Theologian · Historian · Academic Dean
A theologian working at the intersection of Pauline soteriology, Augustine, and the early Christian doctrine of deification — and on the long, contested story of Jewish–Christian relations.
Academic Dean, Canada Christian College Executive Director, Eckstein Institute
Michael M. C. Reardon is a New Testament scholar and historical theologian whose work centers on the early Christian doctrine of deification — the patristic conviction that human beings are made to be transformed into the divine likeness — and on what that doctrine means for Pauline soteriology, Augustine's theology, and the long history of Jewish–Christian relations.
He is Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament and Historical Theology at Canada Christian College and School of Theological Studies in Whitby, Ontario, and Executive Director of the Eckstein Institute for Jewish–Christian Relations, an academic think‑tank funded by multiple grants.
His articles have appeared in Horizons (Cambridge University Press) and Currents in Biblical Research (SAGE), and his co‑edited volume Transformed into the Same Image: Constructive Investigations into the Doctrine of Deification (IVP Academic, 2024) carries a foreword by Michael J. Gorman. A second co‑edited volume, The Seed of Abraham: Intersections of Jewish and Christian Thought (Pickwick), is forthcoming. He is currently at work on a monograph investigating a theme in Paul's writings he calls “ecclesial deification.”
Michael is open to new collaborative projects, institutional partnerships, speaking invitations, and conversations with scholars, students, and seekers.
Research
Michael's work moves between New Testament exegesis and the history of doctrine, with a particular focus on how the earliest Christians understood human transformation in God.
Books
Two co‑edited volumes bring together leading voices on deification and on Jewish–Christian thought. A new monograph — on what Michael calls “ecclesial deification” — is underway.
Constructive Investigations into the Doctrine of Deification
A collaborative volume that takes deification seriously as a Christian doctrine worth constructing for today — not just one to recover from the past. The contributors trace deification through Scripture, the Greek and Latin fathers, and into systematic theology, ethics, and pastoral life.
Intersections of Jewish and Christian Thought
A volume drawn from the work of the Eckstein Institute: essays bringing Jewish and Christian thinkers into substantive conversation on the texts, doctrines, and histories that bind — and divide — the two traditions.
A Pauline doctrine of corporate transformation
What if Paul's vision of being “conformed to the image” of Christ is not primarily an individual transformation but an ecclesial one — something that happens to the people of God as a body? The project re‑reads key Pauline passages with this question in mind.
Writing
Peer‑reviewed articles in journals including Horizons (Cambridge University Press), Currents in Biblical Research (SAGE), and the Journal of Theological Studies, alongside public‑facing essays.
Journal of Theological Studies. Forthcoming.
Horizons (Cambridge University Press, Journal of the College Theology Society).
Currents in Biblical Research (SAGE), 2023.
Toronto Sun · Opinion.
Media
Conversations on deification, theosis, the Trinity, and Moravian church history — with academic audiences and a broader public.
The Remnant Radio · Podcast
An accessible introduction to the doctrine of theosis — what the Greek fathers meant, what they didn't, and why it matters for the Christian life.
The Remnant Radio · Podcast
A deeper conversation on theosis as it appears in Scripture and in the Greek patristic tradition.
The Remnant Radio · Podcast
On Nicholaus von Zinzendorf, the Moravian community at Herrnhut, and one of the most extraordinary movements of 18th‑century Christian renewal.
Evangelical Theological Society · 2019
Conference theme: Christ in All Scripture. Presented within ETS's annual meeting.
Institutions
Michael leads the academic life of a graduate school of theology and directs a think tank dedicated to Jewish–Christian dialogue.
Academic Dean · Professor
Whitby, Ontario. Michael is Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament and Historical Theology, with teaching across biblical languages, religious thought, and the history of doctrine.
Executive Director
An academic think‑tank funded by multiple grants. The Institute supports research, publications, and dialogue at the intersection of Jewish and Christian thought.
Member · Presenter (2019)
Presenter at the 71st Annual Meeting (San Diego, November 2019).
Contact
For academic inquiries, speaking invitations, collaboration on the Eckstein Institute, or media requests.