I came to my role at Alphacrucis College after serving for nine years at Harvest Bible College, most recently as Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research. My PhD was gained at Deakin University (conferred 2007) with a thesis entitled "Postmodernism, Christianity and the Book of Revelation." I am the author of two books: Revelation Reclaimed: The Use and Misuse of the Apocalypse (Paternoster 2009) and The Revelation Worldview (Wipf and Stock 2015). I also edited New Frontiers: Redefining Christian Ministry for 21st Century Contexts (Mosaic 2013). I have also had a number of articles published in peer-reviewed journals such as Australian Biblical Review, Colloquium, Heythrop Journal and Journal of Pentecostal Theology. I am the editor of the Journal of Contemporary Ministry. Currently I am working on a commentary on Revelation for a new Pentecostal commentary series. My other main research interest is Australian Pentecostalism.
In other areas of life, I am married to Judy (since 1977) and we attend New Horizons Christian Church, Whittlesea, having served as senior ministers of Oasis Church in Hampton, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, 2011-2018. We moved to Kilmore in March 2019 and run a Christian home group there. We have five married children and four grandchildren. In my spare time, I am passionate about coffee, rugby, classical music, traveling and walking.
Qualifications
PhD (Deakin University)
Dissertation Title Postmodernism, Christianity and the Book of Revelation
2007
MA (Australian College of Theology) 2000
BA (Hons) (ICI University, Texas)
Dissertation Title Application of the Doctrine of the Sovereignty of God
1996
DipEd (University of Sydney) 1970
BA (University of Sydney) 1969
Current Research
Jon is currently writing a commentary on Revelation for a new Pentecostal Bible commentary series to be published by Wipf and Stock. His commentary will be published probably late 2020.
Jon has also received an ARTFInc grant ($6000) to start a research project involving recording the memories of older Pentecostal ministers and spouses over the period 1970-2020. This was based partly on a journal article published in the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, "Spiritual Explosion", which was effectively a literature review of this field of research. Jon is seeking participants to be interviewed and the interviews will be recorded for future TV documentaries. The data will also be stored at the Australasian Pentecostal Studies Centre (Parramatta) for the use of future researchers.
Supervision
Jon is currently supervising doctoral research on the following areas within Alphacrucis College:
- Integration of Asian migrants in Australian Pentecostal churches (DMin)
- Hearing from God in Australian Pentecostal churches (PhD)
- Pastoral care of people with long-term issues in Australian Pentecostal churches (DMin)
- Healing ministry in ACC churches (DMin)
- Strategies for transition of mono-ethnic Pentecostal churches in Victoria (DMin)
- Catherine Booth as a model for female Pentecostal ministers (PhD)
- Missional strategies of African Pentecostal churches in Australia (DMin)
- The value of speaking in tongues for the individual (DMin)
Research Interests
Book of Revelation
Australian Pentecostalism
Christian worldview and apologetics
Christian Pneumatology
Field of Research
- 2204 Religion and Religious Studies
Book
-
2015
- Newton, J.K.(2015). The Revelation Worldview. Wipf and Stock, Eugene, Oregon, USA.
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2013
- Newton, J.K.(ed) (2013). New Frontiers: Redefining Christian Ministry for 21st Century Contexts. .
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2009
- Newton, J.K.(2009). Revelation Reclaimed: The Use and Misuse of the Apocalypse. .
Book Chapter
-
2013
- Newton, J.K.(2013). New Frontiers In Newton, J.K., Worldview Wars; battling for the mind in the 21st Century (pp. ). Mosaic Press, Melbourne.
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2003
- Newton, J.K.(2003). Pointing the Way In Ireland, J., Edlin, R., Dickens, K., The Challenge of Postmodernism (pp. ). National Institure for Christian Education (N.I.C.E).
Journal Article
-
2018
- Newton, J.K.(2018). Spiritual Explosion: A Review of the Literature on the Sudden Growth of Pentecostalism in Australia. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, Vol. 31, No. 1 75-96.
- Newton, J.K.(2018). Not Who They Seem: Community and Identity in the Seven Churches of Revelation. Colloquium: The Australian and New Zealand Theological Review, Vol. 50, No. 2 71-88.
- Newton, J.K., (2018). The Epistemology of the Book of Revelation. Heythrop Journal, 59 (4) 733-746. | External link
-
2017
- Newton, J.K.(2017). The Full Gospel and the Apocalypse. Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Vol.26, No.1 86-109.
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2015
- Newton, J.K.(2015). Patmos and Southland: Australasian Pentecostal Reading of the Book of Revelation. Australasian Pentecostal Studies, Vol. 17. | Link to journal
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2013
- Newton, J.K.(2013). The Epistemology of the Book of Revelation. Heythrop Journal, .
- Newton, J.K.(2013). Story-lines in the Book of Revelation. Australian Biblical Review, Volume 61 61-78.
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2011
- Newton, J.K.(2011). Time Language and the Purpose of the Millennium. Colloquium, Volume 43, Number 2 147-168.
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2010
- Newton, J.k. (2010). The Scope of Christian Prophecy. Australasian Pentecostal Studies, Issue 13 59-86.
- Newton, J.K.(2010). Holding Prophets Accountable. Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association, Volume 30, Number 1 63-79.
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2009
- Newton, J.K.(2009). Reading Revelation Romantically. Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Volume 18, Number 2 194-215.
Research and Professional Grants
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2019
- Pentecostal Reflections, $6000, Australian Research Theology Foundation (ARFTInc)
Presentations
Academic Conference
-
2019
- Reading Revelation Missionally (2019), ANZATS Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 02 Jul 2019
- Framing Revelation, Pentecostally (2019), Society for Pentecostal Studies Conference, Maryland, USA, 28 Feb 2019
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2018
- Spiritual Explosion: An Analysis Of The Sudden Growth of Pentecostalism In Australia. (2018), Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianities in Oceania Symposium, Alphacrucis College and Western Sydney University., Sydney, Australia., 17 Aug 2018
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2017
- Towards a Pentecostal Reading of Revelation (2017), Society of Pentecostal Studies conference, St Louis, USA, 03 Mar 2017
Scholarship Publications
Book
-
2015
- Newton, J.K.(2015). The Revelation Worldview. Eugene OR: Wipf and Stock.
Journal Article
-
2018
- Newton, J.K.(2018). Not who they seem: Community and Identity in the Seven Churches of Revelation. Colloquium, 50.2 71-88.
- Newton, J.K.(2018). Spiritual Explosion: A Review of the Literature on the Sudden Growth of Pentecostalism in Australia. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 31.1 75-96.
- Newton, J.K.(2018). The Epistemology of the Book of Revelation. Heythrop Journal, 59.4 733-746.
-
2017
- Newton, J.K.(2017). The Full Gospel and the Apocalypse. Journal of Pentecostal Theology, 26.1 86-109.
Popular Article
-
2018
- Newton, J.K.(2018). A unique call. AC Blog, .
Professional Memberships
British and Irish Association of Practical Theology (since 2014)
Fellowship for Biblical Studies (since 2010)
Society of Biblical Literature (since 2015)
Society of Pentecostal Studies (since 2011)
Current Supervision
-
None
- Cat, C., Pastoral Care of people with long-term issues in Pentecostal churches (Doctoral Thesis)
- Harris, T., How Pentecostals hear from God (Doctoral Thesis)
Completed Supervision
-
2017
- U-Wen Low, A Perfomance Reading of Revelation (Doctoral Thesis), 2017
- Shirley Baskett, Pastoral Care of Same Sex Attracted People in "Welcoming but not affirming' churches (Doctoral Thesis), 2017
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