Education
Ph.D. (2016), Religious Studies, University of Waterloo.
Dissertation: Bruxy Cavey and The Meeting House Megachurch: A Dramaturgical Model of Charismatic Leadership Performing ‘Evangelicalism for People Not Into Evangelicalism’
M.Div. (2003), McMaster Divinity School.
M.A. (1995), Sociology, Queen’s University.
Thesis: Spying, Peeping, and Watching Over: The Beguiling Eyes of Video Surveillance.
B.A. (1993), Sociology, Calvin University.
(three years at Redeemer University)
Courses
- World Religions (REL-356)
- Youth Culture and Spiritual Formation (REL-355)
- Leadership, Coaching, and Mentoring in Ministry (REL-352)
- Spiritual Formation for Ministry (REL-255)
- Internship I (REL-380)
- Internship II (REL-381)
- Understanding Our World Through the Social Sciences (SSC-210)
About
Dr. Peter Schuurman has been teaching at Redeemer since 2008. He is the Executive Director of Global Scholars Canada, an organization dedicated to equipping, sending, resourcing and networking Christian scholars for cross-cultural work in public universities worldwide. He is an alumnus of Redeemer University, and has studied at the graduate level in the areas of sociology, media and technology, theology, world religions, and ethnography. His PhD was in a program entitled “Religious Diversity in North America” and his dissertation focused on megachurches, evangelicalism, and charisma as seen in Bruxy Cavey’s leadership at The Meeting House. He is also contributing editor to The Christian Courier, and has written a short journalistic summary of the work of James K. A. Smith. He lives in Guelph with his wife and three children.
Dr. Schuurman’s blog.
Selected Research Publications
Books
The Subversive Evangelical: The Ironic Charisma of an Irreligious Megachurch. (MQUP 2019).
Follow Me: Daily Readings for Disciples (with Peter Slofstra), Faith Alive, 2007.
Journal Articles
“Review of The Millennial Mosaic: How Pluralism and Choice Are Shaping Canadian Youth and the Future of Canada by Reginald Bibby, Joel Thiessen and Monetta Bailey,” 2019. Review of Religious Research 63, (2021), p. 317–319.
“Redeeming a Spoiled Identity: Purge Sunday at the Anabaptist Megachurch,” Liturgy, Vol. 35, Issue 2: Liturgy and Identity, April 10, 2020, p. 3-10.
“Megachurches in Canada: Evangelical Outposts in a Secular Society,” (with Michael Wilkinson). Handbook on Megachurches. Ed: Stephen Hunt. Brill: Leiden, The Netherlands, 2020, p. 269-283.
“Megachurches,” in Brill’s Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism Online, Ed: Michael Wilkinson, Conny Au, Jörg Haustein, Todd M. Johnson. 2019.
“Large Canadian Churches Draw an Estimated 300,000 Worshippers Each Week: Findings from a National Study” (Lead author, Warren Bird). Leadnet.org, March, 2015.
“Review: Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism (NYU Press, 2012) by Justin Wilford in The Sociology of Religion, Winter 2013 Vol. 74:4, p. 544.
Popular Publications
“Finding the Good Story: Redemptive Journalism and Global Pandemics,” Resound, Sept. 17, 2020.
“Dying to the Genius of Youth: Rising to Ministry in Christ,” Christian Courier, August 26, 2019.
“Hope in God Ahead,” Christian Courier, Nov. 7, 2019.
“Everyday Jesus Spirituality: Customized Spiritual Disciplines,” Reformed Worship, Is. 130, October 2018.
“The Hillsong Worship Industry: Is Hillsong’s Worship Music About Performance Or Praise?” Christian Courier, April 23, 2018.
“When Upside-Down is Right-Side Up: A Five-Week Series on Paradoxy” Reformed Worship, Is. 127, March 2018.
“The Corpus of James K. A. Smith: Worldview Made Flesh” Christian Courier, Feb. 12, 2018.
“What Evangelicals and Mainline Christians can Learn from the Theology Matters Study,” Faith Today, Jan/Feb 2017.
“Conservative ‘Theology Matters’: Compelling Conviction Draws Membership,” Christian Courier, Jan. 2017.
“Advent Then and Now: Who, When, How, Where, and Why,” Reformed Worship, September 2016.
“Your Church Needs More Charisma… And Maybe Less,” Flourishing Congregations (blog), August 10, 2016.
“Metamorphosis: Becoming A Christian Character: A Lenten Series,” Reformed Worship, December 2014.
