Dr. Matthew Robert Anderson, PhD
- Affiliate Professor, Theological Studies
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Biography
Research interests
Pilgrimage, Mobility, New Testament: the Pauline letters, History of Christianity, the Bible and Western Culture, Theology and Film, Decolonizing Settler Biblical Studies and Theology, Indigenous studies (from a settler perspective), Cultural Studies, Masculinity StudiesB.A. (University of Saskatchewan; Political Science, with Distinction), Master of Divinity (Lutheran Theological Seminary), Ph.D. (McGill, Faculty of Religious Studies, thesis topic: 'Before the Fact: How Paul's Rhetoric Made History')
Other interests
History, non-fiction writing about pilgrimage, biblical studies and pop culture (4 books and another in press), writing fiction (I'm a two-time Canada Council for the Arts major grant recipient for fiction), short fiction writer, member of the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, documentary film-making (2012 Something Grand; 2014 Under the North Star, trailers at www.somethinggrand.ca), and podcasting: series "Pilgrimage Stories from Up and Down the Staircase"
Publications
Books
2024 The Good Walk: Creating New Paths on Traditional Prairie Trails (Regina: University of Regina Press, in press)
2023 Prophets of Love: The Unlikely Kinship of Leonard Cohen and the Apostle Paul (Kingston and Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press).
2022 Our Home and Treaty Land (Kelowna BC: Wood Lake Books).
2022 Apocalypse et gin-tonic (Montreal: Novalis Press)
2021 Pairings: The Bible and Booze (Toronto: Novalis Press).
Articles in refereed journals
2022 “’One of the Boys’: Jerome’s Fabulous Frontier Masculinity,” The Bible & Critical Theory 18, 1(2022)
2022 “Ecumenism and the ‘BalloonTheory’ of Christendom,” One in Christ 55, 2 (2022): 177-180.
2022 “Le pèlerinage comme expériencede repentir à travers l’apprentissage corporel,” Échanges 6, 6 (novembre2022): 14-19.
2021 “The Promise and Peril of Walking Indigenous Territorial Recognitions carried out by Settlers,” International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage. 9, 2 (2021): Article 7. Co-authored: Ken Wilson.
2019 “‘Aware-Settler’ Biblical Studies: Breaking Claims of Textual Ownership,” 42-68 in Journal for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies 1,1 (2019): 42-68.
2019 “Strangers on the Land: What “Settler-Aware” Biblical Studies Learns from Indigenous Methodologies,” in Critical Theology 1:2 (Winter 2019): 10-14.
2019 “Walking to be Some Body: desire and diaspora on the St-Olaf Way,” in International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage 7:1. 63-76.
2019 “Luther’s Failed Pilgrimage and the Body of Christendom,” in International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage 7:1. 53-62.
2018 “Post-Reformation Christian Pilgrimage and the Globalization of Sentiment,” in Theoforum 48/1, 2018
2017 “The Tough Wedge: Reformation Now and Onward,” in Consensus 38:2, 5
2015 “The Curious Voyage of Christ: katábasis, anábasis, and the New Testament,” in Les Études Classiques. 83:1
2014 "De Vieux-Montréal à Kahnawa:ké : the story of an urban pilgrimage between settler and aboriginal cultures," in Urban Pilgrimage, Room One Thousand, University of California (Berkeley). Co-authored: S. Terreault
2006 “Adaptation:The Self-Proclaiming Rhetoric of Charlie Kaufman and of Paul” in Journal of Religion and Popular Culture. Vol XIII.
2004 “In a Mirror Very Darkly: Pauline Argument and the Problem of History,” in the Lexington Theological Quarterly. VolXXXIX, No.4: 225-242
Chapters in books
2023 “Judeophobia and Pauline Scholarship,” in Judeophobia and the New Testament. Edited by Sarah Rollens, Meredith Warren, and Eric Vanden Eykel. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans (forthcoming)
2023 “Paul’s collection and his final pilgrimage to Jerusalem” in Comparativism and Ancient Mediterranean Pilgrimage, Århus: Århus University Press, 2023 (in press).
2022 “’One of the Boys’: Jerome’s Fabulous Frontier Masculinity,” in Constructions of Gender in Late Antiquity, eds. Kathy Ehrensperger and Juni Hoppe, Lanham: Lexington Fortress, 2022
2022 “The Promise and Peril of Walking Indigenous Territorial Recognitions carried out by Settlers,” in Sacred Journeys: Global Direction in Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, eds. Ian S. McIntosh, Daniel Olson and Dane Munro, 98-120. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2022
2021 « De Concordia à Kahnawà:ke en passant par l’Europe et la Saskatchewan. »141-163, Éric Laliberté and Michel O’Neill, eds. Pèlerinage, marche pèlerine et marche de longue durée au Québec. Laval : Les Presses de l’Université Laval, 2021.
2020 “Settler-Aware” Pilgrimage and Reconciliation: The Treaty Four Canadian Context,” in Peace Journeys: A New Direction in Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Research, eds. Ian S. McIntosh, Nour Farra Haddad and Dane Munro, 98-120. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2020.
2018 “Pilgrimage and the Challenging of a Canadian Foundational Myth,” in Pilgrimage in Practice: Narration, Reclamation and Healing, eds. Ian S. McIntosh, E.Moore Quinn and Vivienne Keely. CABI Publishing, 2018.
2014 “The First Cut is the Deepest: Masculinity and Circumcision in the First Century,” in Biblical Masculinities Foregrounded, eds. Peter-Ben Smit and Oviudu Creanga. Sheffield-Phoenix Press, co-authored: K.B. Neutel, 2014
Articles in media or non-refereed journals
2021 Winnipeg Free Press“Drinking in Scripture” (feature religion article)
2021 Article "Apocalypse, Booze, and Christmas: An Ancient ABC," in The Tyee: https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2021/12/22/Apocalypse-Booze-Christmas-Ancient-ABC/
2020 Article “’Life of Brian’: Terry Jones’s Legacy of a Surprisingly Historical Jesus,” in The Conversation: Canada http://theconversation.com/life-of-brian-terry-joness-legacy-of-a-surprisingly-historical-jesus-130582
2020 Article “The Good Place: Ethics Comedy Asks if There’s a Second Chance at Life,” in Salon https://www.salon.com/2019/11/30/the-good-place-ethics-comedy-asks-if-theres-a-second-chance-at-life_partner/
2019 Article “Learning the Land: Walking the Talk of Indigenous Land Acknowledgements,” in The Conversation: Canada: https://theconversation.com/learning-the-land-walking-the-talk-of-indigenous-land-acknowledgements-125369
2019 Article “A Blanket Argument for Empathy” for Friends of Canadian Broadcasting: https://friends.ca/explore/article/a-blanket-argument-for-empathy/#site-pages
2019 Article: “The Man Who Painted Jesus” in ArtCritique: https://www.art-critique.com/en/2019/07/the-man-who-painted-jesus/
2019 Article “Why Canadians Need the Right to Roam” in Narwhal: https://thenarwhal.ca/right-to-roam-canada/
Article about the movie “Paul, Apostle of Christ” in The National Post online: http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/paul-apostle-of-christ-owes-more-to-coca-cola-than-to-the-bible
Article about Charles Dickens and the Gospels in The Toronto Star online: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2017/12/12/charles-dickens-the-man-who-invented-christmas-plagiarized-jesus.html
HeritageSaskatchewan video for Canada 150: https://somethinggrand.ca/2017/10/19/walking-the-land-a-canada-150-post/
http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/831195203503
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/pour_faire_un_monde/2014-2015/chronique.asp?idChronique=380260
http://www.lehtiluukku.fi/lue/lappilainen-25.02.2015/70979.html
http://www.rovaniemenseurakunta.fi/viestinta/seurakuntaradio_rovadei/kuuntele_haastatteluita/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUdJZC72GU&feature=youtu.be&t=2m45s
https://somethinggrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/prairie-post-aug-28-2015.pdf
2014 article "From Old Montreal to Kahnawake: A Pilgrimage to End Ignorance," in Concordia Now.
Academic reviews
2022 Indigenous and Christian Perspectives in Dialogue: Kairotic Place and Borders (Allen G. Jorgenson) for Critical Theology 4,2(Fall 2022): TBA. Christine Jamieson, ed. (upcoming)
2022 The Everlasting People: G.K.Chesterton and the First Nations (Matthew J. Milliner) for Literature and Theology Alanna Vincent, reviews ed. (upcoming)
2022 Can We Trust the Bible on the Historical Jesus? (Ehrman, Evans, and R. Stewart) for Modern Believing: The Journal of Theological Liberalism
2020 Unsettling Spirit: A Journey into Decolonization (Denise M. Nadeau) for Studies in Religion /Sciences Religieuses. Sarah Rollens, ed. (upcoming)
2020 Cast Out of the Covenant (Adele Reinhartz) for Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses. Sarah Rollens, ed. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008429820911618
2020 Cast Out of the Covenant (Adele Reinhartz) for Critical Theology 2,2 (Winter 2020): 18-20.Christine Jamieson, ed.
Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
2020 “Paul and Pauline Letters,”(solicited article) for the Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Wiley-Blackwell.
2012 “Thorn in the Flesh,” (solicited article) for Dictionary of the Bible and Western Culture. Eds. Michael Gilmour and Mary Ann Beavis. Sheffield-Phoenix Press
2012 “The Garden of Eden,” (solicited article; also used as template for call for submissions) for Dictionary of the Bible and Western Culture. Eds. Michael Gilmour and Mary Ann Beavis. Sheffield-Phoenix Press
Recent Academic Papers
Keynote and Invited Presentations
2023 Keynote, “2e colloque du Réseauquébécois pour les études pèlerines” (Second annual meeting of the Quebecnetwork for pilgrimage studies) Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM),Montreal.
2021 Hypermasculine in the Presence of Women: Jerome and Late-Antique Christian Masculinity, Nangaroni meeting, Enoch Seminar, July 2021.
2020 Strangers on the Textual Land: Aware-Settler Biblical Studies, University of Nottingham Theology and Religious Studies Research Seminar Series, Nottingham, UK. March 13, 2020
2019 The Pauline Collection in Light of Shavu’ot in Second Temple Judaism, The Biblical Seminar, March 29, 2019. University of Nottingham
2019 Unsettled Pilgrimages: Settlers Walking toward Reconciliation on the Canadian Prairies, University of Nottingham Research Seminar Series, February 23, 2019.
2019 Strangers on the Land: What Biblical Studies in the Canadian Settler Context Can Learn from Indigenous Methodologies, Research Seminar for the Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, February 18, Sheffield University, UK.
2018 Response to Sheinfeld, Gender and Second Temple Judaism: Challenges & Possibilities, 10th Nangeroni Meeting of the Enoch Seminar, June 2018, Rome.
2017 Our Work, Our Walk. Invited keynote at the “Sustainability Across Disciplines Conference,” Concordia University, John Molson School of Business. March 17, 2017.
2017 Mapping with our Feet: Pilgrimage and Pedagogy in Montreal and Mohawk Spaces. Invited presentation at Concordia University Dept. of Applied Human Sciences, to faculty and grad students. Jan 12, 2017.
2016 Land and Meaning-Making: the Environmental Seminar Series. Presenting with Orenda Boucher-Curotte, Coordinator of First Peoples’ Studies, Dawson College, Montreal. Invited speaker.
2016 Pilgrimage, A Retreat of our Own, Canmore Alberta Canada, September. Keynote speaker.
2015 Sola Scriptura, Presbyterian College of Montreal, in association with McGill University, Montreal (invited panel)
2013 The Heroic Journey, 2013 Symposium on Pilgrimage Studies. College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA, USA (keynote address)
Presentations
2023 “What Is Pilgrimage Good For?“Unhomeness” & Settler-Colonialism,” presentation at Sacred Journeys 10,Pilgrimage Conference, Malta July 4-7, 2023.
2017 Masculinity in the New Testament: a changing ideal. At University of Nottingham, UK, Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies.
2017 Imagining Iceland: Pilgrimage. Invited panelist at the “ImaginingIceland: From Concordia to the North,” Concordia University, Visual ArtsBuilding. Sept 20, 2017.
2017 Our Work, Our Walk. Invited keynote at the “Sustainability AcrossDisciplines Conference,” Concordia University, John Molson School of Business.March 17, 2017.
2017 Mapping with our Feet: Pilgrimage and Pedagogy in Montreal and MohawkSpaces. Invited presentation at Concordia University Dept. of Applied HumanSciences, to faculty and grad students. Jan 12, 2017.
2016 Land and Meaning-Making: the Environmental Seminar Series. Presentingwith Orenda Boucher-Curotte, Coordinator of First Peoples’ Studies, DawsonCollege, Montreal. Invited speaker.
2016 Indigeneity, Journey, and Historical Recollection on the Northern Great Plains, American Academy of Religion,Annual Meeting, San Antonio TX
2016 Mapping with our Feet: Pilgrimage as Pedagogy in Mohawk and Montreal Spaces, American Academy of Religion, Annual Meeting, San Antonio TX
2016 Horror and the Hidden: Luther, Paul, and Tracy on the hiddenness of God, paper at the Hiddenness of God conference, King’s College, Western University, London ON
2014 The Pilgrimage that Ended Pilgrimages, Reformation effects on European pilgrimage, at 2014 Symposium, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA
2014 The Curious Journey of Christ: Katabasis in 1 Peter, at the interuniversity Katabasis colloquium, Concordia
Media Appearances
media appearances
2016 Interview on CBC Radio One, with playlist of music, about pilgrimage, Indigenous rights, and my research and work. Host Nantali Ndongo.
http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/831195203503
2015 (July/Aug) Interview (in French) and an accompanying web essay, with Radio-Canada, about my pilgrimage on the North West Mounted Police Trail, inSK, July and August 2015 http://ici.radio-canada.ca/emissions/pour_faire_un_monde/2014-2015/chronique.asp?idChronique=380260
South-West TV news did a short mini-documentary onme and on the walk. It can be found here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUdJZC72GU&feature=youtu.be&t=2m45s
July 20, 2015, radio interview with CKOM Saskatoon’s John Gormley about my pilgrimage along the 310 km North West Mounted Police Patrol Trail. Live on the phone from our abandoned farm house where we were eating lunch and taking refuge from the heat and the sun:http://ckom.com/audio/dr-matthew-andersond-21-day-310-km-trek-across-southwest-saskatchewan-and-join-show/569417
July 20, 2015 Article in the Gull Lake Advance: https://somethinggrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/gull-lake-advance-july-20-2015.pdf
July 10 and Aug 28, 2015. Articles inthe Prairie Post: https://somethinggrand.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/prairie-post-aug-28-2015.pdf
2014 (Sept) "Journeys of Faith". An interview with the Catholic Times
2014 (June 18) "From Old Montreal to Kahnawake: A Pilgrimage to End Ignorance," in Concordia Now http://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/stories/2014/06/18/from-old-montrealtokahnawakea34kmpilgrimagetocombatignorance.html
2014 (June 15) CBC Radio One (Quebec) interview on "All in a Weekend" about Concordia student pilgrimage to Kahnawake Mohawk Territory.
2014 (June) The Eastern Door (Kahnawake Mohawk newspaper): "Montreal to Kahnawake Pilgrimage" by Cecilia Macarthur
2014 (June) "Walking Towards the Light", excerpt from my The Montreal Review article, featured on "The Dish" blog, with over 110,000 followers http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/06/15/walking-towards-the-light/
April 20,2014 CBC Radio One (national) radio interview on pilgrimage and the new spirituality
Jan 25, 2014 CBC Radio One (Quebec) interview on "All in a Weekend" about Conference on Aboriginal Spirituality
April 2014 Montreal Gazette and cross-Canada Postmedia chain newspapers (ie Victoria BC, Saskatoon, Ottawa etc) interview in feature piece about pilgrimage and spiritual transformation
Public Talks
Recent Public Talks
2016 Indigeneity,Journey, and Historical Recollection on the Northern Great Plains, AmericanAcademy of Religion, Annual Meeting, San Antonio TX
2016 Mappingwith our Feet: Pilgrimage as Pedagogy in Mohawk and Montreal Spaces, AmericanAcademy of Religion, Annual Meeting, San Antonio TX
2016 Horrorand the Hidden: Luther, Paul, and Tracy on the hiddenness of God, paper at theHiddenness of God conference, King’s College, Western University, London ON
Oct, 2014 He's Our Man: Why Leonard Cohen is Secretly Saint Paul, at St. Veronica's Parish, Dorval, QC
Oct, 2014 Luther and his Cities - a look at the Reformation. St-Lambert QC
2008-2014 Vancouver, Toronto, Kitchener, Montreal: The Gospels and the Beatles. An exploration of the "Fab Four" in music, culture and critical theory
Keynote and Invited Talks
2017 OurWork, Our Walk. Invited keynote at the “Sustainability Across DisciplinesConference,” Concordia University, John Molson School of Business. March 17,2017.
2017 Mappingwith our Feet: Pilgrimage and Pedagogy in Montreal and Mohawk Spaces. Invitedpresentation at Concordia University Dept. of Applied Human Sciences, tofaculty and grad students. Jan 12, 2017.
2016 Landand Meaning-Making: the Environmental Seminar Series. Presenting with OrendaBoucher-Curotte, Coordinator of First Peoples’ Studies, Dawson College,Montreal. Invited speaker.
2016 Pilgrimage,A Retreat of our Own, Canmore Alberta Canada, September. Keynote speaker.
2015 SolaScriptura, Presbyterian College of Montreal, in association with McGillUniversity, Montreal (invited panel)
2013 TheHeroic Journey, 2013 Symposium on Pilgrimage Studies. College of William andMary, Williamsburg VA, USA (keynote address)