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My blog posts revolve around my interests and vocation as a historian: the intersection of history and contemporary church life, the intersection of history and contemporary politics, serendipitous discoveries in archives or on research trips, publications and research projects, upcoming conferences, and speaking engagements.
The views expressed in these blogs represent the views of the authors, and not necessarily those of any organizations with which they are associated. |
 I recently had the privilege of being invited to take part in a book panel at the Canadian Society of Presbyterian History at Knox College, Toronto. The book in focus was Stuart Macdonald’s Tradition and Tension: The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1945-1985 (MQUP, 2025). It was an enjoyable time to get back to Knox College, for I had been a doctoral student there in the late 1990s into the early 2000s. It was a wonderful experience, in part because I had such top-quality faculty guiding me through the program. What made the return to Knox College even more meaningful was the fact that the panelists were comprised of former faculty who played a part in my formation as a historian. And what made it even a more poignant event was the fact that those same faculty had all recently retired. Here is a picture taken after the panel. From left to right, John Vissers, Phyllis Airhart, Stuart Macdonald, Alan Hayes, and me. (Apparently male church historians wear blue shirts.)
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 As noted in a recent summary of my summer reading,[1] Thomas A’ Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ has played a considerable role in shaping the Christian spirituality of hundreds of millions throughout the last 500 years. I consider him to be a vital mentor and his The Imitation of Christ to be a basic book to read for both new and old Christians.
Of course, reading the entire The Imitation of Christ is the best option. However, if you are not convinced yet about its value, here are some choice nuggets to entice you to give the work a chance. What follows are quotes taken from a larger context, so to get the fuller meaning you need to read the entire book. (The book is divided into four parts, so, for instance, (1.2) means part 1, section 2.)  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_Martini_040.jpg Back-to-school days are upon us, and that usually leads to those of us in theological education to think carefully about what makes for the best environment for our students to thrive.
 As in previous years, I hoped to significantly lower the stacks of books building up around my desk and chairs…but once again I failed. But there is always next year…
In the meantime, as in previous years I have summarized my reading of books from a variety of genres and subjects. Some of the books are for work, some are for hobbies, and some are just one-day mindless reads at the cottage. You can decide which books fit into what category.  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_von_Kempen_JS.JPG Seminary students will be introduced to a pile of books on a host of subjects when they soon start the new Fall semester. And some will be more helpful than others.
Surprisingly, one book that is often overlooked for book lists is one that has been read and endorsed by such giants as St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Terese of Avila, John Wesley, C.S. Lewis, St. Mother Teresa, and Pope Benedict XVI.[1] Not to mention hundreds of millions of others whose names will never make it into the history books.[2] My suggestion for seminary students is to purchase this book whether or not it is on your required reading list – and to make reading a portion of it a daily part of your seminary experience.  I have just re-read the life of St. Antony, and once again realized why he was such a giant in the early church.[1] And why he should be today.
A while ago I asked my Protestant students if they would recommend reading the life of St. Antony, especially to those in their church youth group. Most said no for the youth, and even a majority were suspect about having adults in the church read it.  My father loved exploring, and every chance he had he took us kids on an adventure. Most often it was a Sunday afternoon, or in the summer it was a road trip vacation. Mountains, oceans, and urban cores seemed to be his favorite destinations.
Even in his final years when he was wheelchair bound, he enjoyed being pushed around town exploring new places – hoping to find a good bookstore, warm coffee, and a view of nature. On the most recent Fathers’ Day I decided to go on a mini adventure in memory of my dad. My wife came along for the ride, experiencing what I did most of my childhood – finding something new.  What follows are some musings during and after this week’s Canadian Society of Church History (CSCH) meetings in Toronto.
 John James MacNeill was one of the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec’s best-known preachers and public figures in the early decades of the twentieth century. He served as pastor of Walmer Road Baptist (Toronto), in various national and international organizations such as the Baptist World Alliance, as well as professor at McMaster University (Hamilton).
He had a stellar career, and if you would like to know more about him see this hot-off-the-press new Dictionary of Canadian Biography article: https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/macneill_john_james_16E.html I have another Dictionary of Canadian Biography article coming in a few weeks on Abraham Lincoln McCrimmon, another important person in the life of Ontario and Quebec Baptists.  Looking at an aging congregation, empty pews, lack of leaders, and a growing budget deficit is a challenge for those who grew up with confident affirmations such as “I can do all things through Christ,” “the gates of hell will not prevail,” and “dedicated to the glory of God.” Yet here we are facing possibly massive numbers of churches closing. And based on current stats on the state of things for Christian churches in the West, that day may be sooner than anticipated.
It is a difficult time in the life of any church in the West, and there is no cookie-cutter solution that works for all cases. That said, over the decades I have seen good decisions and bad decisions over the usage of church property in time of crisis. And here is what I see as some guiding principles and convictions to shape a constructive response to such a predicament. |
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