Dr. John Hiemstra Research and Representative Publications:

Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences
Professor of Political Studies
Office: A225
Phone: 780-465-3500 x8040
Our email addresses are First Name dot Last Name at kingsu.ca.

I. ‘Oil Sands Development’ Research:

Publications, select papers, and major speeches
John Hiemstra, “Creating and Solving ‘the World’s Most Unsustainable Development’: Government’s Role(s) in the Oil Sands Developments,” delivered at Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference, May 27-29, 2009, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario. Read More Here.

John L. Hiemstra, “Canada’s Oil Sands Developments as Icon of Globalization,” Globalization and the Gospel: Probing the Religious Foundations of Globalization, Eds., Michael W. Goheen and Erin Glanville, Vancouver: Regent Press and Geneva Society; Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster, 2009.

John Hiemstra, “Christian Belief and the Tar Sands: Removing barriers to genuine dialogue,” Opening remarks for the Edmonton meeting (May 21, 2009) of the KAIROS Church Leaders’ Delegation to the Alberta Tar Sands (May 21-27, 2009), held at The King’s University College, Edmonton. [KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives unites 11 national churches and church agencies in faithful action for social, economic and ecological justice. See http://www.kairoscanada.org/en/get-involved/campaign/tar-sands-delegation/.]

“Hypnotized by Progress: Does the Modernist Approach to Social Science Obscure the Essence of the Oil Sands Boom?” Canadian Political Science Association Annual Conference, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., June 4 - 6, 2008. Available at http://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/template_e.cfm?folder=conference&page_name=agm-papers-2008.htm#h.

Oral and written submissions, “Science, the public interest, and the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB), proceedings on the Petro-Canada Oil Sands Inc. (PCOSI) Sturgeon Upgrader,” proceedings (Application No. 1490956), Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, July 3, 2008.

 “Why Rush Oil Sands Development if the Costs don’t add up?—Breaking the Hypnotic Spell of Progress,” paper, panel discussion on “The price of prosperity,” University of Alberta, Augustana Campus, Oct. 23, 2007.

“‘Pop goes the Progress Myth’: Awakening Biblical Hope in a Hypnotised Province,” Ecumenism, Dec. 2005, Vol. 40, No. 160, 4-13.

“Alberta’s Oil Sands Boom: A Wake-up Call for Christian Scholarship,” Pro Rege, XXXVI, No. 3, March, 2008, pp. 15-27.

“Excavating the Oil Sands with a ‘Public Justice Approach,’” speech at the annual general meeting of Citizens for Public Justice, June 9, 2008, Ottawa, Ontario. The full written article is available on line at CPJ, “Other Work,” (August 24, 2008) http://cpj.ca/otherwork/index.html?ap=1&x=119602.

 “Reflections on a Tar Sands Sabbatical: Does King’s research, teaching & professionalism really break away from the dominant approach to studying and developing the oil sands?” Colloquium, The King’s University College, Edmonton, Jan. 27, 2009.

“Canada’s Oil Sands Developments as Icon of Globalization,” eds. Michael W. Goheen and Erin Glanville, Globalization and the Gospel: Probing the Religious Foundations of Globalization. Vancouver: Regent College Press (forthcoming, 2009).

“Excavating the oil sands with a public justice approach,” speech, Citizens for Public Justice, Edmonton, Oct. 20, 2008.

“Discerning Ideology in the Oil Sands Boom,” speech, Social Justice Institute’s conference, “In the Belly of the Beast: Christian reflections on Living in Alberta’s Energy Economy,” Edmonton, Feb. 9, 2008. 

"Should the Church address the oil sands boom, and if so, how?" workshop, Northern Alberta Diaconal Committee (NADC), “Day of Encouragement (DOE)” conference, Christian Reformed Church, Edmonton, Alberta, November 8, 2009.

“Climate Change from a Political Studies Perspective,” panel presentation, respondent to Dr. Cal DeWitt “Christians and Climate Change, Focus the Nation,” The King’s University College, March 5, 2008.

“If the Gospel liberates, why do we feel so powerless about oilsands development? Strengths of a Christian approach to cultural analysis,” speech, Earth Keeping/Justice/Peace Lecture Series, First Christian Reformed Church, Calgary, March 29, 2006.

“Hypnosis, the Myth of Progress, and Our Christian Scholarly Calling,” paper/speech, Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa. Nov. 2, 2006.

“Oil sands Developments and Approaches to Analysis,” workshop, Congreso Internacional, 2006, "Christian Higher Education in the Global Context: Implications for Curriculum, Pedagogy & Administration," Granada, Nicaragua, Nov. 14-19, 2006.

“‘Pop goes the Progress Myth’: Awakening Biblical Hope in a Hypnotised Province,” keynote speech, Social Justice Institute, Edmonton, 2005.

“Prosperity and the Gospel: Asking liberating questions in the face of stubborn paradoxes,” Speech, Public Justice Resource Centre Conference, “Where is Alberta Headed?” Edmonton, Sept. 22, 2002.

Popular tar sands publications
“Excavating the Oil Sands with a ‘Public Justice Approach’: Serviceable Method or Past its ‘Best-Before’ Date?” Catalyst, Vol. 30, number 2, Spring 2008, pp. 1, 5; available Feb. 10, 2009.

“More than just a mega-project: ERCB hearings on Petro-Canada’s $14.1-billion upgrader demand we reconsider the meaning of ‘the public interest’ and life itself,” Edmonton Journal, July 16, 2008, A13. 
“Are the oil sands God's business?” Christian Week, August 1, 2008, Vol. 22, No. 10, p. 5. Also available online, August 24, 2008.

“ERCB hearings on Petro-Canada Upgrader demands that we reconsider the meaning of life,” Christian Courier, August 11, 2008, p. 5, 7.

“Tar Sands Sabbatical,” Environmental Studies Newsletter, Fall, 2008, issue 18, pp. 1-2.

“Do the Tar Sands Need a Sabbatical?” Christian Courier, Oct. 27, 2008, pp. 1, 6.

“Myth of progress hypnotizes Albertans: Let's rethink the oilsands with a faith-based approach,” Edmonton Journal, Jan. 16, 2006, A19.

“The Paradox of the Promised Land: Oil sands milk and honey illusory,” Catalyst, Vol. 29, no. 1, 2006, p. 5.

“Oil Sands in the Promised Land?” Excerpts from ‘Pop goes the Progress Myth: Awakening Biblical Hope in a Hypnotised Province,’ Public Justice Report, fourth quarter, 2005, Vol. 28, No. 4, accessed Feb. 12, 2009.

“‘Pop goes the Progress Myth’: Awakening Biblical Hope in a Hypnotised Province,” July 2005 at the Citizens for Public Justice, available Feb. 12, 2009.

 

II. ‘Principled Public Pluralism’ Research:

School policy and pluralism
“Faith-based Alternative School Choice in Alberta: Conservative Revival, Post-Modern Fragmentation, or Principled Pluralism?” International Journal for Education Law and Policy, 2006, Vol. 2, issue 1-2, pp. 23-34.

John L. Hiemstra and Robert A. Brink, “The Advent of a Public Pluriformity Model: Faith-based School Choice in Alberta,” Canadian Journal of Education, Volume 29, Number 4, 2006, 1157-1189, available at: www.csse.ca/CJE/home/General.htm.

“Calvinist Pluriformity Challenges Liberal Assimilation: A novel case for publicly funding Alberta’s private schools, 1953-1967,” Journal of Canadian Studies. Fall 2005. Vol. 39, no. 3, 146-173.

“The Battle Over Catholic Schooling (1870-1905): Casting an assimilationist public school policy in Alberta,” paper delivered at the Canadian political Science Association conference, May 2003, available Feb. 12, 2009 at http://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/paper-2003/hiemstra.pdf.

Robert A. Brink and John L. Hiemstra, “‘One size fits all’ doesn’t fit Alberta: Faith-based school-choice abounds in province,” Christian Educator’s Journal, Vol. 43, Dec. 2003, 23-25.

Lisa Martin and John Hiemstra, “Who gets a voice in a ‘district of choice?’: Alberta's ‘alternative’ schools challenge to independent Christian schools,” Christian Educators’ Journal, Vol. 41, No. 3, Feb., 2002, 18-20.

"Religious Schooling and Prejudice in Canada: Implications for Public Funding of Christian Schools," Journal of Research on Christian Education, Autumn, 1994, Vol. 3, No. 2. 199-215.

"Educational Justice and Alternative Schools," SALT: Journal of the Religious Studies and Moral Education Council.  Edmonton: The Alberta Teacher's Association, Summer, 1984, 13-18.

Gerda Kits and John Hiemstra, “Alberta has come a long way in school diversity in 100 years,” Edmonton Journal, July 4, 2005, A16.

John L. Hiemstra and Robert A. Brink, “Faith-based Schools: Alberta offers lessons for Ontario,” Toronto Star, Sunday, July 25, 2004, A13.

John L. Hiemstra and Robert A. Brink, “Alberta’s creative models for educational justice,” Christian Courier, July 5, 2004, pp. 5-6.

Gerda Kits and John Hiemstra, “From Assimilation to school choice: 100 years of education in Alberta,” Christian Courier, August 15, 2005, 7.

"Amazing New Forms of Faith-based School Choice in Alberta” workshop done at Christian Educator’s Association Convention, Lethbridge, AB., October 19-20, 2007.

“Just Policies for Schooling: Forging a New Framework for Plural School Choice in Alberta," workshop done at the Christian Educator’s Association Convention, Lethbridge, AB., October 19-20, 2007.

“Core Principles for School Policy: Christian Schools and genuine pluralism,” Christian Courier, June 25, 2001, 10-11.

 

Media, broadcasting, and pluralism policy

John L. Hiemstra, Worldviews on the Air: The Struggle to Create a Pluralistic Broadcasting System in the Netherlands.  New York: University Press of America, 1997.

“Christelijke Politiek en de Oorsprong van het Publieke Omroepbestel (1919-1940),” H.J. van de Streek, H.M. Th. Ten Napel en R. Zwart, eds.  De strijd om de ether: Christelijke politiek en media, 1917-1997.  The Hague: SDU, 1997, 15-45.

“The Ethics of Structuring Mass Media and ICT in Plural Societies: Are reformational principles for state media policy still relevant?” presentation at the conference ‘Ethics: Person, Practices and Society,’ Association for Reformational Philosophy, The Netherlands, August 15-19, 2005.

Review of Richard Siklos, Shades of Black: Conrad Black and the World's Fastest Growing Press Empire, in The Canadian Catholic Review, XV, June 1997, 32.

Review of Charles L. Glenn, The Ambiguous Embrace: Government and Faith-based Schools and Social Agencies, (Princeton: Princeton U Press, 2000), with a foreword by Peter L. Berger, Pro Rege, XXIX,1, 2000, 27-28.

"Equal Treatment," a book review of Stephen V. Monsma and J. Christopher Soper, eds. Equal Treatment of Religion in a Pluralistic Society.  Grand Rapids, Michigan/ Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 1998 in Christian Scholar's Review, Vol. XXIX, No. 1, 1999, 215.

Written and oral submission, “Genuine Canadian Content: Fair Access to Broadcasting for all,” to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, review of religious broadcasting policy, August 6, 1992.

Electoral reform and pluralism
John Hiemstra and Harold J. Jansen, “Is a Mixed-Member Proportional Electoral System in Canada’s Interest? Yes: Getting What You Vote For,” Mark Charlton and Paul Barker, eds., Crosscurrents: Contemporary Political Issues, 6th Edition, Scarborough: Nelson, 2009, pp. 234-247. [Earlier versions of this article appear in various editions of Mark Charlton and Paul Barker, eds., Crosscurrents: Contemporary Political Issues.]

“Canada needs Proportional Representation,” Edmonton Journal, [Op Ed] Dec. 8, 2008, A15.

Review of Nick Loenen, Citizenship and Democracy: A Case for Proportional Representation, in Policy Options, Vol. 18, no 7, 1997, 44-45.

“Eyes on the Election, Special Report: Canada’s Election 2000,” The Banner.  November 20, 2000, 20-23.

“The Future of Federalism,” Comment, vol. 19, no. 2, July-August, 2001, 12-14.

Faith(s), public life, and faith-based organizations
Book review of John H. Redekop, Politics Under God, foreword by John A. Lapp, Waterloo, Ontario/Scottsdale Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2007, in Canadian Journal of Political Science, 41,3, (2008), 23-24.

 “Government Relations with Faith-based Non-profit Social Agencies in Alberta,” Journal of Church and State, Vol. 44, No. 1, Winter 2002, 19-44.

“Response to Prof. J. Emmanuel Janagan on ‘Impact of Christian Higher Education in Bringing Social Change in the Life of Dalits in India,’” Christian Higher Education in the Global Context Implications for curriculum, Pedagogy, and Administration, Sioux Center: Dordt College Pres, 2008.

"Government Relations with Religious Non-profit Social Agencies in Alberta: Public Accountability in a Pluralist Society," Research Report, Calgary: Canada West Foundation, 1999, 1-20.

Lisa De Moor and John Hiemstra, “Religious people at the core of volunteerism in Canada,” Edmonton Journal, Sept. 24, 2005, A19.

Lisa De Moor and John Hiemstra, “Religion the wellspring of volunteering, giving and non-profits,” Christian Courier, Oct. 24, 2005, p. 14.

“Decoding Christian Conduct: Why Christian institutions should avoid adopting ‘codes of conduct.’”  Christianweek, July 24, 2001, 10.

“Church, State and the Kingdom of God: An Overview,” REC Focus, June 2005, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 3 - 49. [“Reconciling all Things to Himself: Reflections on the Kingdom of God, the Church & the State’s Role in Plural Societies,”]

“Understanding and Working with Pluralism,” review of Richard J. Mouw and Sander Griffioen, Pluralism and Horizons, in Catalyst 17,5/6, June/July, 1994.

Round Table discussion, “The Role of the Dominant Religion in a Liberal Democracy,” conference "Christians and the Public Good: What insights do Christians bring to the enrichment of the Public Good and what challenges face them?" symposium in honour of Dr. John Redekop, Canadian Christians in Political Science Meeting, Trinity Western University, June 3, 2008.

“Public Opinion as Inherited Illusion: Koyzis on Ideologies,” book review of David T. Koyzis, Political Visions & Illusions: A Survey & Christian Critique of Contemporary Ideologies, Dowers Grove, Ill: Intervarsity, 2003, Book Supplement 2004 of Catalyst Vol. 27, no. 3, July-August 2004, page D, published. An extended review of the book appears on Public Justice Resource Centre website, summer, 2004.

“A Civil Solution to Same-Sex Marriage,” Edmonton Journal, Dec. 15, 2005, A19. [Written with input from Geoffery Cowpers and Gerald Vandezande of the “Working Group on Civil Unions.]

“A Civil Solution to Same-Sex Marriage,” Winter 2005 on Christianity.ca,  [written with input from Geoffery Cowpers and Gerald Vandezande of the “Working Group on Civil Unions.]

“From Constantinianism to Theocracy and back again?: Relating ‘Christian community’ to ‘political community’ in plural societies,” a paper exploring the historic Christian positions on ‘religion and public life’ (or church and state), With Heart and Mind Conference, The King’s University College, Edmonton, Alberta, May 10-12, 2001.

"Individualism, Relativism, Pluralism: Two out of Three not Good Enough," book review of Reginald W. Bibby, Mosaic Madness, in Catalyst, Vol. 14, spring 1991.

"Summer Travels with Aboriginal Neighbours," review of Nation to Nation: Aboriginal Sovereignty and the Future of Canada, D. Engelstad and J. Bird (Eds.), Anansi, 1992, in Catalyst, June/July, 1993.

"Why Canada Failed to develop Christian Democratic Parties," paper presented by invitation to the symposium on "Canadian Political Parties in the 21st Century: Past, Present and Future," Department of Political Science, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, sponsored by the Elton Endowment Fund, Feb. 7-8, 2000; also presented to the British Columbia Political Studies Association, Annual General Meeting, Victoria, B.C., May 5-6, 2000.

 

III. Other Research Interests:

Philosophy of Science and ‘Approaches to analysis’
“Scientific Blind Spots: Did ‘Philosophy of Science’ and ‘Core Beliefs’ Cause Canada’s Debt?” Pro Rege, March 2004, Vol. XXXII, Number 3, 12-24.

“Philosophical Assumptions Shaping Lijphart's Scientific Theory of Consociational Democracy,” Marginal Resistance: Essays dedicated to John C. Vander Stelt, Sioux Center, Iowa: Dordt College Press, Fall, 2001, 51-69.

See chapter 8, in Worldviews on the Air: The Struggle to Create a Pluralistic Broadcasting System in the Netherlands.  New York: U Press of America, 1997.

“Doing Analysis as Service Along ‘The Way’: The Social Policy Analysis of the Center for Public Justice,” Stanley W. Carlson-Thies, ed. Approaching Welfare Policy from a Christian Point of View.  Grand Rapids, Mi./Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 1996, 368-390.

"Book Review" of J.H. Hegeman, Justifying Policy: A Heuristic, in Philosophia Reformata, 1991, Vol. 56, No. 1, 95-97.

Co-author, Changing Course: A Study Guide for Canadian Social Policy Analysis. Toronto: Citizens for Public Justice, Publisher, 1987.

 “In search of an integrally Christian, depth-level approach to societal analysis,” research poster presentation at Congreso Internacional 2006,  IAPCHE  (International Association for Promotion of Christian Higher Education), Nicaragua, November 14-19, 2006.

"Evaluating and Updating Reformed Cultural Criticism," review of J.L. van Essen and Donald Morton, Guilliaume Groen Van Prinsterer: Selected Studies, in Calvinist Contact, June 19, 1992, 15.

“Exploring a Christian Approach to Integral Analysis: Can a neo-Calvinist approach help understand Canada’s oil sands boom?” to the Canadian Christians in Political Studies meetings at Trinity Western University, Langley BC, June 3, 2008 at a conference entitled: “Christians and the Public Good: What insights do Christians bring to the enrichment of the Public Good and what challenges face them?” 

Pierre Trudeau’s political philosophy
"Federalism and the Progress of the French Canadians in the Political Philosophy of Trudeau," Jon Chaplin and Paul Marshall, eds., Political Theory & Christian Vision: Essays in Memory of Bernard Zylstra.  New York: University Press of America, 1994, 185-211.

John L. Hiemstra, Trudeau's Political Philosophy.  Toronto: Institute for Christian Studies, Publisher, 1984.

"Canada in Crisis?" Public Justice Report, Jan./Feb. 1993, Vol. 16, No. 1, 4-5.

Economic and Social Justice
 “Nurturing Christian Vision for confronting global crises,” Christian Courier, January 7, 2008, pp. 10, 15, review article of Bob Goudzwaard, Mark Vander Vennen, David Van Heemst, Foreword by Desmond Tutu, Hope in Troubled Times: A New Vision for Confronting Global Crises, Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007.

Principal author, "Good News for the Poor," Background Paper, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, 1999; available Feb. 12, 2009 at the website http://www.evangelicalfellowship.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=734&__nccssubcid=71&nccsm=21&__nccsct=Articles&__nccspID=312.  This paper has been published in various books, including:

Principal author, "Good News to the Poor! Background Paper on The Bible, Poverty, and Government in Contemporary Canada," Evangelical Fellowship of Canada Background Paper, John Mihevc, ed., Jubilee, Wealth & the Market, Toronto: Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative, 1999, 141-159.

Principal author, "Good News to the Poor! Background Paper on The Bible, Poverty, and Government in Contemporary Canada," Evangelical Fellowship of Canada Background Paper, Brian Siem, ed., Moved with Compassion: Stories of Canadian Christians Living Out of God's Love, Belleville, On.: Essence Publishing, 2000, 253-279.

Principal author, “The Bible, Poverty, and Government in Contemporary Canada,” REC Focus, (Quarterly Journal of the Reformed Ecumenical Commissions), June 2002, Vol. 2, Number 2, 32-43.

"Economic Discernment: A practical Exercise in Discerning the Spirits at Work in Our Economic Life," occasional paper, published by the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada, 1996.

 “Christians must challenge ‘religion of growth,” Guest Column, Edmonton Journal, March 3, 2001, A15.

"Good News to the Poor," The Standard, (The Salvation Army Social Services Journal), Summer 2000, p. 7.

"Good News to the Poor," Public Justice Report, Vol. 23, No. 3, 2000, p. 10

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