Dr. Stuart Macdonald about his new book, Tradition and Tension
Historian and retired Knox College professor Dr. Stuart Macdonald joins John Borthwick to discuss his book Tradition and Tension: The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 1945–1985. Together they trace the growth, change, and eventual decline of the church through a period of enormous cultural transformation. Dr. Macdonald challenges the myth that this decline is simply cyclical, arguing instead that it reflects a shift unlike anything in history—one that calls for imagination, honesty, and faithfulness beyond institutional survival. The conversation touches on theology, women’s ordination, doctrine, and what it means to live as Christians outside of Christendom.
Dr. James Robertson and his book Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity
Dr. James Tyler Robertson joins John Borthwick to explore the overlooked origins of Canadian Christianity. Drawing on his book Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity, Robertson uncovers surprising parallels between the 19th-century church and today’s realities—declining attendance, social change, and cultural anxiety. The two discuss how immigration, economics, and everyday faith—not programs or evangelism—shaped past church growth, and what that means for ministry now. Along the way, they touch on heresy trials, Pierre Berton, Gen X nostalgia, and the enduring question of how the church can serve rather than survive. It’s history told with humour, depth, and a distinctly Canadian sensibility.