Short academic bio

Dr. Nikola Knežević is a theologian, researcher, author, and former university lecturer whose scholarship focuses on political theology, Christian ethics, religion and politics, reconciliation, transitional justice, collective memory, and theological anthropology. His work bridges Protestant and Eastern Orthodox theological traditions while engaging contemporary political philosophy and public life.

He is the founder and former president of the Centre for the Study of Religion, Politics, and Society in Serbia. He has authored four scholarly monographs, co-edited numerous academic volumes, published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, and directed two feature-length documentary films exploring religion, war, reconciliation, and collective memory in the former Yugoslavia.

Since immigrating to the United States in 2017, he has continued his scholarly research while pursuing a professional career in software engineering, serving in Senior and Lead Software Engineering positions.

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Theology

Protestant Theological Seminary · Novi Sad, Serbia · 2012

Dissertation

Dialectics of the Political Transformation of Society: Contemporary Political Theology in the West

Dijalektika političke transformacije društva: Savremena politička teologija na Zapadu

187 pages · Final grade: 10/10

Supervisors
  • Prof. Dr. Zorica Kuburić — Professor of Sociology of Religion, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad
  • Prof. Dr. Ljubivoje Stojanović — Professor, Orthodox Theological Faculty, University of Belgrade
  • Prof. Dr. Goran Golubović — Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš; Professor of Theology, Protestant Theological Seminary
  • Em. Prof. Dr. Heleen Zorgdrager — Emeritus Professor, Chair of Systematic Theology and Gender Studies, Protestant Theological University (PThU); Guest Professor, Institute of Ecumenical Studies, Ukrainian Catholic University, Lviv
Dissertation Committee
  • Prof. Dr. Zorica Kuburić
  • Prof. Dr. Ljubivoje Stojanović
  • Prof. Dr. Goran Golubović
Research Focus

The dissertation traces the development of contemporary political theology in Western Europe and the United States from Carl Schmitt through Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Johann Baptist Metz, Jürgen Moltmann, John Milbank, Stanley Hauerwas, and Miroslav Volf. It argues for a contextual political theology capable of addressing collective memory, transitional justice, reconciliation, and the Church's critical engagement with the legacy of conflict in the Balkans.

Magister of Theology (Pre-Bologna Research Degree)

Protestant Theological Seminary · Novi Sad, Serbia · 2007

Thesis

Theological and Anthropological Reflection on the Origin, Nature, and Meaning of the Human Person

Teološko i antropološko promišljanje porekla, prirode i smisla ljudskog bića

167 pages · Final grade: 10/10

Defense Committee
  • Prof. Dr. Goran Golubović — Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš; Professor of Theology, Protestant Theological Seminary
  • Prof. Dr. Zorica Kuburić — Professor of Sociology of Religion, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad
  • Prof. Dr. Dimitrije Popadić — Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade

Specialist Graduate Professional Degree in Theology

Evangelical Theological Seminary (ETVOS) · Osijek, Croatia · 2014

Completed during Croatia's implementation of the Bologna Process. Program requirements included graduate coursework, a graduate thesis, and a formal oral defense before a faculty committee.

Thesis

Theo-Political Hermeneutics as a Paradigm of Contextual Ad-Intra and Ad-Extra Critique

68 pages · Average grade: 9.85/10

Defense Committee
  • Prof. Peter Kuzmič — Founder and President (Dean), Evangelical Theological Seminary, Osijek
  • Jaroslav Pecnik — Historian and public intellectual
  • Assoc. Prof. Fr. Darko Đogo — Faculty of Orthodox Theology, University of East Sarajevo (Supervisor)
Current Qualification Status

Following reforms in Croatian higher education, the corresponding graduate theology program at ETVOS is now designated as a Graduate Study in Theology (120 ECTS), awarding the title magistar teologije (mag. theol.).

Bachelor of Theology

Protestant Theological Seminary · Novi Sad, Serbia

Comprehensive theological education including:
  • Biblical Studies
  • Church History
  • Hermeneutics
  • Christian Ethics
  • Systematic Theology
  • Anthropology
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Christian Education
  • Pastoral Theology
  • Homiletics

University Teaching Experience

Lecturer in Political Theology

Protestant Theological Seminary, Novi Sad

Instructor of record responsible for course design, lectures, classroom instruction, and student assessment.

Teaching Assistant / Assistant Lecturer

Christian Anthropology

Delivered lectures and supported undergraduate instruction under Prof. Dr. Goran Golubović.

Research Interests

  • Political Theology
  • Christian Ethics
  • Religion and Politics
  • Public Theology
  • Transitional Justice
  • Reconciliation
  • Collective Memory
  • Contextual Theology
  • Theological Anthropology
  • Eastern Orthodox Theology
  • Protestant Theology

Scholarly Monographs

  1. Uvod u teološku antropologiju [An Introduction to Theological Anthropology]. Protestant Theological Seminary, Novi Sad, 2010.
  2. Savremena politička teologija na Zapadu [Contemporary Political Theology in the West]. Otačnik, Belgrade, 2012. ISBN 978-86-87057-19-7.
  3. Towards Radical Political Theology: From New to Radical Political Theology: Selected Works on the Intertwinings of Theology, Society and Politics. Independently published, 2025.
  4. The Core Tenets of Conservative Theology of Politics: A Christian Theological Critique of Neo-Marxism and Identity Politics. Independently published, 2026.

Edited and Co-Edited Scholarly Volumes

  1. Jablanov Maksimović, J., Nikola Knežević, V. Marjanović, and T. Radić. Hrišćanstvo i demokratija: između antagonizma i mogućnosti [Christianity and Democracy: Between Antagonism and Possibility]. Beograd: Fondacija Konrad Adenauer, 2011.
  2. Sremac, Srđan, Zoran Grozdanov, and Nikola Knežević, eds. Opasna sjećanja i pomirenje [Dangerous Memories and Reconciliation]. Rijeka: Ex Libris, 2012. ISBN 978-953-6932-44-3.
  3. Sremac, Srđan, Nikola Knežević, and Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, eds. Mediji, religija i nasilje [Media, Religion and Violence]. CIRPD and Otačnik, 2013. ISBN 978-86-89419-01-6.
  4. Knežević, Nikola, and Zlatiborka Popov Momčinović, eds. Uloga religije u pomirenju i tranzicionoj pravdi [The Role of Religion in Reconciliation and Transitional Justice]. CIRPD and Otačnik, 2013.
  5. Knežević, Nikola, Blagoje Pantelić, and Srđan Sremac, eds. Religija, odgovornost i tranziciona pravda [Religion, Responsibility and Transitional Justice]. Novi Sad: CIRPD, 2014. ISBN 978-86-89419-03-0.
  6. Valić Nedeljković, Dubravka, Srđan Sremac, Nikola Knežević, and Dinko Gruhonjić, eds. Uloga medija u normalizaciji odnosa na Zapadnom Balkanu [The Role of the Media in Normalizing Relations in the Western Balkans]. Novi Sad, 2014.
  7. Valić Nedeljković, Dubravka, Nikola Knežević, Dinko Gruhonjić, et al., eds. Uloga medija u normalizaciji odnosa na Zapadnom Balkanu II. Novi Sad, 2015. ISBN 978-86-6065-317-0.
  8. Valić Nedeljković, Dubravka, Nikola Knežević, Srđan Sremac, and Dinko Gruhonjić, eds. Mediji, religija, nacionalizam i tranziciona pravda. Novi Sad, 2016.
  9. Valić Nedeljković, Dubravka, Nikola Knežević, Srđan Sremac, and Dinko Gruhonjić, eds. Politike sećanja i zamrznuti konflikt [Politics of Memory and the Frozen Conflict]. Novi Sad, 2017. ISBN 978-86-89419-07-8.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  1. Tetragramaton – Sveto četvoroslovlje [The Tetragrammaton: The Sacred Four-Letter Name]. Teološki časopis, no. 3 (2003): 64–79.
  2. Kratak pregled pravoslavne antropologije [A Brief Overview of Eastern Orthodox Anthropology]. Teološki časopis, no. 7 (2007): 75–87.
  3. Dijalektika kolektivnog preumljenja [The Dialectic of Collective Metanoia]. Religija i tolerancija 6, no. 10 (July–December 2008): 47–55.
  4. Ekumenski dijalog – tri lica iste suštine [Ecumenical Dialogue: Three Persons of the Same Essence]. Teološki časopis, no. 8 (2008): 82–92.
  5. Esej o savremenoj političkoj teologiji [An Essay on Contemporary Political Theology]. Religija i tolerancija 10, no. 13 (2010).
  6. Komparativni pristup: Peccatum originale [A Comparative Approach to Peccatum Originale]. Teološki časopis, no. 9 (2010).
  7. Teologija nade Jirgena Moltmana [Jürgen Moltmann’s Theology of Hope]. Religija i tolerancija 8, no. 13 (2011).
  8. Potreba za afirmacijom kontekstualne političke teologije. Bosna Franciscana, no. 34 (2011): 61–73.
  9. Poimanje odnosa crkve, teologije i društva unutar političke teologije Stenlija Hauervasa i Džona Milbanka. Diskursi 1, no. 2 (2011): 139–152.
  10. Politička teologija unutar totalitarističkog diskursa Karla Šmita [Political Theology in the Totalitarian Discourse of Carl Schmitt]. Diskursi 2, no. 3 (2012): 117–130.
  11. Is Collective Memory Making the Next Balkan War Imminent? Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe 38, no. 4 (2018): Article 3.

Scholarly Book Chapters and Proceedings

  1. Oboženje iz perspektive pravoslavne tradicije sa osvrtom na rimokatoličko i protestantsko poimanje termina theosis-sanctificatio. In Konverzija i kontekst, 149–165. 2009.
  2. Politička teologija Johana Baptista Meca. In Hrišćanstvo i demokratija: između antagonizma i mogućnosti. Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 2011.
  3. Politička teologija kao jezik komunikacije sa postmodernom. In Iščekujući Evropsku uniju, vol. 2, 49–59. Beogradska otvorena škola, 2011.
  4. Odnosi Crkve i države u protestantskim veroispovedanjima. Jubilarni godišnjak Pravoslavnog bogoslovskog fakulteta Sv. Vasilije Ostroški u Foči (2014): 145–161.

Scholarly Book Review

Review of Education in Post-Conflict Transition: The Politization of Religion in School Textbooks, edited by Gorana Ognjenović and Jasna Jozelić. Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe 39, no. 1 (2019): Article 7.

Public Scholarship

Articles, commentary, and interviews have appeared in Danas, Vreme, Novosti, Borba, Nova srpska politička misao (NSPM), SouthEast European Times, and Il Piccolo. Topics include political theology, church–state relations, religious freedom, Christian democracy, nationalism, minority rights, the Reformation, and interreligious dialogue.

Documentary Filmography

Director of two feature-length documentary films examining religion, war, reconciliation, and collective memory in the former Yugoslavia.

View documentaries

Academic Strengths

  • •Graduate education spanning pre-Bologna and Bologna systems
  • •Three major defended research works
  • •Interdisciplinary academic supervision
  • •Independent teaching in Political Theology
  • •Teaching in Christian Anthropology
  • •Four sole-authored scholarly monographs
  • •Co-editorship of interdisciplinary volumes
  • •Substantial peer-reviewed scholarship
  • •Public engagement through journalism, film, and lectures
  • •Research integrating theology, ethics, politics, history, and reconciliation