# John Hirt > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Hirt > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Hirt.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hirt > Source revision: 1344530345 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Australian pastor, educator Not to be confused with [John Hurt](/source/John_Hurt). **John Hirt** [OAM](/source/Order_of_Australia) (born 1943) is an Australian pastor, educator, and one of the leaders of the [radical discipleship movement](/source/Radical_discipleship_movement) in Australia.[1] ## Education Hirt attended the [NSW Baptist Theological College](/source/NSW_Baptist_Theological_College), where he obtained the [Licentiate in Theology](/source/Licentiate_in_Theology), and was subsequently ordained as a Baptist minister.[2] Later he studied in the Department of Studies in Religion, at the [University of Sydney](/source/University_of_Sydney), where he obtained a [Doctor of Philosophy](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) degree.[3] ## 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”.[4] He has pastored at Avalon Peace Baptist Church and Leichhardt Uniting Church, has served as a University [Chaplain](/source/Chaplain) and theological lecturer, and has been instrumental in developing various Christian training programmes.[5] John was the University Chaplain at the University of Sydney for 20 years.[6] During this time he started the denominational group the Uniting Church in Australia Tertiary Students Association (UCATSA) and then [the new group](/source/The_New_Group) Christian Students Uniting (CSU). In 2004 he founded the School of Discipleship, which organizes seminars and conferences in Sydney,[7][8] and he is currently a leader of the Radical Discipleship Network.[9] ## Activism Hirt has been a campaigner for many years on issues of peace, nuclear disarmament, and social justice,[10] and he has linked this with the notion of radical Christian discipleship.[11] 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.[12] 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,[13] His son is Jono Hirt who is the Sydney Presbytery Communications Manager.[14] ## Recognition On 26 January 2016, Hirt was admitted as a Member of the [Order of Australia](/source/Order_of_Australia), in recognition of “significant service to the Uniting Church in Australia, particularly through theological direction, to youth, and to the community”.[15] ## 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](/source/Athol_Gill). (300-325). Adelaide: Australian Theological Forum. ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Emerson Teusner, P. 2014. Online religious advertising: the case of Australian Christian youth festivals. In: J.D. James (Ed.) The Internet and the Google Age: Prospects and Perils. (63-80). Dublin: Research Publishing. p.76, notes John Hirt and Athol Gill as leaders of the RDM in Australia; Hughes, P.J. and D. Cronshaw. 2013. Baptists in Australia: A church with a heritage and a future. Melbourne: Christian Research Association. P. 29, notes John Hirt and Athol Gill as leaders of the RDM in Australia; Munro, M. 2002. A History of the Gentle Bunyip (1975-1990): A Challenge to Australian Church Life. MA History Thesis, University of Melbourne. P.45, lists John Hirt and Athol as leaders of the RDM in Australia. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** McGregor, A 1970. Surfie Minister Rides Sydney’s Waves. Sydney Morning Herald. 20 September 1970. p.41. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Hirt, J.A. 1998. Radical Discipleship: Towards the Theology and Sociopolitical Implications. PhD thesis. University of Sydney. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Munro, M. 2002. A History of the Gentle Bunyip (1975-1990): A Challenge to Australian Church Life. MA History Thesis, University of Melbourne. p.45; see also The House of the New World Newsletter 1970-77 (held in Australian National Library); McGregor, A 1970. Surfie Minister Rides Sydney’s Waves. Sydney Morning Herald. 20 September 1970. p.41; The Shore Record, Vol.33, No.35, 1971. p.143; McKnight, J. 1985. Christian intentional community in New South Wales: a study of the desecularisation process. PhD Thesis, University of Wollongong, at p.110; Hirt, J.A. 1988. Radical Discipleship: Narrative Theology towards the History and Theological Implications of the House of the New World.(Extract).The Baptist Recorder. No.4/88. pp.7-10; Church with Youth. Australian Church Record. 21 October 1971. p8; Lim, A. 2016. News: Australia Day Honours celebrate seed sown on good soil. Bible Society of Australia. 25 January 2016. ["Bible Society of Australia: Opening the Bible"](http://www-archive.biblesociety.org.au/news/australia-day-honours-celebrate-seeds-sown-on-good-soil;). Morecombe, J. 2016. 14 locals honoured for their service for community and others. 25 January 2016. ["Reference at www.dailytelegraph.com.au"](http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/14-locals-honoured-for-their-service-to-their-community-and-to-others/news-story/f2687ed5e08f56af99b12fe782c0b40c). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Levinson, A. 1985. Christ was a rugged, tough guy. Sydney Morning Herald. 2 March 1985. P179; Uniting Church Records: ["Reference at ume.nswact.uca.org.au"](http://ume.nswact.uca.org.au/our-work/parish-missions;). Lim, A. 2016. News; Australia Day Honours celebrate seed sown on good soil. Bible Society of Australia. 25 January 2016. ["Bible Society of Australia: Opening the Bible"](http://www-archive.biblesociety.org.au/news/australia-day-honours-celebrate-seeds-sown-on-good-soil;). Morecombe, J. 2016. 14 locals honoured for their service for community and others. Daily Telegraph. 25 January 2016. ["Reference at www.dailytelegraph.com.au"](http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/14-locals-honoured-for-their-service-to-their-community-and-to-others/news-story/f2687ed5e08f56af99b12fe782c0b40c). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Shaping young adult discipleship in Sydney Presbytery – Insights Magazine"](https://www.insights.uca.org.au/shaping-young-adult-discipleship-in-sydney-presbytery/). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Log into Facebook | Facebook"](https://www.facebook.com/schoolofdiscipleship/). {{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: Cite uses generic title ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#generic_title)) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Reference at www.dailytelegraph.com.au"](https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/14-locals-honoured-for-their-service-to-their-community-and-to-others/news-story/f2687ed5e08f56af99b12fe782c0b40c). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["About the Network — Radical Discipleship Network"](https://www.radicaldiscipleship.org.au/about-the-network). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Smash the bureaucracy! Humanity is one! (1978) Woroni. 18 July 197. p.18; Downe, G. 1980. Nuclear horizon calls for prophetic response. Canberra Times. 20 August 1980. p.22; Downe, G. 1983. Christians for peace trying to act as a barometer for sanity. Canberra Times. 23 November 1983. p.24; and Levinson, A. 1985. Christ was a rugged, tough man. Sydney Morning Herald. 2 March 1985. p.179; Schwartz, L. 1985. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Hirt, 1998. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Brick attack linked to pastor’s politics. He was also called a 'Jew Boy Communist' by the purported brick thrower or someone from their group 1985. Sydney Morning Herald 13 March 1985. p.3; Schwartz, L. 1985. Peaceful pastor's revolution. The Northern Herald. 21 March 1985. p.11; Gerrish, G. 1985. Activist target of racist attacks. Tharunka. 2 April 1985. p.7. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Contact — Leichhardt Uniting Church"](https://www.leichhardtuniting.org.au/contact-epworth). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Our Team - Sydney Presbytery"](https://www.sydneypresbytery.org.au/our_team). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** It’s an Honour: website for the Order of Australia. ["Reference at www.itsanhonour.gov.au"](https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1152785). See also Morecombe, J. 2016. 14 locals honoured for their service for community and others. 25 January 2016. ["Reference at www.dailytelegraph.com.au"](http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/14-locals-honoured-for-their-service-to-their-community-and-to-others/news-story/f2687ed5e08f56af99b12fe782c0b40c). --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Hirt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hirt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hirt?action=history)). 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