Tom was the Religion Editor for the Toronto Star for 12 years. That led to his weekly opinion column on ethics and spirituality, which ran for over 30 years. More recently he wrote a regular column for the Sun Media chain of 26 newspapers in Ontario.
"...one of a kind... Harpur consistently surprises, provokes, and enlightens his reader ...one of Canada's pre-eminent religious voices and a sound spiritual guide for modern times." - McLelland & Stewart, publishers.
"Tom Harpur is one of the wisest spiritual guides in contemporary culture." - Larry Dossey, MD Author of Healing Words and Prayer is Good Medicine
"If Harpur's research and reasoning was the stuff of which sermons were made... churches wouldn't be empty." - Roy Bonisteel, The Toronto Star
"He is skilled in the art of communicating complex religious ideas." - Canadian Jewish News
"A man of energy, intelligence and enthusiasm." - Kingston Whig-Standard
He:
- Won several scholarships at The University of Toronto including the Jarvis Scholarship in Greek and Latin; The Maurice Hutton Scholarship in Classics; The Sir William Mulock Scholarship in Classics; and the Gold Medal in Classics.
- Attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship 1951-1954.
- Studied theology and tutored in Greek at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, 1954-56. Won prizes in homiletics and Greek.
- Won full colours in rugger at U of T and an ice hockey Blue at Oxford.
- Began career as an Anglican priest at St. Margaret's-in-the-Pines, West Hill, Ontario (1957-1964).
- Professor of New Testament at University of Toronto (Toronto School of Theology) from 1964 to 1971.
- Fellow of the Religious Public Relations Council (USA).
- Awarded The Silver Medal for Outstanding Journalism by the State of Israel in 1976.
- Listed in U.S. Who's Who in Religion, Canadian Who's Who, and the most recent edition of Men of Achievement, (Cambridge, England).
- Has appeared on major television and radio networks. Was host of the following shows, all based on his books by the same names:
- a 10-part series on Vision TV, City TV and The Learning Channel called "Life After Death"
- a weekly hour-long interview programme, "Harpur's Heaven and Hell"
- a 12-part series on Vision TV: "The Uncommon Touch"
- Author of the following books (ten of which were Canadian "best-sellers"):
- Born Again (Thomas Allen Publishers)
- There Is Life After Death (Thomas Allen Publishers)
- Water Into Wine (Thomas Allen Publishers)
- Living Waters (Thomas Allen Publishers)
- The Spirituality of Wine (Northstone Publishing)
- The Pagan Christ (Thomas Allen Publishers)
- Harpur's Heaven and Hell (Oxford)
- For Christ's Sake (Oxford)
- Always on Sunday (Oxford)
- Communicating the Good News Today (Lancelot)
- Life After Death (M&S)
- God Help Us (M&S)
- The Uncommon Touch (M&S)
- The God Question (Lancelot)
- The Divine Lover (Lancelot)
- Harpur vs. Hancock (Lancelot)
- Would You Believe (M&S) (published in the U.S. as The Thinking Person's Guide to God, Prima Press)
- Prayer - The Hidden Fire (Northstone Publishing)
- Prayer Journal (Northstone Publishing)
- Finding the Still Point - A Spiritual Response to Stress (Northstone Publishing)
- and two children's books:
- The Mouse that Couldn't Squeak (Oxford)
- The Terrible Finn MacCoul (Oxford)
Tom and his wife Susan lived in rural Ontario, where they enjoyed hiking with their dog, cross-country skiing and swimming in season.
