Manuscript Collection MS COLL 00770 - Tom Harpur Papers

Tom Harpur (1929-2017) was an Anglican minister, educator, journalist and writer. After ordaining in 1956, Harpur served as a parish minister in Ontario from 1957-1964. In 1964, he was hired as a professor of the New Testament at the University of Toronto and he held this posiiton until 1971 when he made the decision to become a journalist. He was the Toronto Star’s religion editor until 1984 and continued to write columns on religion for the Toronto Star and other media outlets. Harpur also wrote several books including Harpur’s Heaven and Hell (1983), Communicating the Good News Today (1987), Always on Sunday (1988), Life After Death (1991), For Christ’s Sake (1993), Harpur vs. Hancock (1994), Finding the Still Point (2002) and The Pagan Christ (2004), which was later adapted into a documentary. The Pagan Christ was a national bestseller and led Harpur to write the sequel, Water into Wine (2007). Several of Harpur’s books became the basis for television series which aired on Vision TV and included Harpur’s Heaven and Hell, Harpur vs. Hancock, Life After Death and the Uncommon Touch.