Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Informed By Joy: A Christian Librarian's Reflection On C.S. Lewis, David H. Michels

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In Surprised by Joy C. S. Lewis offers us his account of his conversion to Christianity. Using his experiences of joy as “signposts,” he leads us through his early life up to his conversion at age thirty-one. I reflect on Lewis’s account as a librarian, researcher, and fellow Christian, considering his information world and the people who aided and hindered him on his faith journey. I conclude with some thoughts on his and my own conversion, as both unique yet shared experiences within the Christian tradition.

"Real joy seems to me almost as unlike security or prosperity as it is …

Religious Justification For The Practice Of Ecclesiastical Sanctuary, David H. Michels, David Blaikie

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Stories about Canadian Christian churches engaging in civil disobedience by offering sanctuary to refugee claimants have been much in the news the past several years. Typical is the case of Ms. Sanja Pecelji who fled to St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Halifax to avoid a deportation order back to Serbia-Montenegro. The church minister, Rev. Susan Moxley, stated that Ms. Pecelji and her supporters in the church community were determined that she would reside in the church until the government reviewed her application for refugee status. “The tradition of providing sanctuary to those in need is a long-standing one for the …