Greetings!

On July 15, 2015 I took up the position of Director of Pastoral Studies at The Presbyterian College, Montreal. I am also an Affiliate Member in the School of Religious Studies at McGill University. In these roles, among other things, I participate in the formation of ministers who are able to serve faithfully, competently, and imaginatively within congregations or in new church development. I teach in the areas of Systematic Theology, Reconciliation and Forgiveness, Practical Theology, and the Reformed Tradition. A key interest of mine is in the point of intersection between church and culture, an interest that comes to expression in most areas of my teaching and research.

Prior to serving at The Presbyterian College, I was minister of Kensington Presbyterian Church, for seven years, helping to lead the congregation through a significant period of transformation and renewal.

This blog is a place for musings, sermons, and photos of mine. My scholarly interests are, broadly: theology, ethics, mission, culture, gender, and sexuality. My doctoral dissertation explored a theological ethics of sexual difference by way of the writings of Luce Irigaray and Søren Kierkegaard. It was published by Pickwick Publications with the short title Becoming Two in Love.

Also, a copy of my CV is here.

Among my publications is this piece piece in Modern Theology, on wonder between woman and man, and this piece in Esprit Créateur on a theology of hospitality. And this more recent piece on Christ as guest.

The title of this blog, ‘encrusted words’, is taken from a poem by Margaret Avison (entitled ‘Uncircular’ and published in her Concrete and Wild Carrot). The title is a reminder how quickly words (in which a preacher has a significant investment) quickly become encrusted and stale. The poet writes: Among us, Jesus found/encrusted words and structures;/he washed and brushed them clean.  For a helpful look at Avison’s poetry, and its relation to ministry, see an article by my friend Alex, published in the Presbyterian Record.