Faculty and Administration

Dr. Knowles has taught at McMaster Divinity College since 1997, offering courses in pastoral theology, preaching, and biblical studies in a way that seeks to integrate sound biblical exegesis, Christian spirituality, and practical application for the life and ministry of the Christian community.

Practical Ministry Experience:
Ordained in the Anglican Church of Canada since 1982, Dr. Knowles has previously served at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as at the Church of the Messiah and St. James (Humber Bay), Toronto, Ontario. He is currently on staff at St. Paul’s (Westdale) Anglican Church in Hamilton.

Research Interests:
Dr. Knowles’ research and teaching interests focus on the biblical and theological foundations of the church’s ministry. Specific areas include:

• Homiletics
• New testament models for preaching
• Cruciformity and resurrection in relation to preaching
• The Gospel of Matthew
• Pauline spirituality
• Prayer and worship
• Biblical theology of the divine character

Current Projects:
Dr. Knowles is currently at work on a study that extends the trajectory of a cruciform homiletic (the subject of two previous monographs) to consider the implications of resurrection for preaching. Its basic thesis is that notwithstanding the importance of homiletical methodology, spiritually transformative preaching depends on divine power, not human agency alone. Other projects include The Throne, the Lamb, and the Song: Worshipping With the Apocalypse of John, which applies insights from the Book of Revelation to contemporary worship, as well as articles on spirituality and preaching.

Monographs:

Jeremiah in Matthew’s Gospel: The Rejected-Prophet Motif in Matthaean Redaction. Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series 68. Sheffield: JSOT, 1993. Reprint: Bloomsbury Academic Collections. London: Bloomsbury, 2015.

The Folly of Preaching: Models and Methods. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007.

We Preach Not Ourselves: Paul on Proclamation. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2008.

The Unfolding Mystery of the Divine Name: The God of Sinai in Our Midst. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2012.

Of Seeds and the People of God: Preaching as Parable, Crucifixion, and Testimony. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade, 2015.

Good News Church: Celebrating the Legacy of Harold Percy. Edited by John Bowen and Michael Knowles. Burlington, ON: Castle Quay, 2018.