Dr. Matthew Robert Anderson, PhD

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 Studies
B.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"

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.

2014 article "Following the Saints, Footfall by Footfall" in The Montreal Review.

Academic reviews

2007 - Review of "The Bible after Babel: Historical Criticism in a Postmodern Age," by John Collins. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005. At the request of The Journal of Hebrew Studies, Vol XLVIII: 343-345.

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

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

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

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)