Karnu van Heerden
"One of the things that breaks my heart is how unprepared and uneducated the Church is, where in ages past the Church used to be a shaper of culture. Hence I am very passionate about teaching and discipleship as well as retrieving the wisdom of those believers who came before us."
Background & Ministry
Karnu has been involved with the international apologetics ministry, Ratio Christi, since 2014. Starting as a student, he later became student president and eventually stepped into the role of Chapter Director in 2023. Being involved with many projects which include teaching, discipleship, training, apologetics, and evangelism, he has learnt much from his ministry with students at university campuses and churches across South Africa.
His academic studies encompass various theological degrees from North-West University, Potchefstroom. He completed his Bachelors of Theology in Church Planting in 2015, followed by an Honours in Theology in 2016, and lastly a Masters in Theology in 2019. His Master's thesis focused on: “The role of logical argument, persuasion and evidence in Christian apologetics, with reference to Matthew 22, John 5, Acts 26 & Titus 1”. Karnu has also presented academic papers on the Christian political theory of Johannes Althusius (2024) and the importance of Athanasius of Alexandria (2025) at the Akademia Theology and Philosophy conference.
Karnu is also very passionate about theological retrieval—recovering the wisdom of those who came before us, especially the early church ideal of the pastor-theologian. Outside of ministry and academia, he enjoys hiking, camping, reading, and board games.
Primary Teaching Focus
- Early Church History
- Logic and Rhetoric
- Christianity and Government
- Ethics and Natural Law Theory
- Worldviews
Request Karnu to Speak
Karnu is available for teaching engagements, lectures, workshops, and speaking opportunities centered on Christian apologetics, early church history, and political philosophy.
