Education
PhD (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.
MA (1995), Sociology, Queen’s University.
Thesis: Spying, Peeping, and Watching Over: The Beguiling Eyes of Video Surveillance.
BA (1993), Sociology, Calvin University.
(three years at Redeemer University)
Courses
- World Religions (REL-356)
About
Dr. Schuurman has been teaching at Redeemer since 2008. He is the Executive Director of Global Scholars Canada, an organization dedicated to equipping Christian scholars for connections in global higher education. 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 Waterloo U program entitled “Religious Diversity in North America” and his dissertation on Bruxy Cavey and The Meeting House was published two years before the church was scandalized and then shut down. He has written dozens of articles for Christian Courier, maintains a blog called Sensus Divinitatis, and works part-time mentoring graduate students. He lives in Guelph with his wife and three children.
Research Interests
- World religions
- Sociology of religion
- Ethnography
- Practical theology
- Reformed public theology
- Global evangelicalism
- Charisma
- Humour
- University culture
- Campus ministry
- Spiritual formation
Selected Research Publications
Books
Schuurman, Peter and Angela Bick. Blessed are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada. New Leaf Press, 2024.
Schuurman, Peter. The Subversive Evangelical: The Ironic Charisma of an Irreligious Megachurch. MQUP, 2019.
Schuurman, Peter and Peter Slofstra. Follow Me: Daily Readings for Disciples. Faith Alive, 2007.
Journal Articles
Schuurman, Peter. “Deconstructing Church and Reconstructing Creation: Canadian Missiology as ‘Righting the Canoe.’” in Narry Santos, ed. Church and Mission, McMaster Divinity Press, 2026.
Schuurman, Peter. “Cracks in the Secular University Establishment: Growing Post-Secular Options in Canadian Higher Education.” Christian Higher Education 25, no. 1-2 (April 2026): 152-172.
Schuurman, Peter. Review of The Not So Outrageous Idea of a Christian Sociology by Joseph Scimecca (Routledge, 2023). Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 77, no. 4 (December 2025): 293-295.
Schuurman, Peter. Review of Professing Christ: Christian Tradition and Faith-Learning Integration in Public Universities, edited by Jonathan Pettigrew and Robert H. Woods, Jr. (Pasco: Integratio Press, 2023). Society of Christian Scholars Book Review May 2024.
Schuurman, Peter. “The Meeting House, Ontario, Canada,” World Religions and Spirituality Project (online encyclopedia), with David Bromley, editor, Oct. 2022.
Schuurman, Peter. 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.
Schuurman, Peter. “Redeeming a Spoiled Identity: Purge Sunday at the Anabaptist Megachurch.” Liturgy 35, no. 2: Liturgy and Identity (April 10, 2020): 3-10.
Schuurman, Peter and Michael Wilkinson. “Megachurches in Canada: Evangelical Outposts in a Secular Society.” In Handbook on Megachurches. Ed: Stephen Hunt, 269-283. Brill: Leiden, the Netherlands, 2020.
Schuurman, Peter. “Megachurches,” in Brill’s Encyclopedia of Global Pentecostalism Online, Ed: Michael Wilkinson, Conny Au, Jörg Haustein, Todd M. Johnson, 2019.
Bird, Warren and Peter Schuurman. “Large Canadian Churches Draw an Estimated 300,000 Worshippers Each Week: Findings from a National Study.” Leadnet.org, March, 2015.
Schuurman, Peter. Review of Sacred Subdivisions: The Postsuburban Transformation of American Evangelicalism (NYU Press, 2012) by Justin Wilford. The Sociology of Religion Winter 74, no. 4 (2013):544.
Popular Publications
Schuurman, Peter. “The Best Job in Churchland.” Christian Courier, May 2026.
Schuurman, Peter. “Finding the Good Story: Redemptive Journalism and Global Pandemics.” Resound, Sept. 17, 2020.
Schuurman, Peter. “Dying to the Genius of Youth: Rising to Ministry in Christ.” Christian Courier, August 26, 2019.
Schuurman, Peter. “Hope in God Ahead.” Christian Courier, Nov. 7, 2019.
Schuurman, Peter. “Everyday Jesus Spirituality: Customized Spiritual Disciplines.” Reformed Worship, Is. 130, October 2018.
Schuurman, Peter. “The Hillsong Worship Industry: Is Hillsong’s Worship Music About Performance Or Praise?” Christian Courier, April 23, 2018.
Schuurman, Peter. “When Upside-Down is Right-Side Up: A Five-Week Series on Paradoxy.” Reformed Worship, Is. 127, March 2018.
Schuurman, Peter. “The Corpus of James K. A. Smith: Worldview Made Flesh.” Christian Courier, Feb. 12, 2018.
Schuurman, Peter. “What Evangelicals and Mainline Christians can Learn from the Theology Matters Study.” Faith Today, Jan/Feb 2017.
Schuurman, Peter. “Conservative ‘Theology Matters’: Compelling Conviction Draws Membership.” Christian Courier, Jan. 2017.
Schuurman, Peter. “Advent Then and Now: Who, When, How, Where, and Why.” Reformed Worship, September 2016.
Schuurman, Peter. “Your Church Needs More Charisma… And Maybe Less.” Flourishing Congregations (blog), August 10, 2016.
Schuurman, Peter. “Metamorphosis: Becoming A Christian Character: A Lenten Series.” Reformed Worship, December 2014.
Research Funding
Dr. Schuurman has received funding in the past from the Stanford Reid Trust.