Tom Harpur

Thomas "Tom" Harpur (born 1929) is a Canadian author, broadcaster, journalist and theologian.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Harpur was educated at the University of Toronto, where he won the Jarvis Scholarship in Greek and Latin, the Maurice Hutton Scholarship in Classics, the Sir William Mulock Scholarship in Classics, and the Gold Medal in Classics, as well as full colours for Rugby union. He studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar from 1951 to 1954, gaining a Full Blue for ice hockey.

Between 1954 and 1956 he studied theology at the Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, where he was a tutor in Greek, winning the prizes in homiletics and Greek. Harpur was ordained an Anglican priest. From 1957 until 1964 he served the of St.-Margaret's-in-the-Pines in the Toronto, Ontario community of West Hill. From 1964 to 1971, Harpur was Professor of New Testament at the University of Toronto's Toronto School of Theology. He is a Christian universalist, believing that all peoples will eventually be saved. [http://near-death.com/experiences/origen021.html] [http://www.universalist-herald.net/Theology.html]

Harpur is best known for his work with the "Toronto Star" where he worked as a journalist for thirty years, twelve of which were as the newspaper's religion editor. Since leaving that position in 1984 he has continued to contribute a regular column on religious and ethical issues. Harpur has also written a number of books on religion and theology and has hosted radio and television programs on the topic, particularly on Vision TV.

Harpur is a Fellow of the American Religious Public Relations Council, and in 1976 won the State of Israel Silver Medal for Outstanding Journalism (1976). His biography is included in the American "Who's Who in Religion", "Canadian Who's Who", and "Men of Achievement".

Bibliography

* "For Christ’s Sake" (Oxford, 1986) ISBN 0-19-540533-1
* "Harpur’s Heaven and Hell" (Oxford, 1983) ISBN 0-7710-3941-7
* "Prayer Journal" (Northstone)
* "Prayer - The Hidden Fire" (Northstone)
* "Would You Believe" (McClelland and Stewart) (U.S. title: "The Thinking Person’s Guide to God", Prima, 1996)
* "Harpur vs. Hancock" (Lancelot)
* "The Divine Lover" (Lancelot)
* "The God Question" (Lancelot)
* "The Uncommon Touch" (McClelland and Stewart)
* "God Help Us" (McClelland and Stewart)
* "Life After Death" (McClelland and Stewart)
* "Communicating the Good News Today" (Lancelot)
* "Always on Sunday" (Oxford)
* "Finding the Still Point - A Spiritual Response to Stress" (Northstone, 2002)
* "The Spirituality of Wine" (Northstone)
* "The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light" (Thomas Allen, 2004) ISBN 0-88762-145-7
* "Living Waters" (Thomas Allen, 2006) ISBN 0-88762-225-9
* "Water Into Wine: An Empowering Vision of the Gospels" (Thomas Allen, 2007) ISBN 0-88762-277-1

Children's books

* "The Terrible Finn MacCoul" (Oxford)
* "The Mouse that Couldn't Squeak" (Oxford)

External links

* [http://www.tomharpur.com/ Tom Harpur] official website
* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MKY/is_12_28/ai_n6102291 Tom Harpur's false choices] review of "Pagan Christ" from the "Catholic New Times".
* [http://www.grebel.uwaterloo.ca/tmtc/newsletters/2004oct.pdf Is There Anything New in Christianity?] a critical response to Tom Harpur by A. James Reimer.
* [http://www.wycliffecollege.ca/documents/Insight%20-%20June%2005.pdf "Reading "The Pagan Christ" in Tom Harpur's Old Office"] - review by Terry Donaldson.
* [http://hnn.us/articles/6641.html The Leading Religion Writer in Canada ... Does He Know What He's Talking About?] a critical response by W. Ward Gasque.
* [http://www.mcmaster.ca/mjtm/pdfs/MJTM%206.7%20Heath%20on%20Harpur.pdf Neither Scholarly nor a Solution] a response to Tom Harpur's "The Pagan Christ" by Gordon L. Heath.
* [http://www.astraeamagazine.com/template1_frm.php?id=1 Tom Harpur Interview on "The Pagan Christ"]