Tom Sherwood is an ordained minister in The United Church of Canada (UCC) and an Adjunct Professor of Sociology, Anthropology and Religion at Carleton University in Ottawa, supervising graduate students and teaching courses on religion and society. He has taught at Carleton on a part-time basis since 1982.
In June 2009, the UCC awarded him the McGeachy Senior Scholarship in order to undertake a project of research and writing related to the spirituality of Canadians born during the 1980s, Listening to The Echo. The results of this study have been presented at several conferences, published as articles and book chapters, and – in 2016 – published as a book by the UCC and Friesen Press: Listening to The Echo – young adults talk about religion, spirituality, God, gods and their world.
Material that would be published in the book has been used by Faith and Arts Ottawa to create several documentary theatre productions: The god Monologues, 2013; godVERBATIM in the 2014 Ottawa Fringe Festival; and O god in the 2015 Fringe. Inspired by three years of success, and dedicated to creating “theatre that matters,” Faith and Arts developed a fourth production for 2016-17 – Trans-Script, a six-actor play about love, relationships and identity in the context of transgender experiences. It has been performed in high schools, universities, churches and at conferences, attracting diverse audiences.
From 1999 to 2009, Tom Sherwood was the Ecumenical Chaplain at Carleton University, the only full-time religious professional for a population of 24,000 students.
From 1984 to 1999, he served as minister of Orléans United Church.
In 1983 he conducted the Membership Survey part of a self-study undertaken by the Canadian Association for Pastoral Education (now called the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care). His data (N=423, more than 500 variables) became the basis for a PhD thesis on professionalism in ministry.
In the 1970s he established a parish-based campus ministry at Bloor Street United Church and the University of Toronto.
He is a founding member of three interfaith organizations, and has been recognized as an educator and bridge-builder by the City of Ottawa, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, the Capital Educators Program, Carleton University and Macleans Magazine.
In 2008, with the support of colleagues, he established the Canadian Campus Chaplaincy Centre.
For promotional material requiring a high resolution photo of Tom, please use tom-fullsize1.png
LINK to the Australian Broadcasting Company podcast “The Spirit of Things” with Dr. Rachael Kohn, first broadcast Sunday July 24, 2016
LINKS to purchase Listening to The Echo – young adults talk about religion, spirituality, God, gods and their world
LINKS to articles by or about TS
- “Religion and Spirituality in Student Life”
Chapter 3, pages 69-86 in
Kerry, Trevor (ed.) International Perspectives on Higher Education
Continuum, London, 2012. - Tom Sherwood – Adjunct Research Professor (Dept of Sociology and Anthropology) and Contract Instructor
- 2009 “He always takes the time to listen…”
- 2007 “The Value of University Chaplaincy” in Academic Matters