平特五不中

Chair of聽Ecclesiastical History

The Rev. Dr. Henry H. Walsh (1899-1969) was appointed Associate Professor of Ecclesiastical History in 1948, the first occupant of this chair subsequent to the 1948 agreement between the Joint Board of Theological Colleges and 平特五不中 which constituted the Faculty of Divinity. Walsh graduated B.A. from the University of King鈥檚 College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, S.T.M. from General Theological Seminary, New York, and received a Ph.D. from Columbia University (aka 鈥淜ing鈥檚 College in the Province of New York鈥� prior to the American Revolution) in 1933. He was known to his friends as 鈥淣ick鈥�: after a day in the libraries, Dr. Walsh would frequently arrive late at night at the homes of friends, and they came to call him Nicodemus after the enquirer who, according to the Gospel of John (3:1), 鈥渃ame to Jesus by night.鈥� Walsh was the author of the first volume of the pioneering critical trilogy A History of the Christian Church in Canada. His contribution was titled The Church in the French Era: From Colonization to British Conquest (Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1966). The usage of 鈥淐hurch鈥� in the singular marked a significant ecumenical advance over previous histories. Walsh argued that the Canadian churches, unlike their American counterparts, looked 鈥渂eyond denominationalism as the final destiny of the church鈥� towards that of ecumenism. This ecumenical sentiment is inscribed on the mantelpiece in the Birks Senior Common Room: 鈥淓cce quam bonum et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unum!鈥� (Psalm 133) Walsh retired in 1968. His successor, H. Keith Markell (1915-1983), was a graduate of 平特五不中 and the Presbyterian College. He published a history of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and also a History of the Faculty of Religious Studies, 平特五不中, 1948-1978. In 1980 Markell was succeeded by Edward Furcha (1935-1997). Born in Transylvania, Furcha emigrated to Canada and graduated B.A. in History from McMaster University. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Zurich with Paul Tillich, Gerhard Ebeling, and Fritz Blanke. He completed his Ph.D. in 1966 at Hartford Seminary. Furcha published extensively on the Radical reformers, on the theology of Huldrych Zwingli, and published a two-volume edition of Zwingli鈥檚 Works. He sat on 平特五不中 Senate and was Marshall of the University Convocation. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1997 and was succeeded by the current Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Torrance Kirby in the same year. Like his predecessor H.H. Walsh, Kirby graduated B.A. in Classics from King鈥檚 College, Halifax and completed his M.A. in Classics at Dalhousie. From there he went to Christ Church, Oxford as a Commonwealth Scholar and received a D.Phil. in Modern History for a dissertation of the political theology of Richard Hooker in 1988. Kirby is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, McCord Fellow of the Princeton Centre of Theological Inquiry, and a life member of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His research centres on the English Reformation and the history of the reception of Platonism. He currently holds a four-year SSHRC Insight Grant to investigate 鈥楾he Reception of German Mysticism in Early Modern England鈥�, a collaboration with colleagues at the Centre for the Study of Platonism at Cambridge University.

Faculty

Torrance Kirby is Professor of Ecclesiastical History and sometime Director of the Centre for Research on Religion at 平特五不中, Montreal where he has been a member of the Faculty of Religious Studies since 1997. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Classics (Greek Philosophy and Literature) and was a Commonwealth Scholar at Christ Church, Oxford University where he received a D.Phil. degree from the Faculty of Modern History in 1988. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has held Visiting Fellowships at St. John鈥檚 College, Oxford, New College, University of Edinburgh, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the American Academy in Rome. He is a McCord Fellow of the Princeton Centre of Theological Inquiry and a life member of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Recent books include Persuasion and Conversion: Religion, Politics and the Public Sphere in Early Modern England (2013), The Zurich Connection and Tudor Political Theology (2007), and Richard Hooker, Reformer and Platonist (2005). He is also the editor of A Companion to Richard Hooker (2008), Richard Hooker and the English Reformation (2003), and co-editor of A Companion to Peter Martyr Vermigli (2009) and Paul鈥檚 Cross and the Culture of Persuasion, 1520-1640 (2014). His most recent book is an edition of selected Sermons at Paul鈥檚 Cross, 1521-1642 (Oxford, 2017).

Graduate Students

Ph.D.

Peter Bullerwell, Title: 鈥淕race Hath Use of Nature鈥�: Reformed Soteriology and Neoplatonic Ontology in the Thought of Richard Hooker (Tomlinson Fellowship, 2014-2017; SSHRC and Keenan Fellowships, 2018-2019).

Michael Barrow, 鈥淯nknowing The Cloud of Unknowing: forgetting contemplation in Early Modern England鈥� (Graduate Excellence Fellowship 2011-2015, 2015-2016).

Rebecca Coughlin, 鈥淔icino as a Reader of Dionysius the Areopagite: Dionysian themes in the De Vita and Platonic Theology鈥� (Graduate Excellence Fellowship 2011-2013, 2015-2016; McBurney Fellowship 2014-15; Research Assistant, SSHRC Partnership Grant).

Andrew Fulford, 鈥溾�楢 Sacred and Holy Rule of Well-Doing鈥�: Richard Hooker鈥檚 Interpretation of the Old Testament鈥� (two-year FRS Entrance Fellowship; Graduate Excellence Fellowship; Research Assistant funded by SSHRC Partnership Grant).

Christian Finnigan, 鈥淥n the limits of Temporal Power in establishing religious uniformity: Martin Bucer鈥檚 De Regno Christi鈥� (Finlay and McConnell Fellowships).

Daniel Heide, 鈥淭he World as Sacrament: The Incarnational Ontology of Maximus Confessor鈥� (SSHRC CGS, 2016-2019; St. Maurice and Brown Corp. Fellowships, 2018-2019).

Hannah Korell, 鈥淲eird Women: Gender and Conversion in Early Modern English Drama.鈥� Comprehensive co-supervison with Paul Yachnin and Maggie Kilgour, Department of English.

Naznin Patel (2017-), M.A., 2017 in Philosophy of Religion (平特五不中). Social Science and Humanities Research Council Award (2020-2022). Naznin project seeks to map the non-Christian sources in the philosophical works of Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499)鈥攐ne of the most important and eclectic thinkers of the early Italian Renaissance鈥攁nd investigate how these enabled him to conceive and articulate a philosophy of religion that went beyond Christian thought and Greek philosophy. More broadly, she wishes to understand the role of Renaissance religious thought in the development of modern and contemporary theories of religion and religious discourse.

Kevin Walker, 鈥淢eister Eckhart鈥� (SSHRC CGS Fellowship, 2016-2019; Topping Fellowship, 2018-2019).

M.A.

Rachel Kelleher, 鈥渓鈥橝me Enfranchie: Marguerite Porete, her Mirror of Simple Souls, and the Rejection of Gestural Enclosure in the Middle Ages,鈥� (SSHRC M.A. Fellowship, 2020-2022), co-supervision with Professor Margeurite Deslauriers, Department of Philosophy.

Naomi Stanley, 鈥淭he Medical Ethics of Witchcraft and Mental Illness in Early Modern Europe: a Physician鈥檚 Duty and Responsibility,鈥� [M.A. in the History of Medicine; joint comprehensive supervision with聽Professor Faith Wallis, Department of History].

Completed Degrees

Successfully completed Ph.D.

Bilal Ba艧 (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 1/10/08) 鈥淓cclesiastical Politics during the Iconoclastic Controversy: the impact of Eusebian imperial theology on the Justification of imperial policies鈥濃�擠r. Ba艧 is Associate Professor of the History of Religions, Marmara University, Istanbul鈥攎onograph published under the title Eusebius of Caesarea鈥檚 鈥業mperial Theology鈥� and the politics of the Iconoclastic Controversy. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2013.

David Goodin (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 4/4/11) 鈥淎lbert Schweitzer鈥檚 Reverence for Life: Its relevance for Contemporary Environmental Philosophy鈥� [nominal co-supervision with Professor Greg Mikkelson, 平特五不中 School of the Environment], monograph published under the title The New Rationalism: Albert Schweitzer鈥檚 Philosophy of Reverence for Life. Montreal: 平特五不中-Queen鈥檚, 2013.

Steven Griffin (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 4/1/11) 鈥淪ixteenth-century Spanish Protestant Ecclesiology: the Confessions of Faith of Cassiodoro de Reina (1520-1594) and Antonio del Corro (1527-1591)鈥濃�擠r. Griffin is a Professor of World Christianity at Ryle Seminary, Ottawa Theological College.

Joshua Hollmann (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 22/1/14) 鈥淭he Word of Concordance: Nicholas of Cusa鈥檚 De Pace Fidei and the metaphysics of Christian-Muslim dialogue鈥濃�� Dr. Hollmann is Associate Professor of Theology at Concordia College, New York and Chair of the Department.鈥攎onograph published: The Religious Concordance: Nicholas of Cusa and Christian-Muslim Dialogue. Studies in the History of Christian Traditions, Vol. 185. Leiden: Brill, 2017; article published under the title 鈥淢ediating Religious Unity: Nicholas of Cusa鈥檚 shift from Council to Pope.鈥� In Torrance Kirby and Matthew Milner, eds., Mediating Religious Cultures in Early Modern Europe, 15-34. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2013; and 鈥淔or the Peace on Constantinople: Nicholas of Cusa鈥檚 De pace fidei and the polis as nexus in Christian-Muslim Dialogue.鈥� In Torrance Kirby, Rahim Acar, and Bilal Ba艧, eds. Philosophy and the Abrahamic Religions: Scriptural Interpretation and Epistemology, 297-312. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. 鈥楻eading De pace fidei Christologically: Nicholas of Cusa鈥檚 Verbum Dialectic of Religious Concordance,鈥� Nicholas of Cusa and Islam: Polemic and Dialogue in the Late Middle Ages, ed. I.C. Levy, Rita George-Tvrtkovi膰, and Donald Duclow. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2014. Hollmann is co-editor with Simon Burton and Eric Parker of Nicholas of Cusa and the Making of the Early Modern World. Studies in the History of Christian Traditions, Volume 190. Boston: Brill, 2018.

Barry Howson (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 13/1/00) 鈥淭he Thought of the 17^th-Century English Calvnistic Baptist Hanserd Knollys, c. 1599-1691鈥濃�擠r. Howson is currently Professor of Biblical Studies and Academic Dean at Heritage College and Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario鈥攎onograph published under the title Erroneous and Schismatical Opinions: The Question of Orthodoxy Regarding the Theology of Hanserd Knollys (c. 1599-1691). Leiden and New York: E.J. Brill, 2001.

Justin Irwin (Ph.D., History, June 2016) 鈥淏enjamin Keach and Baptist Identity in the Post-Restoration, 1660-1704鈥� [joint supervision with聽Professor Brian Cowan, Department of History]鈥斺�溾�楽weet mirth and Musick rare鈥�: Sensual spirituality in the work of Benjamin Keach.鈥� In Torrance Kirby and Matthew Milner, eds. Mediating Religious Cultures in Early Modern Europe, 191-219. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013.

Rowshan Nemazee (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 24/10/07) 鈥淭he Politics of heaven: a feminist eschatological reading of Augustine鈥檚 De civitate Dei鈥� [joint supervision with聽Professor Patricia Kirkpatrick, Faculty of Religious Studies]鈥擠r. Nemazee is Associate聽Professor of Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont.

Colin O鈥橰ourke (Ph.D., Religious studies, 19/3/03) 鈥淕od, Saint, and Priest: a comparison of mediatory roles in Roman Catholicism and 艢r墨vaisnavism with special reference to the Council of Trent and the 驰补迟墨苍诲谤补尘补迟补诲墨辫颈办腻鈥� [joint supervision with聽Professor Katherine Young, Faculty of Religious Studies].

Jennifer Otto (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 21/5/14) 鈥淧ythagorean, Predecessor, Hebrew: Philo of Alexandria and the construction of Jewishness in early Christian writings鈥� [joint supervision with Professor Ellen Aitken]鈥擠r. Otto is Assistant聽Professor of Religious Studies, University of Lethbridge, Alberta鈥�monograph Philo of Alexandria and the Construction of Jewishness in Early Christian Writings. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. 鈥�Paideia in Genesis: interpretating Sarah and Hagar with Philo and Clement of Alexandria.鈥� In Torrance Kirby, Rahim Acar, and Bilal Ba艧, eds. Philosophy and the Abrahamic Religions: scriptural hermeneutics and epistemology. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. (SSHRC-funded, Vanier Fellowship, 2010-2013).

Eric Parker (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 17/5/18) 鈥淭he Sun in the sun: Peter Sterry鈥檚 contemplative moral theology鈥� (Research Assistant funded under SSHRC Insight Development Grant, 2011-2012; Birks Fellowship 2011-2012; Graduate Excellence Fellowship 2012-2013; Keenan Fellow, 2016-2017; RA, SSHRC Partnership Grant).

Paolo de Petris (Ph.D, Religious Studies, 15/4/08) 鈥�Deus Absconditus: Calvin鈥檚 theodicy in the sermons on the book of Job鈥濃�攎onograph published as Calvin鈥檚 Theodicy and the Hiddenness of God: Calvin鈥檚 sermons on the Book of Job. Oxford, New York, Bern: Peter Lang, 2012.

Harold Ristau (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 17/10/07) 鈥�Against the Heavenly Prophets in the Matter of Images and Sacraments: Martin Luther鈥檚 polemical critique of the 鈥榙emonic鈥� in radical Protestant soteriology鈥濃�擠r. Ristau is Assistant Professor of Theology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catherine鈥檚, Ontario鈥擧is monograph was published under the title Understanding Martin Luther's Demonological Rhetoric in His Treatise Against the Heavenly Prophets (1525). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2008.

Michael Storch (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 14/3/07) 鈥淎pplied imagination: mechanics of magical images in the thought of Giordano Bruno鈥�.

Cindy Wesley (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 6/3/01) 鈥淭he Pietist theology and ethnic mission of the General Conference of German Baptists in North America, 1851-1920. Dr. Wesley is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge,鈥攎onograph published under the title The role of piety and ethnicity in the formation of the General Conference of German Baptists, 1851-1920. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2008.

Jason Zuidema (Ph.D., Religious Studies, 18/9/06) 鈥淧eter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1562) and the outward instruments of divine grace鈥� (funded under SSHRC Standard Research Grant, 2003-2006) 鈥攎onograph published under the same title in the series Reformed Historical Theology, Bd. 4. G枚ttingen: Vandenhoek and Ruprecht, 2008.

Successfully completed M.A.

Kathleen Austin (M.A., Religious Studies, 27/8/03) 鈥淎ristotle, Aquinas, and the History of Quickening鈥� [joint supervision with Professor Marguerite Deslauriers, Department. of Philosophy].

Nader Awad (M.A., Religious Studies, 5/1/04) 鈥淭he trumpet鈥檚 blast: the political theology of John Knox鈥�.

Michael Backhouse (M.A., Religious Studies, 30/08/03) 鈥淐ompleting the Vision: S酶ren Kierkegaard鈥檚 pseudonymous texts and the Attack upon Christendom鈥濃�攎onograph published: Kierkegaard鈥檚 Critique of Christian Nationalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.

John Bellingham (M.A., Religious Studies, 23/12/13) 鈥淐hrist exhibited and the covenant confirmed: the eucharistic theology of John Owen鈥�.

Joshua Collins (M.A., Religious Studies, 23/07/06) 鈥淭he concept of love in Saint Augustine鈥檚 Confessiones鈥� [joint supervision with Professor Ga毛lle Fiasse, Faculty of Religious Studies].

Melissa Davidson (M.A., Religious Studies, 23/08/12) 鈥淧reaching the Great War: Canadian Anglicans and the War Sermon, 1914-1918鈥� [joint supervision with Dr. John Simons] (Kenneth Downes and Graduate Excellence Fellowships)鈥攃hapter published as 鈥淭he Anglican Church and the Great War,鈥� 151-168. Canadian churches in the First World War, ed. Gordon L. Heath. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock/Pickwick, 2014.

Lisa Gilbert (M.A., Religious Studies, 25/07/07) 鈥淭o have authority over the body: the conjugal debt according to Gratian鈥檚 Decretum鈥� [joint supervision with Professor Ellen Aitken, Faculty of Religious Studies].

Charles Irish (M.A., Religious Studies, 31/7/02) 鈥溾�楾he participation of God Himself:鈥� law and mediation in the thought of Richard Hooker鈥濃�攃hapter published as 鈥溾�楶articipation of God Himselfe:鈥� law, the mediation of Christ, and sacramental participation in the thought of Richard Hooker.鈥� Richard Hooker and the English Reformation, ed. W.J. Torrance Kirby. Studies in Early Modern Religious Reforms, vol. 2. Dordrecht and London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003, 165-184.

Octavian Lucian Jarnea (M.A., Religious Studies, 2/11/06) 鈥�Les Faictz de Jesus Christ et du Pape: the polemics of French Reform before Calvin鈥� (funded under FQRSC Research Grant, 2004-2006)鈥攃hapter of thesis published: 鈥淟鈥檜tilisation pol茅mique de textes classiques dans Les Faictz de Jesus Christ et du Pape.鈥� Les Imprim茅s r茅form茅s de Pierre de Vingle (Neuch芒tel, 1533-35). 尝颈迟迟茅谤补迟耻谤别蝉 24.1 (2007), 217-236.

Mayyada Kheir (M.A., Religious Studies, 28/9/02) 鈥淟es (in)tolerances de l鈥橝bb茅 Gregoire: Jans茅nisme et la Revolution fran莽aise鈥�.

Jennifer Otto (M.A., Religious Studies, 18/7/09) 鈥淩eason, Revelation, and Ridicule: assessing the authority of allegorical interpretation in Philo, Clement and Augustine鈥� [joint supervision with Professor Ellen Aitken] (SSHRC-funded, 2008-2009).

Naznin Patel (M.A., Religious Studies, 14/11/17) 鈥淢arsilio Ficino and Avicennian Psychology: on Prophecy and Miracles鈥�.

Genevi猫ve Trudel (MA, Facult茅 de Th茅ologie et de Sciences Religieuses, Universit茅 Laval, 15/3/04) 鈥淟a C猫ne comme sacrement chez Zwingli鈥�

Aleana Young (M.A., Religious Studies, 25/11/10) 鈥淲hat has Lyons to do with Rome? The 鈥楳artyrs of Lyons鈥� as a second-century exemplar of Christian community in the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius鈥�

Postdoctoral Fellowships

James Bryson (CREOR Visiting Fellowship, 2012-2013; SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2013-15) 鈥淣icholas of Cusa鈥檚 mystical theology in the iconology of the Renaissance鈥�.

Frederick Tappenden (FRQSC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2014-2015; SSHRC Partnership Grant RA) 鈥淩eligion in the text and on the ground: the convergence of historiography and ethnography in Religious Studies鈥�.

Simon Burton (Commonwealth and CREOR Postdoctoral Fellowships, 2012-2013) 鈥淢edieval roots of the theological virtues in Protestant scholastic thought, 1550-1675鈥�.

Yazeed Said (CREOR Visiting Fellowship, 2010-2011) 鈥淭he metaphysical foundations of Al-Ghazali鈥檚 Legal and Political Theology鈥�.

Ren茅 Paquin (FQRSC Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2005-2008) 鈥溍塪ition de la version originale d鈥檜n imprim茅 de Pierre de Vingle accompagn茅e d鈥檜ne 茅tude (Neuch芒tel, 1533-1535)鈥�.