Canadian Evangelicalism in the Twentieth Century

Canadians usually associate evangelical Protestantism with television evangelists and the new religious right in American politics. In this first portrait of Canadian evangelicalism in the twentieth century, John Stackhouse argues that Canadian is far from being either an echo of an American phenomenon or a residue of the British heritage, but instead is distinctly Canadian. He also points out the Canadian evangelicalism has been become a powerful force in contemporary Canadian religion.

Stackhouse disputes the church-sect typology of previous studies and also challenges the accepted wisdom that flamboyant preachers like the fundamentalist T.T. Shields and preacher-turned-politician William Aberhart represent evangelicalism in Canada. On the contrary, he says, the true character of the tradition is more accurately found in Bible schools like the internationally  known Prairie Bible Institute and the Ontario Bible College, seminaries such as Regent College and Ontario Theological Seminary, liberal arts institutions like Trinity Western University, student ministries such as the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, and cooperative organizations typified by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

This book complements current studies of Canadian evangelicalism in earlier periods and is informed by recent scholarship in Canadian, American, and British religion. It brings fresh insights to a field that is drawing increasing interest.

JOHN G. STACKHOUSE, JR. is an associate professor in the Department of Religion, University of Manitoba.