Insight Winter 2017 Edition

Insight WINTER 2017

From Generation to Generation 04

“WHEN PAST AND PRESENT...”

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GILBERT HEMMING WILLIAMS

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CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS

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ALUMNI UPDATES

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“NAKED CHRISTIANITY”

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S PEN

The vocation God has given us

By The Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen G.W. Andrews

Dear Friends in Christ, SHORTLY BEFORE LEAVING MY OFFICE as the Bishop of the Diocese of Algoma, we held a round of regional town hall meetings to discuss the problem of having more church property than we could support. I don’t have to tell you that these are very hard conversations. We all love our churches, and many of them hold strong family connections. I remember asking a small group of parish leaders over lunch, “What does the church need to be for your children? What legacy do you want to leave?” There was silence around the table before one woman said, sadly, “My children don’t go to church.”

There were nods of understanding and sympathy when another added that she felt like she had failed her kids. This is part of what makes the thought of the church’s demise and its consequences so very painful to contemplate.

It is not just that the church may not be there for us, but that those who come after us won’t miss it.

But this is also part of what makes theological education such a challenge and a privilege. Many students coming to sem2

inary now belong to this lost generation.

They do not have the benefit of having been raised in the church and so do not understand its story and its culture. Moreover, our society has become so indifferent (not to say hostile) to its Christian founding principles that students often lack confidence in their basic knowledge of Bible and doctrine. When the children of the Exodus got comfortable in Canaan, it was said that “there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD” (Judges 2:10).

Many young people today simply have no Christian consciousness.

This means that a significant part of what we do at Wycliffe is remedial. In our study of Scripture and Church history, and in our inquiry into God’s nature and work in the world, we try to construct a Christian narrative. It is a narrative that starts with the triune Author bringing the world into being with his Word, and that makes its way to consummation through the dramas of fall and redemption.

Some of my colleagues in church leadership lament the loss of Christian memory in the younger generation. But for us at the College there is a positive side to this. In the first place, it means that we have to re-examine assumptions we may have held uncritically and then try to articulate our deepened per-

ceptions in fresh and relevant ways. But then, there is also the thrill of seeing the Christian narrative gain purchase in the hearts and minds of those who study here. Teaching can sometimes feel like evangelism! And we are frequently humbled and grateful for the vocation God has given us to glorify him “from generation to generation” in this place.

God, of course, does not leave himself without witness in any generation (Acts 14:17). In this issue of Insight, we are pleased to recount stories of God’s faithfulness to Wycliffe through his people and to his people through this College. And this year we are including an Annual Report, an operational accounting of how we are seeking to be faithful with the resources God has entrusted to us. We are grateful for your support and ask you to continue to pray that, through our work, “the next generation” and, through them, “children yet unborn” might “rise up and set their hope in God” (Psalm 78:6–7).

Wishing you a blessed Advent,

The Rt Rev. Dr Stephen Andrews Principal and Helliwell Professor of Biblical Interpretation

A family decision bears remarkable fruit

By Patricia Paddey

It was one of those occasions that becomes a part of a family’s lore, an event so dramatic it becomes etched into collective memory, maturing into a story told again and again. For the Paulsen family, the incident occurred the day that mom Judy and dad Pat told their three offspring that the family would be moving from Timmins, ON, to the Greater Toronto Area so that Judy could begin theological studies at Wycliffe College.

“WE TOOK THEM FOR A DRIVE AND . . . [when] we told them, they all burst into tears,” remembers Judy. “It was devastating.

They were all crying in the backseat.”

Pat describes as “traumatic” the shock and grief with which their three school-aged children reacted to the news that they would be leaving the only home they had ever known. It was, he says, a “most difficult time.”

“I said, ‘Okay, let’s take a deep breath,’” Judy recounts. “‘If there’s one thing that could make this easier for you, if there’s one thing that you want from God to make this work, what would it be?’”

Adrienne, 8 at the time, wanted a friend to live near her new home. Lindsay, 10, wanted a candy store on the street. Ryan, due to begin high school, wanted to attend a brand new one. Pat, who would be returning to his audiology practice in Timmins one week each month, wished to be within a 20-minute drive of the airport. Judy hoped for a bus stop across the street.

Pat and Judy had one day to shop for their next house. It wasn’t until after they had signed on the dotted line that they would learn that all of those conditions had been met.

The experience no doubt affirmed—in the mind of each family member—the truth of Judy’s calling to ministry.

Today, more than two decades later, Lindsay reflects on how her parents’ decision to relocate the family impacted her life. “More than anything, it showed me that it’s okay to take a leap of faith and to find a whole new path at any stage of life,” she says.

“My mom’s courage to start something new, and my dad’s support of her decision, contin-

ues to inspire me to this day.”

Ask any of the Paulsens, and they will tell you that the move marked the beginning of a period that was not easy. Judy—who had an undergraduate science degree in speech and language pathology, and who had worked in that field for 11 years—faced the challenge of taking up advanced full-time study in theology. Gone from home all day, she would return evenings to read and work on papers.

Pat stepped up to shoulder primary domestic responsibilities, taking over things like grocery shopping and chauffeuring, while the kids learned to lean on one another more as everyone adapted to new routines.

The Paulsen kids, from left, Ryan, Adrienne, Lindsay But the family’s obedience to God’s leading has borne remarkable fruit. Judy graduated in 1999 (after being ordained in the Diocese of Toronto a year earlier). Completing a DMin (Fuller, 2012), she began serving as adjunct faculty at Wycliffe in 2013 and today is Professor of Evangelism and Director of the Institute of Evangelism.

Pat would eventually pursue his own theological studies here at Wycliffe, graduating

Pat Paulsen (left) and daughter Adrienne (centre) celebrate their graduation in 2012 with Judy (W ‘99).

with an MTS in 2012. “Studying the things of God under a faculty with the level of academic and scholarly credibility, and theological and spiritual integrity, that we have at Wycliffe is something to be grateful for,” he says. “I will benefit from these studies for the rest of my life.” Others will benefit too; Pat is active in lay ministry, teaching Bible and Christian history, and recently co-authored the Christian Foundations workbook, co-published by Wycliffe College and the Institute of Evangelism. (Read more about Christian Foundations on page 12.)

Intriguingly, two of the Paulsen children have also completed MTS degrees here. “[Wycliffe] is a very special place that has been a part of our family for more than 20 years,” says Ryan (W ’10), who went on to a career in journalism and is now in law school. “That doesn’t happen by accident.

The people make the place.”

Adrienne (W ’12) says that in addition to developing life-long friendships, she also met her husband through the Wine Before Breakfast community that meets at Wycliffe.

“Wycliffe fosters an environment where not just our intellectual selves are stimulated and engaged, but our social and spiritual selves are nourished as well,” she says.

“My time at Wycliffe was impacted by the fact that family members attended in previous years . . . but students entering Wycliffe with no prior introduction will still experience a sense of tradition that is being passed down from generation to generation.”

Patricia Paddey is Director of Communications at Wycliffe College.

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When past and present come together

By Patricia Paddey

It’s not every day that one has the opportunity to hear history brought to life, or to see the past and present come together in a meaningful way. But I did.

IT STARTED WITH A REMARK LEFT on a Wycliffe College social media post. The post showed up in Judy Anderson’s Facebook newsfeed, prompting the Toronto elementary school teacher to comment. That note led to another, and then another, during which I learned that Judy’s great-grandfather had once taught at Wycliffe.

So began a conversation about the Rev. Dyson Hague, Canadian evangelical Anglican rector, author, lecturer, and Wycliffe College graduate (Class of 1882). At one point, Judy shared a photo of her great-grandfather, and mentioned that his portrait “had once hung” in a place of prominence in the College. It still does.

The Rev. Hague’s portrait, painted in oil and surrounded by an elegant gold frame, hangs in the Henry John Cody Library. (He had a long tenure here at Wycliffe College; his image shows up in graduating class photos from 1907 to 1937.)

He looks down from above, as if keeping careful watch over shelf upon shelf of antique books. Calm and dignified in academic robes, his handsome bearded face displays an ever-so-slightly furrowed brow. But his is a kind and intelligent face, and I told Judy so, inviting her to come and see it for herself.

That is how it happened that Judy Anderson and her identical twin sister Jane Hodgins came to visit Wycliffe College. They are a dynamic duo, brimming with energy, enthusiasm, and stories of their ancestor (who lived from 1867 to 1935) and of his still felt impact on their lives.

“We both feel very close to Dyson, and we feel his presence,” said Judy. “He is a living witness, though we never knew him.”

“We saw his picture when we went to our paternal grandparents’ home once a month,” added Jane, “so he’s always been a presence in our lives.”

Family stories handed down from generation to generation to Judy and Jane convince them that “He was larger than life. … Blunt, loud, forthright, didn’t hold back,” explained Judy. “He was evangelical,” added Jane, picking up where her sister left off. “If the Salvation Army was on the corner, we’re told he would say ‘I’d like to talk,’ and then would start to preach. He wasn’t ashamed of his faith.”

“And neither are we,” she added with a smile, and a twinkle in her eye. “And we get in trouble for it.”

Today both women are devout Catholics and they credit Dyson with leaving a legacy of faith. “We’re sort of the tip of the Dyson Hague iceberg,” explains Judy, “and Wycliffe College is integral to that!”

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STUDENT FOCUS:

Pursuing my calling

By Joan Morris

FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS, THE MAJORITY of my priests have been women. For years I have had a niggling little voice in my head saying, “You can do this.” I ignored that voice until September 2012, when I met the woman who encouraged and inspired me to be more than a reader and a warden at our little church in Orillia, ON. This wonderful woman is a graduate of Wycliffe College, Class of 1989. There was no doubt in my mind where I was going to pursue my calling to God’s service.

When I first arrived at Wycliffe in September 2015, I felt intimidated because I hadn’t been a part of the academic world for over 40 years. My biggest fear was writing papers! When I started the MDiv program, I thought I had a pretty good handle on the Bible and Christianity. I couldn’t believe how much I didn’t know. I have learned so much. With each and every

STUDENT FOCUS:

It started with a stroll

By Jordan Duerrstein

IN 2013, I WAS IN THE FINAL YEAR of my undergrad (BMus, BEd at U of T), working part-time as a worship pastor in North Oakville, and living with a MoveIn team (Christian incarnational community living) in downtown Toronto. I was praying for the year to come: Danielle and I were planning our wedding and I was considering full-time teaching.

Yet the call to serve in church ministry was not far from my mind, and remaining a part of the St. James Town neighbourhood was not something I wanted to give up. Formal ministry training wasn’t on my radar; my denomination’s schools were in the US, BC, or Winnipeg.

But on a warm October morning, I took a stroll from the Faculty of Music down Philosopher’s Walk. With some time between classes, I noticed the words “Evangelical Anglican” on Wycliffe’s sign and walked into the building to ask, “What is this place all about?” Terry helped me, and pointed out Professor John Bowen, who was checking his mailbox. John

course I have been challenged, and every time I have surprised myself. I am so glad I began this journey. My fellow students, the professors, and staff have made my life at Wycliffe a truly enjoyable experience.

As part of the MDiv program, students must complete a summer internship. I was very blessed to be able to travel to a remote area of Thailand to teach English and Bible knowledge at a small school, funded

by Christ Church in Bangkok. A truly amazing experience.

After graduation, I hope to be ordained in the Diocese of Algoma, if it is God’s will. My future is yet to be decided, but I have no fear of what that future might be because I know God is my guide.

After a lengthy career in the financial services industry, Joan retired and is now able to realize her “calling to the service of God.” She is a mother of three and grandmother of seven.

offered to show me around when I had more time.

I took John up on his offer and visited Wycliffe for a Wednesday Event the following month, where I was introduced to the character and characters of this place. It was clear that this is a place of strong Christian community and academic rigour, a place where Christ himself and Scripture are highly valued.

Today, Danielle and I live at the College, where I’m in my final year of an MDiv. I’m Senior Student, and I’ve grown, and know I will continue to grow spiritually through coursework, ministry placements, and in relationships with friends and faculty.

I’m grateful for Wycliffe College and for how it’s preparing me for a life of faith, ministry, and theological reflection.

Jordan Duerrstein is a 3rd-year MDiv student at Wycliffe College and this year’s Senior Student.

He is also working as the Associate Pastor at The Meeting House Downtown Toronto. In his spare time, he likes playing piano and guitar and playing sports like ice hockey and soccer.

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STUDENT FOCUS:

STUDENT FOCUS:

Godorchestrated events

Named in an Ancient Language

By Roderick Cohen

By Caris Kim

BORN AND RAISED IN A CHRISTIAN HOME in Windsor, ON, my father was a pastor of a church in Detroit, MI, and my mother served both inside and outside the church. The influence of my parents produced a passion in me to want to serve in church ministry at a young age. However, despite having a Christian upbringing, I didn’t have a real encounter with Jesus until I was in my second year at St. Clair College.

After graduating from St. Clair, my journey in Toronto began in 2012 as I started my first semester at Tyndale University. However, Tyndale wasn’t the only reason I chose to come to Toronto; my girlfriend, Hara, also lived here and my hope was to one day marry her.

In May 2015, I graduated from Tyndale and married Hara all in the same month. I knew I wanted to pursue my Masters but I was unsure of which program to take. In September 2016, I began working at The Scott Mission, and this experience sparked my passion for child and youth work. I began to look for programs that mixed theology and social work, and at the end of my research, I found that Wycliffe’s Master of Theological Studies in Development program best fit what I was looking for.

However, through an unexpected, God-orchestrated turn of events, I am now the new Youth Pastor at The Bridge church in Markham. The church has been helpful in my wife’s and my transition, and has even offered to support me financially in my studies. I am beyond excited to be joining the MTSD program, and my hope is that my time here will not only make me a better pastor for the youth and congregation, but also a better pastor for the local community that is around my church and for the international missions that my church is involved in.

I WAS BORN IN SEOUL, South Korea, and raised there in a Presbyterian home. My father is a pastor and he named me with a very simple but profound Greek word— Caris—which means “grace.” When I was a child other children gave me many nicknames due to the foreign sound of my name: curry-rice, Carl Lewis, charisma, Curlysue, etc.

But my name has been a reminder to me of the grace of God, and having such a name caused me to become interested in ancient biblical languages. You see, the Hebrew Bible on my father’s desk caught the eyes of a preschool-age girl named in an ancient language. It steered me to major in Jewish Studies during my college years in South Korea, where I studied biblical Hebrew, modern Hebrew, and Israel’s history and culture.

After earning an undergraduate degree in Jewish Studies (Konkuk University), I studied in Israel. There I dreamed about teaching the Bible in a mission context one day. Later, through a counselling internship (part of earning my MA in the US), I met several alienated women and tried to help them understand how God had worked for them, a message that is written throughout the Bible. In particular, the Old Testament is fascinating to me for its hidden treasures of God’s grace.

Two years ago, when I started my ThM program at Calvin Theological Seminary, an alumnus gave me a book about women biblical interpreters to encourage me to be a female biblical scholar. I had no idea that the author of the book, Dr. Marion Taylor, would one day be my supervisor in my PhD program.

I thank God for leading me to study the Old Testament at Wycliffe College. By his grace, God gave me the opportunity to realize my dream. For this, my husband, Rev. Hee-don Kim, and my sons, Yea-Daam, Haim, and Naim, left their home and friends, and came to Canada with me. My prayer is that God gives them hope and holds their future.

Roderick Cohen is the Youth Pastor at The Bridge in Markham and a graduate of Tyndale University with a BA in Biblical Studies and Theology. Rod and his lovely wife, Hara, have been married for two years. When Rod isn’t serving at his church or in his community, he is likely grooming his beard or enjoying a CrossFit class.

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Caris Kim is in the PhD program at Wycliffe College. She has an associate degree in English (Induk University, South Korea) and a BA in Jewish Studies (Konkuk University, South Korea).

She earned an MA in Counselling and an MDiv in Old Testament (Biblical Theological Seminary) and a ThM in Old Testament (Calvin Theological Seminary).

Story of a Calling

By Philip Stonhouse

I came to Toronto to become an actor. My parents were both Anglican ministers in Saskatoon and my whole life I had wanted to be anything but that.

I didn’t like the politics or the often unchristian behaviour. At times, I saw my parents come home tired, feeling alone and underappreciated.

SO I AVOIDED EVEN THE THOUGHT of ministry and followed my passion for acting. I told myself that if there was any place to make a “go” of that career, Toronto was the place. But after five years pursuing that dream, acting wasn’t shaping up to be everything I wanted it to be.

I knew I was missing something, but at the time I thought that what I needed was merely more consistent employment.

I remember sitting backstage at a performance of Macbeth waiting to go on.

At the same time, I was debating—half with myself, half with God—about what I should be doing. I was actually trying to think of what I could do to support my acting career. As I reflected on massage therapy, tech support, waiting tables, and anything else that came to mind, for the first time in my life I found myself thinking, “maybe ministry.”

What happened next was weird, because I don’t remember where the thought and conversation with God went, but I do remember that minutes later, when I walked out on stage, I knew that it might be the last show I ever did.

The show went so well that I immediately started second guessing that resolve. After the play, as I rode the subway with a Hindu friend, my friend said, “That show was the best I have ever seen it. What changed?”

I thought to myself, “Perfect! I will tell him about my calling, and he will tell me that I should stick with acting.”

So I told him the story I’ve just shared.

My friend said, “You know I don’t believe in the same thing as you, but maybe if you were a minister, I would come to church.” After hearing this affirmation, I couldn’t ignore my call anymore.

My parents had met at Wycliffe College, so I decided to inquire there, thinking that since it was already late July, I would have to wait a year to enroll.

Wycliffe’s (then Basic Degree Director) Marion Taylor was away for a few weeks at her cottage, so the Principal at the time, Bishop George Sumner, took me out for lunch.

Something clicked in that conversation for me, and I caught a glimpse of what I had been searching for. +George

introduced me to the Registrar and Director of Admissions Barbara Jenkins, and suddenly the ball was rolling. In only a few weeks I found myself at Wycliffe.

Being obedient to that sense of “calling,” and enrolling at Wycliffe, stands as one of the smartest choices of my life. I can’t even begin to describe the life-changing experience that it has been.

Today, I am serving God; this is one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Since completing his studies at Wycliffe, Philip is now a curate at St. Bride’s Clarkson in Mississauga, ON. He married Mary Anne Perta in September. Their reception was held at Wycliffe College.

“Perfect! I will tell him about my calling, and he will tell me that I should stick with acting.”

Philip Stonhouse

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Lauding and lifting up the Creator

I serve the church today as the Indigenous Native Priest for the Diocese of Toronto, encouraging the children of God, indigenous and non-indigenous, to step forward in faith and onto the bridge of healing and peace.

Tracy and Chris Harper

But every story has a beginning, and my story begins with my grandparents and their faith witness.

By Rev. Chris Harper with Tracy Harper

MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER WAS a “Heathen.” Literally. “Heathen” was the last name given to him by the Indian agents who displayed something of a sense of humour in doling out surnames to indigenous peoples, part of the government’s monumental effort of assimilation.

But my great-grandfather was a prime example of how, though influenced by outside cultural forces, he retained his identity and faith, embracing Christianity even as he lovingly held onto his own spirituality and practices.

I recall his strong witness to both the church and to his native spirituality and tradition. He was a man who walked in both worlds, a man who upheld the church and his Holy Bible, but who also prayed and gave his thanksgivings with a drum, with sweet grass, sage, and voice. His faith witness was passed to his children, my grand8

parents, then on to my mother, and to me.

My grandfather was sent to residential boarding school, where he was educated to become a Roman Catholic priest. Being called home ended his training, but his faith stayed strong; he knew his rosary and prayers, both Christian and traditional.

My mother was a residential school survivor. She upheld only Christian values, and today she still strives to bring life and faith to the closed church on our reserve (Onion Lake).

Seeing their witness, I offer my own prayers and ministry in a manner similar to that of my great-grandfather, by upholding both Christian and traditional cultural practices and rites. And I also share this witness with the next generation, having been blessed to have walked with my children in their faith, and to have baptized my grandchildren in the church.

My children know it is their ministry to teach their children in that which has been handed down to them. In this may God our Creator be lauded and lifted up.

Chris Harper is the Indigenous Native Priest in the Diocese of Toronto, having held prior parish ministries in the Dioceses of Algoma and Saskatchewan. Tracy has journeyed with him in ministry. They graduated together from Wycliffe in 2005, Chris from the MDiv program, and Tracy with a Diploma of Lay Ministry.

Luther’s love affair

By Alec Ryrie

It’s the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, the traditional starting-gun for the Protestant Reformation, and so Luther’s life is being retold and his doctrines remembered. I worry, though, that in the process we can miss the point of his story — which was that his Christianity was a matter not of the intellect, but of the heart and of the guts.

WE’LL NEVER KNOW EXACTLY WHEN the troubled young Professor Luther came to his great spiritual breakthrough. But if we don’t know when it happened, we know what it felt like. Before any of Luther’s insights were formulated into doctrines, they had already turned his life upside down. Before Protestantism was a theological system, it was a love affair. Luther discovered that God loved him and forgave him in a way he had never imagined before, and that unlocked in him an answering, recklessly extravagant passion, which he pursued beyond the bounds set by Church and tradition. Like any lover, he found it incredible that his beloved should love him. And yet he discovered over the long years of prayer and study that God loved him wildly, irresponsibly, and beyond all reason. God, in Christ, had laid down his life for him, and that sacrifice was not a transaction, or a process, or a negotiation, or an offer, or a reproach, but a sheer gift.

Of course, professors are having ideas all the time, and normally no one else cares very much. But when Luther got into a public row with his local archbishop and was ordered to shut up, he refused. He wasn’t just a theologian anymore. He was a lover defending his beloved’s honour and discovered within himself fantastic reserves of stubbornness. So instead, in an unnervingly modern way, he doubled down and outflanked his opponents with innovative use of new media—the printing press. Within three years he had formulated a complete theological critique of the establishment, had been excommunicated, and had denounced the Pope as Antichrist.

Finally, in late 1520, the law caught up with him. He was summoned to trial before the parliament, or Diet, of the Holy Roman Empire at the city of Worms. He expected

he would face martyrdom; and so he went like Christ to Jerusalem, a three-hundredmile journey, pausing to preach on the way.

Well-wishers warned him not to go. He replied that if there were as many devils in Worms as there were tiles on the roofs, he would still go. He arrived on 17 April 1521 to find the rooftops crowded, not with devils, but with supporters. The streets were so thronged as to be impassible. The crowd pressed about him. Voices shouted that he should stand firm. One yelled, “Blessed is the womb that bore you.” Finally, he was allowed in, brought before all the assembled majesty of church and state, and asked if he would recant his errors.

inflicted such losses on it. I did nothing; the Word did everything.”

That’s a statement of faith, not of fact, and it’s not nearly as humble as it looks at first glance. But it captures something essential about Protestantism: Martin Luther had unleashed a spiritual revolution that neither he nor anyone else could define or control. And it’s not over yet.

He replied cautiously but firmly that his conscience was captive to the Word of God. He would only recant his views if it could be shown to him, on the basis of the Bible and the Bible alone, that he was wrong.

He escaped with his life, thanks to a naive and honourable young German ruler [Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony]. But that moment defined his life and the Protestant movement that followed: the naked conscience speaking truth to power. Pretty soon new churches were springing up that were being called “Lutheran.” He never liked that.

This Reformation wasn’t his doing, he insisted: “I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends . . . the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever

Alec Ryrie is Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham University and a licensed lay preacher in the Church of England. Earlier this fall, he was a featured lecturer at Wycliffe as the College marked the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. Ryrie also contributed the above piece to Wycliffe’s blog.

Didn’t know Wycliffe had a blog? Visit it at https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/blog. You will find thoughtful posts by Wycliffe College students, staff, faculty, and other special guests.

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A Christianity rugged and

Reg Stackhouse

Canon Williams’ grandson, David Trillo, visited Wycliffe in August 2017 and shared his enthusiasm for his grandfather with Thomas Power.

ing Williams, Gilbert Hemm rait graduation port 10

BORN IN LONDON, ENGLAND, in 1890, Gilbert Hemming Williams was recruited as a young man to travel to Toronto to train for the ministry. A student at Wycliffe College from 1910 to 1914, he graduated with an Licentiate of Theology (precursor to the MDiv), was ordained in Winnipeg cathedral, and served until 1927 in two parishes in that city.

From 1927 to 1935 Williams served as assistant secretary of the Commonwealth and Continental Church Society (CCCS). The Society provided grants to dioceses for parishes, supported theological colleges, and started Emmanuel College in the Diocese of Saskatchewan to train ministerial candidates for the northwest. (Canon Williams received an honorary DD from Emmanuel College in 1954). In 1935 he returned to England and served in various parishes in Kent and London.

Such career facts may seem dry, but they follow a fascinating student life at Wycliffe, as revealed in notes and letters that Williams wrote during his time here. The correspondence, now in the possession of his family, offers insights into the life of a Wycliffe student in the opening decades of the 20th century.

Williams excelled academically. At the end of his first year he passed all of his exams, gaining eight firsts out of a possible nine. He earned first-class grades in Latin, English Literature, Hebrew, Greek and Roman History, Greek, and Theology. Only in English Bible did he slip down to third-class honors. But these grades were not achieved through “all-nighters”! Williams informs us of his study habits: “I always turn in at 10:20.

I positively cannot study after 10 and I don’t think that one gains anything by it either.” Part of his routine, which no doubt contributed to his success, was his commitment to sports like soccer and cross country. He came to like ice hockey, but did not take to baseball, much

preferring cricket. He swam and played tennis on his summer placements; took life-saving lessons; played water polo; and in Winnipeg he played on the parish curling team. Between all of these activities, he found time to compose hymns and poems.

In addition to academics and sports, Williams was an avid participant in debating competitions. In November 1911 he informed Eva, his fiancée in England, that he lost a debate defending socialism. But his fortunes turned in 1912–13, when Wycliffe’s debating team (including Williams) were the inter-college debating champions.

In January 1914 in an inter-university debate held at Convocation Hall, Williams was on the U of T team that took on the University of Ottawa. The motion for debate was “That Second Chambers [i.e. Senates] stand in the way of democracy.” Williams and his other U of T team members opposed the motion.

Documents in the Williams’ collection indicate that debates at Convocation Hall at the time were huge events, with the debate itself preceded and followed by an organ recital and vocal soloists, and the evening concluding with the singing of “God Save the King.”

In February 1914 at a meeting of the Sociological Club (of which Principal O’Meara of Wycliffe was vice president) in the Provost’s House at Trinity College, the topic was Unemployment, for which Williams’ contribution was “Unemployment Insurance.” Williams also represented U of T in a debate with McGill and, recognizing this honour, he wrote: “T[oronto] and McGill are the Oxford and Cambridge of Canada.” In that particular debate, although McGill was victorious, Williams achieved the highest individual score.

His letters and activities reveal that Williams was committed to mission and service. He was president of Wycliffe’s Mission Society for instance, and as

strong

By Thomas Power

Rev. Williams an d his wife Eva ou tside the rectory of St . Patrick’s, Win nipeg

bating r-Collegiate de

Inte debating team, Wycliffe College 12–13 champions, 19

such, was part of a fundraising effort to sponsor Rev. A Perry Park, a member of the graduating class in 1914, to go to India.

In his summer placement at Schomberg (for which the diocese provided him with a bicycle but the roads were not very good!) he preached “hotly about temperance” and about putting “God first,” commenting that “I fear many Christians are just living a mockery because they will not put Him first in everything great and small.” In 1912 he travelled to a mission convention in Kansas attended by 7,000 people. “The spirit of the Conventions was an inspiration,” he wrote. “I (and everybody) forgot any distinctions of nationality and denomination.”

He also attended ceremonies connected with the 300th anniversary of the King James Bible, at which there were conversions. In the summer of 1912 he ministered among the men

in the railway construction camps in Western Canada, commenting: “the need is urgent and it appeals to me.”

Among multiple instances of service, in May 1913 Williams was in Winnipeg, where he visited rich and poor, hospitals, and packed toys for indigenous children at a mission station near Hudson’s Bay. In the summer of 1914 he was back in Winnipeg when World War I was declared, and he worked with the men who were being mobilized.

Canon Williams died in 1977.

, Wycliffe College Student room, ury early 20th cent

Thomas Power is Graduate Studies Coordinator, Adjunct Professor of Church History, and Theological Librarian at Wycliffe College. soccer Wycliffe College

team

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Christian Foundations: grounding the next generation in the faith

By Judy Paulsen

It all started because I was strapped for three hours into an uncomfortable seat, 20,000 feet in the air. There’s nothing like a cross-country flight to force you to attend to lingering questions.

HERE WAS THE QUESTION on my mind: why were so many students coming into seminary lacking what the faculty considered basic Christian formation? As an adjunct instructor, and later as the Professor of Evangelism at Wycliffe, I was well aware that many students were missing a basic knowledge of the overarching story of the Bible as well as many of its key historic and geographic frameworks. In addition, students often had a sketchy knowledge of the creeds, basic church history, and Christian practices. Many struggled when asked to explain the gospel or to describe how they discern God’s will. Their struggles pointed to the larger challenge in an increasingly secular society, that of grounding people in the Christian faith.

And so somewhere between Toronto and Fredericton I started making a list of what I would love to see students already knowing when they enter seminary. Composing such a list meant considering biblical, theological, and historical material. The challenge would not be what to include, but what to leave out.

If we wanted to “put the cookies on the lowest shelf ” for the increasing number of people with next-to-no Christian background, what would that look like? Could we build a small group resource that churches could use to give people a basic grounding in the faith?

Four years later, the writing team has just published our second edition of Chris-

tian Foundations: A Grounding for a Life of Faith.* Having learned much from the pilot program that was the first edition, we now have a resource that will give people an overview of the gospel and the story of the Bible, an introduction to the creeds and the canon of Scripture, a 30,000-foot view of the main epochs of church history, the individual and corporate Christian disciplines, and basic tools to help people discern their place in the community of faith and the world.

Participants will read and retell short narratives. They will fill in maps and timelines. They will engage in group discussion and personal reflection. They will complete matching, ordering, and fill-in-the-blank exercises. They will discuss how what they’ve learned relates to contemporary issues. They will complete self-quizzes. And they will do all of this repeatedly to help them absorb and retain what they’ve learned.

What changed from the first to the second edition? Many things: 709 things to be exact. First, and most importantly, we received feedback from people who participated in the course held on nine Saturdays at Wycliffe College. Next we heard from a variety of people with some area of expertise or experience. A theologian wanted more on the mystery and majesty of God. A nun wanted something on Jesus as the Suffering Servant. A priest of Russian Orthodox background wanted reference to Christus Victor.

An evangelical business leader wanted more on the atoning sacrifice of Christ. The course participants wanted us to add timeline exercises to the church history section.

Even as we began to make such revisions, support for the resource began to flow in.

The Most Rev. Colin Johnson (Archbishop of the Diocese of Toronto), the Rev. Dr. Richard Topping (Principal of the Vancouver School of Theology), the Rev. Dr. Ross Lockhart (Director of the Centre for Missional Leadership), and Dr. Marion Taylor (Professor of Old Testament at Wycliffe) all provided strong endorsements. Just as encouraging to us were reports of how churches were using this resource—some with discipleship groups, some at parish-wide learning events, some in confirmation classes, some as preparation for adult baptism, some as follow-up to the Alpha Course, and others as part of a program to train lay readers.

Thanks to input from this wide variety of people, and the skills of a brilliant copy editor, I’m now even more excited to see this resource used by churches to give the next generation a basic grounding in the faith. To see the first printed copies arrive at Wycliffe even made those three hours at 20,000 feet completely worth it.

Judy Paulsen is Professor of Evangelism and Director of The Institute of Evangelism at Wycliffe College.

* Multiple copies of the workbook can be ordered online at https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/wycliffe-serves/christian-foundations. Single or small orders can be purchased online or in person at the Wycliffe College reception desk. For large orders, please contact info@wycliffe.utoronto.ca 12

Alumni news Brothers and sisters, It is a joy to be able to serve you as the President of the Wycliffe College Alumni Executive Committee. I often reflect back on my time at Wycliffe with fondness and gratitude. It was for me a place of profound formation and nourishment. My prayer is that we can find avenues to stay in touch, and so

please join us on social media. May we encourage one another in the faith as we labour together in our vocations, families, and neighbourhoods for the sake of the gospel.

Grace and peace, The Rev. Jonathan Turtle (MDiv, 2012)

From the 1980s

Joan Waters Garner (W ’83) Since retiring from St. Andrew’s, Scarborough, in 1997, Joan has been at St. Nicholas, Birchcliffe. In her 20 years there, she has served variously as part-time assistant, interim Priest in Charge during the incumbent’s Sabbath leave, honourary assistant, organist, and music director. Currently she is a “very much retired” priest who still functions once monthly as a weekday celebrant and preacher, and as a spiritual resource person for the parish prayer chain.

She also plans or leads two annual women’s Quiet Days. Joan describes hers as “a blessing-filled retirement.”

FROM THE 1990s

The Rev. Canon Vicars Hodge (W ’90) Vicars continues to serve as Rector of

Trinity Church, Sarnia, and as Canon Missioner for the Diocese of Huron. “Our lives are full and blessed and I thank God regularly for the many blessings of being part of the Wycliffe family,” he writes. He spent February and March 2016 on sabbatical—at Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem—and describes his time away as “wonderful in every way.” In early fall, he was invited to preach at Holy Trinity, Yellowknife. “Life in Christ continues to be an amazing adventure.”

Dr. David Smith (W ’91) David is ministering with the Reverend Tracey Lloyd Smith with three churches in Eastern Ontario on the St. Lawrence River:

Cardinal, Maitland, and Prescott. Their two daughters are 18 and 16. Each year David gets to preach on a play by Shakespeare in conjunction with the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. David has recently been appointed the Chair of the Anglican Communion Alliance.

The Venerable Brent Ham (W ’98) Brent continues to serve in the Anglican Parish of Riverview in the Diocese of Fredericton. He recently celebrated his tenth anniversary in the parish and feels blessed to be able to minister there. In addition to his parish responsibilities, he is the Archdeacon of Moncton and still has a passion and love for coaching both baseball and hockey. His wife Joanne Ham serves as the Mother’s Union Diocesan President and recently returned from a conference in Barbados. They have two boys (ages 10 and 14) and went on a cruise to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary.

FROM THE 2000s

The Ven. Roger Whalen (W ’03) Roger has been appointed Archdeacon and Rector of the Cathedral of St. John the

Baptist in St. John’s, NL, in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.

After six years as Chaplain to Memorial University, Roger was appointed to the Cathedral on May 15, 2017, joining his wife, Sharon, who is Organist and Director of Music at the Cathedral. Established in 1699, the Cathedral Parish is the oldest Anglican Parish in Canada.

Vanessa Rottner (W ’05) Vanessa continues on her journey in Therapeutic Touch supported by the Therapeutic Network of Ontario (TTNO) to further her continuing studies. She has now reached the general practitioner status, with a goal to achieve recognized practitioner status in 2018. She looks for opportunities to work with hospices, hospitals, and community organizations. Her passions are outreach, healing ministry, and social justice.

She writes: “The blessing of being able to use my hands for God continues with handmade cross bracelets in Jerusalem olive wood beads for shut-ins, friends or family, or those that would enjoy comfort.

Other components of my lay ministry consist of mentoring to family, friends, listening, counselling within my boundaries, reaching out, making new connections through the Diocese.” Vanessa is an active member of St. James Cathedral’s Altar Guild.

Christopher Holmes (W ’00, ’06) Christopher and his wife, former Wycliffe employee Christina, and their three children Lillian (11), Fiona (9), and Markus (4) are thriving in Dunedin, New Zealand. Chris continues to enjoy his academic work as Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at the University of Otago and is happy to announce the publication of his newest book, The Lord is 13

Good: Seeking the God of the Psalter, published by IVP Academic.

Rev. Kyle Norman (W ’03) Kyle began his ministry on Vancouver Island, serving in the Diocese of British Columbia. After seven years, he and his family moved to the Diocese of Calgary, where he has been serving the Anglican Parish of Holy Cross for the past eight years. Kyle spent several years blogging for “The Community.” His particular interest was in the intersection between spirituality and common life. He also sits on the local board of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer, and is a frequent speaker at their events. Currently, he is studying for his Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Formation through Tyndale University. His emphasis is on the spiritual formation of the community.

Chris Roth (W ’09) Chris has continued to direct people towards Wycliffe for study since his graduation in 2009. He is now serving at St. Leonard’s On The Hill in Red Deer, AB, with his first ever service at St. Leonard’s on Sunday, Sept. 3rd, 2017.

Chris moved back to Red Deer in 2015 where he lives with his wife Crystal Pegg and their three sons Zander (10), Seth (7), and Levi (5).

The Reverend Andrew Federle (W ’05) Congratulations to Andrew on his installation as Incumbent of St. Clement’s Church, Toronto, in September. The preacher, The Reverend Jacqueline Daley (W ’04), said of him, “You have chosen a priest and pastor who is in love with Jesus.” Andrew’s prayer is: “May that love

Andrew Federle 14

‘overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight’ (Phil 1.9) in the exciting days ahead.”

FROM THE 2010s

Cindy Stover (W ’12) Since graduating from the MTS in Urban and International Development Program, Cindy has worked inside and outside the church. She has been working part-time at a Sexual Assault Centre in Southern Ontario, focused on creating a region-wide support model for survivors of human trafficking.

She has also recently taken on a position with the Christian Reformed Church of North America as the Justice Mobilizer for Canadian Ministries. This means that she works to connect local churches with justice resources, campaigns, and coaching.

She writes: “Both of these roles are challenging, yet they have given me the opportunity to put my education into action in justice and mercy work, in both secular and sacred settings.”

Rev. Karen Isaacs (W ’12, W’17) Karen was ordained deacon at Christ’s Church

Ordination of Karen Isaacs. Photo courtesy of Anglican Diocese of Niagara.

Cathedral, Hamilton, on Sept. 22, 2017 in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara on behalf of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto.

We wish her every blessing as she begins her diaconal ministry at the Church of St. Mary and St. Martha, Toronto, where Beth Benson (W ’04) is Priest in Charge.

Megan Enns Robinson (W ’11) and Don Robinson welcomed their son Nathaniel on April 4th, 2017. Nathaniel means “gift from God” and Megan writes that “our little Nate certainly lives up to his name”!

Megan Enns Robinson with husband Don and son Nathaniel.

Sarah Armstrong (W ’17) Sarah was ordained to the diaconate on Sept. 20, 2017, in Founders’ Chapel at Wycliffe College. Bishop Stephen Andrews, Principal of Wycliffe College, was the presiding bishop on behalf of the Diocese of Algoma.

Sarah serves as Deanery Pastoral Worker for Sudbury-Manitoulin.

Ordination of Sarah Armstrong (front row, third from left) in Founders’ Chapel at Wycliffe College.

A beautiful thing

By Karen Stiller

It is a beautiful thing to have a debate about God and faith, right in the heart of the University of Toronto campus. That’s what happened on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 at Convocation Hall.

THE TOPIC OF THE DEBATE WAS “Is God a figment of our imagination?” and the guests were Dr. Alister McGrath (the renowned Christian and prolific author) and Dr. Michael Shermer (the renowned atheist/ skeptic and very popular author).

Wycliffe College was one of the sponsors of the debate, and I was the moderator, although I prefer the word “host,” and I made sure I used it in the introduction. Words matter, after all.

So, when I use the word “beautiful” here, I don’t mean what was actually said, but the fact that it was said at all. The dialogue was at times challenging, sometimes funny, at other moments frustrating.

The guests were sometimes locked into each other’s points, sharing their insights, a smooth back and forth contrasting of ideas as befits two authors of their stature. At other moments, they talked past each other, which happens.

If you came into the debate a Christian, or even just a theist, I’d guess you left the same. If you entered Convocation Hall or tuned into the livestream as an atheist,

you likely still think that way. Such is the nature of debates.

So, how was it beautiful?

In church—that sacred space, with crying babies and communion, preaching and prayers—faith is nourished and nourishing.

That matters. But in the debate arena, faith is stretched and challenged and survives. Yes, faith is strong enough to be debated. It is intellectual and rigorous. It is not a crutch. It has legs. And our atheist friends want to talk. They have good questions. There are good answers. They make good points and we should be bold enough to YouTube and livestream how we respond to them for all the world to hear.

I applaud Wycliffe College for starting the Religion and Society series. They—together with the event’s other sponsors (both

Christian and non)—are people who aren’t afraid to talk, even with no guarantee as to how it will all turn out. I really like that.

This is what Wycliffe says about the series: “The Religion and Society Series seeks to generate critical conversations on matters of faith, society, and public interest. The purpose of the series is to play a catalytic role in helping shape discourse around topics that deeply matter to individuals and society.”

And that kind of talking really is beautiful.

A version of this article first appeared at http://blog.faithtoday.ca/that-beautiful-debate/. In addition to hosting debates in the Religion and Society series, Karen Stiller serves Wycliffe College on the Board of Trustees. She is a journalist and senior editor at Faith Today magazine. The debate is available for viewing on YouTube. Just search for “Michael Shermer and Alister McGrath.”

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NEW

FA C U LT Y BOOKS Catherine Sider-Hamilton THE DEATH OF JESUS IN MATTHEW Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017 Innocent blood runs through Matthew’s passion narrative from Judas’ confession (“I have sinned in delivering up innocent blood” [27:4]) through the blood money and Field of Blood that follow, to Pilate’s hand-washing (“I am innocent of this man’s blood” [27:24]) and the people’s ominous words: “his blood be upon us and upon our children” (27:25).

In this book, Catherine Sider-Hamilton introduces a new lens through which to view the death of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. Using the concept of “innocent

blood,” she situates the death of Jesus within a paradigm of purity and pollution, one that entailed the sanctity and danger of blood and the defilement of the land.

In elucidating this theme, she focuses on two Jewish traditions of interpretation: one (in Second Temple literature) reflecting on the story of Cain and Abel; the other (chiefly in rabbinic literature) on the blood of Zechariah. For Jesus stands in a tradition—a Jewish tradition of reflection upon Abel’s innocent blood poured out upon the land, and the innocent blood of Zechariah poured out on the temple stones. Abel’s blood serves, like Zechariah’s blood, as a figure, blood and flood pointing forward to exile, and pointing forward for Matthew to Jesus. In the Zechariah and Abel traditions alike, the problem with blood—innocent blood—is that it pollutes.

Jesus sees the armies at the gate: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” he cries, in the wake of Abel’s and Zechariah’s innocent blood, in anticipation of the cross.

“Innocent blood” offers a new approach not only to the meaning of Jesus’ death in Matthew but also to the vexed question of the gospel’s attitude toward contemporary Judaism. Sider-Hamilton proposes a new approach to the problem of anti-Judaism and Israel in the gospel of Matthew, especially with relation to Matthew 27:25, and a new approach therefore to the question of its social location.

Matthew’s gospel is a gospel immersed in the interpretive life of the Jewish people. It is a gospel to which—a Saviour to whom— Israel, its fate and future, is central from beginning to end. In keeping with the innocent blood traditions of early Judaism, Matthew’s gospel sees in cross and resurrection precisely purgation. The last word is heard precisely in the cross and resurrection.

Now it’s her turn to make some special memories here. “I’m enjoying it,” she enthuses when asked her own view of Wycliffe. “I’m grateful to be part of the wider Wycliffe community.”

sure I’m awake and preparing for church,” Sydney smiles, explaining that she is the Children’s Minister at St. Clement’s, Toronto. “He says, ‘This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!’ They’re the first words out of his mouth, and he has said them to me every Sunday for more than a year now!”

Catherine Sider-Hamilton (W ’13) is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Greek at Wycliffe College and Priest-in-charge at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Toronto.

Wycliffe fans If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the photograph at right speaks volumes about love, loyalty, support, and encouragement across generations.

“When I considered studying theology, Wycliffe was really my only choice,” says Sydney Caron, now in the second year of her MDiv. That’s because Sydney’s grandad Arthur Bromley is, she says, “Wycliffe’s number one fan.”

Arthur graduated in 1961, and had a long and fulfilling career as an Anglican priest. His enthusiasm for the College never dimmed, and Sydney grew up hearing her grandfather’s stories about what made Wycliffe special.

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Today, her grandfather’s encouragement has taken on new dimensions. “He calls me every Sunday morning at 6 o’clock to make

DONOR PROFILE

Honouring theological education, done well

By Patricia Paddey

E.W.G. Worrall

Sometimes a passion for a cause is handed down from one generation to the next almost unintentionally. The story of Arthur Worrall, faithful supporter of Wycliffe College, illustrates this truth.

ARTHUR HAS BEEN MAKING AN annual gift to Wycliffe for years. He has no direct connection to the College, and yet he recognizes that it played a significant role in shaping his life. That’s because Wycliffe College deeply formed the life of his father, Ernest William George Worrall, also known as Ernie.

“Dad was born in Ireland, in a suburb of Dublin,” Arthur begins. “He was a Protestant. Church of Ireland, part of the Anglican communion. My dad was apprenticed as a carpenter at the age of 15.”

But by the time Ernie’s apprenticeship was over, he found himself in revolutionary times without a job, and without much hope of finding one. “The economy was shot,” explains Arthur. “Jobs were just not available.

In 1923 Ireland, especially the south was falling apart. It was no place for a young Protestant worker. He was 20, so the option was to travel. He had two sisters in Toronto, so to Toronto he came.”

The young man managed to find work in his field—enough to keep him going for a couple of years. Then came another layoff. Er-

Arthur Worrall nie was “gallivanting, I suppose,” says Arthur, when some caring clergyman intervened.

“He suggested my dad try out for the ministry,” Arthur explains. Ernie had gone beyond an elementary level of education in Ireland, and the unnamed clergyman must have recognized certain pastoral gifts and abilities in him, which he believed could be nurtured and matured.

Ernie had to do some “additional work” in order to qualify for admittance to Wycliffe, but he buckled down, got it done, and entered the Licentiate of Theology program,

graduating with his LTh in 1930. He served as a deacon for a year at St. Paul’s, Runnymede, where he met and married Arthur’s mother.

Soon after, they received the offer of a parish in rural Ontario. Two children followed.

Ernie lived the rest of his life as an Anglican priest. He never retired; he was still working as a parish priest (in the United States, where he’d moved his family when Arthur was 15) when he died in 1973 at the age of 70.

Now 84, Arthur says his own life has been a rich, full one. He holds the title Emeritus Professor of History at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. He has a loving wife, Janet, three children, seven grandchildren, and memories of his father that make him smile. “He was decidedly a Bible man,” Arthur reflects. “Wycliffe meant the world to him. He made lifelong friends there.”

“Theological education, when done well, can mean the world,” he says when asked why he donates to Wycliffe each year in memory of his father. “In recent times, it hasn’t always been done well. But Wycliffe is one that has done it well.”

Roots Remembered His image composes part of the Class of 1952, hanging outside Founders’ Chapel. Earlier this year, at the age of almost 90, John Townsend called Wycliffe to relate that a book had been published in his honour. Bridging between Sister Religions: Studies of Jewish and Christian Scriptures Offered in Honor of Prof. John T. Townsend (edited by Isaac Kalimi, Brill 2016) testifies to Townsend’s prestigious career (including 15 years at Harvard Divinity School). But he has not forgotten his roots.

“I always give to Wycliffe,” he says. “I’ve always appreciated what I received there.” John’s father, William Thomas Townsend, was also a Wycliffe grad, class of 1913!

John Townsend

William Townsend

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Naked Christianity:

500 years after the Reformation

By Ephraim Radner

No one doubts that the Reformation of the sixteenth century profoundly changed Western Christianity. But are we today actually identified by or with the Reformation? The question as to whether anybody today cares about it in a transformative fashion needs to be posed. For, if no one cares, then what shall we do with the many churches and many divided Christians with which the Reformation has left us?

“To be with Christ is to be a Christian; and likewise, to be thus with Christ is to be with other Christians, nakedly, before the world.”

Ephraim Radner

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CONCERN OVER DOCTRINAL DIVISIONS HAS diminished drastically especially over the past half century. For those who come to faith in Christ today, the details of these differences do not seem to be deeply etched. The idea that doctrinal difference deserves to sustain religious distinction has withered.

Doctrine itself may be important, but it is no longer tied to institutional character, tradition, and corporate distinction. We have instead simply grown used to our separations.

What is not being proposed here is that Christians all believe the same things, or that this or that belief is without importance. Today, the Reformation has left us with separated churches, not separated mindsets, that is, with a mindset of separation, and nothing more.

Who is a Christian?

The question today is no longer “What is a Christian?” but “Who is a Christian?” As people have shed their doctrinal clothing, one is left with a naked religious figure, the one we call “Christian.” But what is this naked Christian? In parts of the world, Christians are

being persecuted for their faith regularly.

How, in these areas, do people answer the question “Who is a Christian?” To be singled out in this case as a Christian (not as a Catholic or Protestant) and to die for that for which one has been singled out in just this way is not only to be one, but to be truly so in Christ, that is, brought so close to him as to participate in the same life together.

This shared vocation leads the Christian to a place of clear identity, shorn of all coverings. To be with Christ is to be a Christian; and likewise, to be thus with Christ is to be with other Christians, nakedly, before the world.

Him, because we are in Him. That is the claim of one Baptism and also the claim of Christian identity because it states that in baptism we are with Christ and He with us. If we are in this kind of Christic proximity, is not our proximity to one another as Christians yet more impossibly decoupled?

Baptism The place where we can re-engage Reformation debates ecumenically in this regard is in baptism. For it is here that we confront the question “Who is a Christian?” and as a result, the question of “What is a church?” emerges of its own. To the question “Does a mutually recognized baptism (unlike, say, an agreement on justification) make a difference?”, one’s response is a resounding “yes.” Firstly, baptism becomes a mark of who a Christian is. Secondly, precisely as secularized or anti-Christian societies aim their animosity, or at least rejection, at Christians, the baptism of infants has become more plausible as a sufficient marker. When baptized children in Iraq are beheaded, baptism is itself a symbol of something that goes beyond familial connections, touches something divine, and reveals the true Christian. Finally, mutually recognized baptism, if pressed theologically, bears a good deal of potential fruit in Christian self-awareness, and thus in ecclesial definition.

Catholic documents tell us that baptism “incorporates” someone into Christ; baptism makes us part of the Body of Christ. What is this stunted yet true incorporation into Christ, if indeed it is in fact true at all? For if we are all Christians, members of Christ’s actual Body, whether mature or immature, young or old in our progress in the faith, we are wrapped up in Him. Everywhere we go, everywhere we stand, everywhere we attempt to be faithful, we do so with

Baptism as Christian Identity In our present world this sense of baptism as our Christian identity is now emerging as all that counts. While the Reformation debate understood this in theory, it did not understand it in practice; indeed it had little sense of its meaning at all. The context has now decisively changed and it is the question of Christian identity. It is this question of the naked Christian that is at issue. For when the world asks “Who are you?”, it is asking “Where do you stand?” (on life and death, on sex and children, on war and peace, on economic priorities). The Christian is no longer able to say, “I stand with the TULIPers” or “with the pope” or “with the tongue-speakers” or with whomever, and justifiably think he or she has actually answered the question. For we all stand with Christ, whom we confess as Lord together by the same Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3).

Are we not already, as baptized, so bound to one another that, as in marriage, no man shall put it asunder?

The old energies of the Reformation have dissipated. We now live in fragments of the Church that have taken on their own dynamics, divorced from the deep unities and their demands from the past.

Naked Christianity It is not suggested that, as baptized Christians, we now simply hold hands around the eucharistic table. If the question is “Who is a Christian?”, then we must actually engage the recognition that we are it. We must gaze upon each other’s nakedness as upon “the one whom we have pierced” (Zech. 12:10).

Naked Christianity means being pierced together. The Reformation taught us how to live apart as Christians. Now, amid the hollowed wreckage of our churches, we must learn how to live together as Christians anew. There are hopeful signs—the long-standing witness of Taizé, the Spirit-led ecumenical Catholic communities of Chemin Neuf—and we must follow them and build new paths of common Christian witness. We must learn together what it means now to be baptized together in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the face of the world.

A fuller version of this essay appeared under the title “Reform, Revival, or Renewal: The Reformation After 500 Years” in Reformation Worlds: Antecedents and Legacies in the Anglican Tradition, ed. Sean Otto & Thomas P. Power.

New York: Peter Lang, 2016.

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Is there meaning in life?

JANUARY 26, 2018

7:30–9:30 p.m. Convocation Hall, University of Toronto Moderated by Karen Stiller, senior editor, Faith Today Live-stream this event for free at your church or small group. To purchase tickets or to become a live-stream host, go to: www.wycliffecollege.ca/ religionandsociety

REBECCA GOLDSTEIN

American philospher & novelist

WILLIAM LANE CRAIG

Professor of philosophy & author

JORDAN B. PETERSON

Clinical psychologist & professor of psychology

The Religion and Society Series is brought to you by:

Family Advent Liturgy

Explore the significance of the season with readings and family prayers each week of Advent.

Visit www.wycliffecollege.ca/advent2017 for more details.

Insight EDITORIAL BOARD Connie Chan Rob Henderson

The Wycliffe College Newsletter for Alumni and Friends November 2017, No. 84 ISSN 1192-2761 INSIGHT is published twice yearly by Wycliffe College Communications Connect with us:

DESIGN: wishart.net

Barbara Jenkins Shelley McLagan

Patricia Paddey Thomas Power

Steve Hewko Caris Kim Rachel Lott Joan Morris Patricia Paddey Judy Paulsen

Thomas Power Ephraim Radner Alec Ryrie Karen Stiller Philip Stonhouse

Dhoui Chang

Moussa Faddoul, fotoreflection.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Stephen Andrews Roderick Cohen Jordan Duerrstein Chris Harper Tracy Harper Peter Herriman PHOTOGRAPHY

Tracy Harper

CONTACT Patricia Paddey, ppaddey@wycliffe.utoronto.ca • 416-946-3535 X 3548 • www.wycliffecollege.ca Communications Director, Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 1H7