My name is Matthew Anderson. I’m a writer of fiction and non-fiction and a scholar who researches, teaches, and gives talks. At present I am a Father Edo Gatto Chair of Christian Studies at Saint Francis Xavier University, Antigonish Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as an affiliate assistant professor at Concordia University, Montreal, where I lived for many years before moving to Nova Scotia. I’m also a pilgrim, a scholar of pilgrimage, and a mostly-retired Lutheran cleric (the old and – I think – still quite lovely term for a minister). Oh yes, and a podcaster, documentary film-maker, and sometimes poet. I live with my wife Dr Sara Parks, a scholar of New Testament and early Judaism and Christianity, and also an author and speaker. I have three grown children.
My books include The Good Walk (University of Regina Press, 2024), Prophets of Love: The Unlikely Kinship of Leonard Cohen and the Apostle Paul (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2023), Our Home and Treaty Land (Friesen Publishing, 2024), co-written with Dr Raymond Aldred of the Vancouver School of Theology, Pairings: The Bible and Booze (Novalis Press, 2021), and Apocalypse et gin tonic (editions Novalis, 2022). If you sense a theme about walking and pilgrimage, you’re right! My podcasts include “Pilgrimage Stories from Up and Down the Staircase” (available wherever you get your podcasts). I have two short documentaries on this site on the theme of pilgrimage, and many, many articles online, in magazines and newspapers, and in academic journals and books. But most of all, I love to get out for a good walk.
Welcome!
(I have another blog at Unsettled Words, in case you’d like to visit there as well)
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9 replies on “About”
Hi Matthew, so interesting to read about your experience in Norway, sounds like you’re a bit of a pioneer! Is this serendipity? You’re from Montreal and walking a pilgrimage in Norway.. I’m from Montreal (Conc/McG grad, but now living in Asia) and about to embark on the Camino; will first visit family & friends in Montreal as of next week. Small world.. happy peramubulating 😉
Hi healing pilgrim – buen Camino! you’ll have to let me know how it goes….I hope it’s not too hot. Even the St Cuthbert’s Way, in Scotland and Northern England, is very hot right now. Will follow your blog to see how it goes….. have fun!
Muchas gracias!
Professor Anderson,
I would love to say thank you for being such an inspirational teacher. I was in your Theology 238 Class in Fall 2013, and loved every bit of it. It was more then a movie class as it allowed me to appreciate my questions and about the road of life. Thank you for being such an inspiration!
That is a very kind comment, Robert, and (from this teacher at least) much appreciated. Thanks!
Hello Dr. Anderson.. I have just read an article in the “Prairie Post” re you treck this summer. It sounds so wonderful, How can I get your complete doucumentry on this trip? Thank you
Hi Evelyn, I’m working on the doc now, so it won’t actually be done until sometime later this fall. I hope to come back to south-west SK to show it in Swift Current and along the trail! Thanks for your interest!
Hi Dr. Anderson/ Thanks for your reply. I live about 2.5 hrs. drive from Swift Current. so if the weather is good i will get there. I trust it will be well advertised . Looking forward to this Evelyn Schuler
Thanks Evelyn….I will try to remember to let you know when I finally get there with a completed documentary!