Michael Wagenman

Through Global Scholars Canada, Dr. Michael Wagenman provides holistic support to Christian graduate students, faculty, and young professionals. This takes the form of discipleship, spiritual direction, vocational discernment, academic mentoring, and PhD research supervision.

Dr Wagenman is Senior Research Fellow and Director of PhD Studies at the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology at Cambridge University. He is Research Associate at Union Theological College and the Presbyterian Church of Ireland in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He serves on the board of the Student YMCA at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is a member of the Faculty of Theology at Western University, in London, Ontario. He mentors students through the Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto and the University of Ottawa and Carleton University in Ottawa.

Dr. Wagenman has mentored students and junior scholars in Australia, Indonesia, China, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil, Chilie, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Zambia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Dr. Wagenman is the author of three books, more than one hundred journal, magazine, newspaper, and online articles.

Dr. Wagenman completed his PhD at the University of Bristol (UK) on “the power of the church” by bringing the French postmodern philosopher Michel Foucault into dialogue with the Dutch theologian-politician Abraham Kuyper, a massively influential Christian, scholar, public intellectual, and politician in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. Wagenman is currently writing a theological overview of Kuyper’s worldview as well as a theological analysis of British psychedelic rock (Pink Floyd) and a New Testament hermeneutical analysis of the claims made by Jesus’ adversaries in the first century, that he was a sinner.

Prior to joining Global Scholars Canada, Dr. Wagenman served for 20 years as chaplain at Western University in London, Ontario. He is also Minister Emeritus in the Christian Reformed Church.

One of his former students had this to say about how his work impacted her life:

I came to Western, not knowing anybody in the whole city and unfamiliar with the new terrain I had found myself in because, as a Nigerian, I was used to constantly being surrounded by familiar faces and a generally accepted Christian worldview. In my first month as an undergraduate student, I was certain I had made a mistake coming to school in London. Not too long after, I found Mike and the fellowship he led and that became my anchor during my time as a student, through the peaks and deeply distressed seasons of my studies. What I learnt from Mike and other students enlightened me, challenged me and left me with a deeper appreciation for bible study and our call to live like Christ.

If you are a Christian graduate student or junior scholar and would like to participate in Dr. Wagenman’s work, you can contact him at mw991@cam.ac.uk

Here’s what a former student said about why supporting this work is so essential:

Christian scholarship is crucial because in a world with so many questions and no clear direction on where to find answers, the church needs to have answers that point the world back to Jesus and the church needs to understand how to engage with academia as the intellectuals of the day wield a lot of influence on our communities, government and subsequently, on policies. The world needs dialogue and fellowship for Christians from all nations at the graduate level is a great place to start.

Click on the above button to directly link to support options for Dr. Wagenman’s important work.