CMU Faculty

Born and raised in Winnipeg (mostly), Greg was one of the first two graduates from CMU with a BA in PACTS, though he began his post secondary career as a student of music at the University of Manitoba. He went on to complete an MA (2009) and PhD (2015) in early Christian theology (Western Religious Thought) at McMaster University, studying the work of St Augustine. The focus of his academic work to this point has been demonology in the theology of St Augustine and early Christianity. Greg's next project focuses on the understanding of angels in early Christianity as it relates to the liturgical assembly, iconography, ecclesiastical structures, and political theology.

Greg is a deacon in the Canadian Orthodox Church (OCA), enjoys talking patristic theology with anybody, and considers the Fathers of the Church his own spiritual fathers. He and his wife Amanda have three beautiful children together. They keep busy with various activities, including programs for the kids, music, sports, family and friends, and also attending St. Nicholas Orthodox Church north of Winnipeg in Narol, MB, where Greg serves altar, learns the complex liturgical patters of the Orthodox church, and leads the bible study.

Education

PhD Western Religious Thought, McMaster University 2015; MA Western Religious Thought, 2009; BA Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies, CMU, 2006

Work in Detail

Teaching

Introduction to Christianity

Religious Traditions of the World II

Topics in Theology: Theology After Nicaea

Ethics of Love

Six Wings and Full of Eyes: Angels in the World of Early Christianity

Research

Monograph

2021. Fallen Angels in the Theology of St Augustine. Oxford Early Christian Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. oup.com

Peer Reviewed

2020. "Demons in Christian Thought." In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics. Oxford University Press. Article published June 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.8290.

2017.  "Augustine on the Devil's Body and its Sacraments." Pages 7–32 in Studia Patristica LXXXII: Papers Presented at the Seventeenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2015. Volume 8: Demons. Edited by M. Vinzent and S. Lunn-Rockliffe. Leuven: Peeters.

Book Chapters

2025. "Mediating Divine Love in the Messianic Imagination." Co-authored with Joseph R. Wiebe. Festschrift for P. Travis Kroeker. Wipf & Stock.

2014. "Augustine on Pagan Demonolatry: Mediation and Apocalypticism in the Opening Books of The City of God." John Doody, Kari Kloos, Kim Paffenroth, eds. Augustine and Apocalyptic. Augustine in Conversation: Tradition and Innovation. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books

2011. "The Demonic Phenomena of Mark's 'Legion.'" In Anna Runesson, Exegesis in the Making: Postcolonialism and New Testament Studies. Biblical Interpretation Series. Edited by A. Runesson. Leiden: Brill

Reviews

2024. Triadosis: Union with the Triune God, by Eduard Borysov. Direction 53, no. 1 (2024): 109–13.

2018. On Augustine, by Rowan Williams. Direction 47, no. 1 (2018): 119–21.

Select Papers and Presentations

2025. "'Eastern' Orthodoxy: A Brief Introduction." Guest Lecture, RLGN-1710 Religious Traditions of the World II. John Boopalan. Canadian Mennonite University

2025. "Orthodox Iconography of Christ." Guest Lecture, BTS-4770/5770 Jesus Christ as Cultural Icon: Jesus in Art, Culture, and Theology. Paul Doerksen. Canadian Mennonite University.

2024. "Angels, Liturgy, and Politics as Mediation in Augustine," Oxford International Patristics Conference, Oxford UK, August 5–9, 2024.

2023. "Every Angel a Terror: Angelic Symbolism and Church Iconography." Guest Lecture, BTS-2740 Christianity and Art. Chris Huebner. Canadian Mennonite University.

2023. "Angels at Star Lake." Family camp guest speaker series. Star Lake Keswick Family Fellowship, Star Lake, MB. Jul 2–9, 2023.

2022. "Augustine, Descartes, and the Angels of Enlightenment," Annual Meeting of the North American Patristics Society, Chicago IL, May 26–28, 2022.

2021. "Angels in Patristic Writings as Princes of Nations." Church of the Ascension, Chicago IL. Sep 30, 2021.

2020. "St. Augustine Doesn't Worship Demons and Neither Should You!" A Research Presentation at Faculty Forum, Canadian Mennonite University. Winnipeg, MB. Jan 30.

2019. "Deus and the Monarchy of the Father in Augustine's De Fide: Comparisons of Latin and Greek Traditions and Arguments." Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies. Oxford, UK, Aug 19-23.