he studied in the Department of Studies in Religion, at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

, where he obtained a

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degree.

Professional career

Hirt was one of the founders of the House of the New World in Sydney, described by one church historian as “a Christian counter-cultural experiment”. He has pastored at Avalon Peace Baptist Church and Leichhardt Uniting Church, has served as a University Chaplain and theological lecturer, and has been instrumental in developing various Christian training programmes. John was the University Chaplain at the University of Sydney for 20 years. During this time he started the denominational group the Uniting Church in Australia Tertiary Students Association (UCATSA) and then the new group Christian Students Uniting (CSU). In 2004 he founded the School of Discipleship, which organizes seminars and conferences in Sydney, and he is currently a leader of the Radical Discipleship Network.

Activism

Hirt has been a campaigner for many years on issues of peace, nuclear disarmament, and social justice, and he has linked this with the notion of radical Christian discipleship. In 1985, the Avalon Peace Baptist Church, at which he was then pastor, had a brick thrown through a glass pane of a door , as a result his advocacy for refugees from Central America. His family have also joined him in his activism, notably his wife Carol who is the Manager of Epworth House for students at Leichhart Uniting Church, His son is Jono Hirt who is the Sydney Presbytery Communications Manager.

Writing and publications

Hirt, J.A. 1988. Radical Discipleship: Narrative Theology towards the History and Theological Implications of the House of the New World. The Baptist Recorder. No.4/88. pp. 7–10. Hirt, J.A. 1998. Radical Discipleship: Towards the Theology and Sociopolitical Implications. PhD thesis. University of Sydney. Hirt, J. A. 2002. Catechetical Evangelism as Radical Discipleship in the Mission of the Church. In: D. Neville (Ed.). Prophecy and Passion: Essays in Honours of

Athol Gill William Athol Gill (1937–1992), often known as ''Athol Gill'' or Dr. Athol Gill, was an influential Australian theologian and one of the leaders of the Australian radical discipleship movement. Education Gill attended the NSW Baptist Theologica ...

. (300-325). Adelaide: Australian Theological Forum.

Recognition

On 26 January 2016, Hirt was admitted as a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

, in recognition of “significant service to the Uniting Church in Australia, particularly through theological direction, to youth, and to the community”.It’s an Honour: website for the Order of Australia. See also Morecombe, J. 2016. 14 locals honoured for their service for community and others. 25 January 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirt, John 20th-century Australian Baptist ministers 1943 births Living people Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia 21st-century Australian Baptist ministers