Issues, ethics, memory
By Dennis Gruending You cannot be a person of faith without being political, says Paul Dewar, the New Democratic Party MP for Ottawa Centre. Dewar spoke to the Faith and Public Life class at the Ottawa Lay School of Theology on February 9th. “Faith and politics are congruent and we have no option but to... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending The exercise of citizenship as ministry is rooted in the Biblical calling to do justice, says Kathy Vandergrift, an Ottawa-based Christian activist who has worked both within government and outside of it on behalf of religiously based and non-governmental organizations. She and William Janzen, long time director of the Mennonite Central Committee... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending The class in Faith and Public Life that I am leading this winter for the Ottawa Lay School of Theology met for its third session on January 26. I provided a quick survey on the political impact that faith and organized religion have had on Canadian society. I offered three brief points... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending  Peter Harder was at the centre of government decision-making in Canada for more than 30 years prior to leaving the civil service in March 2007 to become the senior policy advisor in an Ottawa-based law firm. He served as a deputy minister in various government departments and worked for five prime ministers.... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending I have been curious about where Barack Obama will find the antecedents and inspiration for his inaugural speech on January 20. American writer Kathleen Hall Jamieson is an expert on rhetoric, particularly that of presidents. Jamieson says that while modern speeches may contain some new content, they always draw upon a stock of... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending I mentioned in my last posting to Pulpit and Politics that I am leading an evening class this winter for the Ottawa Lay School of Theology. It’s called Faith and Public Life: Making the Connection. We met for our first class on Monday January 12 and it was perhaps not surprising, given... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending I’ll be leading an evening class for the Ottawa Lay School of Theology between January 12 and March 16 and I am inviting you to participate – either in person or from a distance. The course is called Faith and Public Life: Making the Connection, and we will examine how individuals and... Continue Reading →
 By Dennis Gruending Pulpit and Politics has won the 2008 Canadian Blog Award in the category of best Religious-Philosophy blog. Winners were decided on the basis of votes they received from readers, so thanks to those of you who voted. The Religious-Philosophy category was one of several in which awards were made. Others included Best... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending I have been posting to my Pulpit and Politics blog for just over a year now, 31 stories in all about the intersection between faith and public life. I was pleased to learn recently that Pulpit and Politics is a finalist for a 2008 Canadian Blog Award in the category of Best... Continue Reading →
By Dennis Gruending Douglas Roche reminds me of Emmett Hall. I published a biography in 1985 called Emmett Hall: Establishment Radical about the Supreme Court judge whose royal commission recommended Medicare for Canada in 1964. Hall was comfortable in the hallways of power but he was also a social reformer who used his position for... Continue Reading →
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