John G. Stackhouse Jr.'s Blog, page 23

If Sorrow Is Stalking You

Sometimes God presses us right up against the wall of what we can endure. And sometimes God smashes us right through it. I sat down with a friend recently whose 62-year-old wife, fit and vivacious and brilliant in her work … Continued

Dangerous Dreaming

Religion doesn’t matter. At least, it doesn’t seem to matter much in Canada. Canada’s cultural magazine, The Walrus, devoted its June issue to The Future and covered all sorts of interesting subjects: nature, diversity, travel, cities, food, exploration, journalism, TV, … Continued

Different Schools for Different Folks–or Not? Reflections on Trinity Western’s Law School

No political issue in Canadian history has been more important, contentious, and complex than schooling, and particularly the question of government support for different kinds of schools. The Constitution itself provides for different kinds of schools. Roman Catholic schools were … Continued

Paige Patterson, Donald Trump, and Theological Malpractice

As Christian leaders have defended Southern Baptist leader Paige Patterson over this past couple of months and President Donald Trump over this past couple of years, one is reminded of . . . the opioid epidemic. The connection may not … Continued

My Lunch with David Suzuki

David Suzuki, Canada’s leading figure on matters of science and environmental responsibility, is in the news again because the University of Alberta, in the midst of a regional and national controversy over oil pipelines, chose to award him an honorary … Continued

Second Thoughts about That Royal Wedding Sermon

When Nadia Comaneci scored perfect 10’s in gymnastics during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, the world took notice. That, we all plainly saw, is how it’s done. When Bishop Michael Curry preached at Windsor Castle during the wedding of … Continued

Does Your Board Know Its Business?

As the controversy continues surrounding Willow Creek Community Church’s pastor Bill Hybels, its Board of Elders has offered a public apology for how they initially responded. Their response, as they outline it, was typical of embattled corporations: rallying ‘round the … Continued

The Ascension of the God Who Remains One of Us

Europeans do like their titles. And why shouldn’t they? They have some excellent ones. I was attending a meeting in Britain of university presidents from around the world. I served as one of the academic consultants to this august group, and … Continued

Do Atheists Love as Well as Christians?

A self-avowed atheist correspondent challenged me on my last post for “Context,” the one that showed “Very Committed” Christians giving more to charity than does everyone else in Canada, even as the actual amounts of giving weren’t terribly impressive. My … Continued

Blessed Are the Merciful

It’s tax season. Want some more bad news? Of course you do. But let’s start with some good news first—good news, that is, for those looking for evidence that religion makes a positive difference in the world. Since 1997, Statistics … Continued