At the Redeemer, we know that asking deeper questions and exploring issues of faith in a safe environment help us grow both as individuals and as a community.
The Redeemer Explorers committee offers a rich diversity of learning opportunities, drawing from members of our own parish and the community at large, including courses led by Sylvia Keesmaat and Brian Walsh through Bible Remixed. In collaboration with other Redeemer initiatives such as our Refugee Settlement committee and Creation Matters, we offer presentations, reflections, small-group discussions, and one-time programs on specific topics.
Current Opportunities to Explore
‘How do we live compassionately in a time of violence and despair? What can we do with the anger we feel in such an unjust world? In his most personal book yet, Richard Rohr turns to the writings and lives of the Hebrew prophets, revealing how some of the less-read books of the Bible offer us a crucial path forward today. Drawing on a century of biblical scholarship and written in the warm voice that has endeared Rohr to millions, ‘The Tears of Things’ breathes new life into ancient wisdom. It paves a path of enlightenment for anyone seeking a compassionate way of living in a hurting world.”
Join us for an unhurried experience of reading, reflection, and shared discussion with fellow members of the Redeemer community (and other friends who join us). In five weekly meetings from early July to early August, we’ll explore the messages offered by the Prophets for our own troubled times, guided by one of the most admired voices of contemporary spirituality, Fr, Richard Rohr, founder of the Centre for Action and Contemplation, and author, among other previous books, of The Universal Christ.
His new book, The Tears of Things, is widely available from retailers in multiple formats, and also on loan from the Toronto Public Library. We’ll begin on July 7 and finish on August 4, meeting Tuesday evenings on Zoom, 6:30-7:45 PM. Registration is now closed. Group leaders will forward the Zoom link to all participants.
Sunday Explorations
Watch Previous Events on our YouTube Channel
Building More Compassionate Communities
These events are co-sponsored by Redeemer Explorers and the Common Table drop-in program based at Church of the Redeemer.
Compassionate Communities: Addiction, Recovery and Their Connection to the Poor (March 4, 2026)
Jim Willis, Case Management and Support Worker; Amanda Hintzen, Addictions Counsellor; Dr Jonathan Wong, ICHA street doctor; and Nithyen Manohar, ICHA street nurse, discussed the challenges of addiction, the paths to recovery, and how it affects the most vulnerable in our communities. You can watch this panel discussion online through YouTube.
Compassionate Communities: Encampment as Community and Toronto’s Underhousing Crisis (September 24, 2025)
The Rev’d Maggie Helwig, Incumbent at St. Stephen’s in the Fields and author of the acclaimed recent book Encampment (Coach House Press), reflected on experiences of love, solidarity, hope, mutual support, and the enlivening presence of the Holy Spirit in and around her congregation and the tent community it hosted, before its forced removal by the City of Toronto. You can watch the presentation and Q&A at the YouTube Livestream.
Other Events
Face to Face with the People of Palestine
Imagining the Life of Julian of Norwich
On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Jon Allen, former Canadian Ambassador to Israel and Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, delivered a talk: Violence, Polarization, and Hope for a Better Future. The live stream is available through our YouTube channel.
