Björn Krondorfer, PhD

Endowed Professor of Religious Studies and
Director of Martin-Springer Institute
Office: Riles 305A
928-523-5029
Bjorn.krondorfer@nau.edu
Background
Björn Krondorfer completed his Ph.D. in (Comparative) Religious Studies at Temple University, Philadelphia. He came to the United States in 1983 from his native Germany after pursuing studies in theology at the universities of Frankfurt and Göttingen. Before joining NAU in the fall of 2012, he taught for twenty years in the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the public Honors College of the State of Maryland. In 2007-08, he was guest professor at the Institute of Theology and the History of Religion at the Freie University Berlin, Germany; he also holds a visiting position as Faculty Affiliate at the University of the Free State, South Africa (2012-13).
His fields of expertise are religion, gender and culture, (post) Holocaust studies, reconciliation studies, and Western Religious Thought. His publications helped to define the field of Critical Men’s Studies in Religions, and he currently explores the connections between memory, restorative justice, and social/moral repair.
Nationally and internationally he facilitates
intercultural encounters, most recently in Israel/Palestine, South Korea, Europe, and South Africa. He serves on the editorial and advisory boards of several journals and is a member of the Christian Scholars Group on Jewish Christian Relations. He offers workshops on
bibliodrama, hagiodrama and sutradrama, and has collaborated with visual artist Karen Baldner on print, book art and installations since 2003.
Teaching Samples
Books
Special Lectures and Awards: - 2012. Norton Dodge Award for Scholarly and Creative Achievement
- 2012. “The Art of
Dialogue: Jewish-Christian Relations in a Post-Shoah World.” The Jerome S. Cardin Memorial Lecture,
Loyola University, Baltimore.
- 2011. “Männer und Männlichkeiten in Christentum und Judentum.” Public Keynote
Lecture at international conference Religion
and Masculinities in Modernity. Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena.
Germany.
- 2011. “Disregard,
Compassion, Forgiveness.” Panel Moderation with Avraham Burg (Israel), Pumla
Gobodo-Madikizela (South Africa), Bernhard Sabella (Palestine), Scilla Elworthy
(UK) at Conflict Transformation and
Mysticism, Würzburg, Germany.
- 2010. “The Future
of Memory: Reconciling Past Hurts and Present Conflicts.” The William Temple Lecture at Jaamiatul-ilm Wal-Huda (Islamic
College), in conjunction with Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, United Kingdom.
- 2009. “Conversation
with Archbishop Tutu, Rabble Rouser for Peace: Engaged, Compassionate
Leadership in Challenging Times.” Panelist with Desmond Tutu at international
conference Beyond Reconciliation.
Cape Town, South Africa.
- 2008. Recipient of Mellon Grant through the Center of Democracy
Study (St. Mary’s College) to develop seminar on “Confessions,
Transitional Justice, Reconciliation.”
- 2007. Recipient of International Education Travel Award to
Thailand on Socially Engaged
Buddhism (Theravada Tradition), St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
- 2004. Summer Research Workshop on Gender & Holocaust, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum,
Washington.
- 2004. “Remembrance and Reconciliation: Why the Memory of the
Holocaust Matters Today.” The 2004
Robert Salomon Morton Memorial Lecture, Northeastern University,
Boston, MA.
- 1996-2012. Selected Scholar for Speakers Bureau of the Maryland
Humanities Council.