Ray Pennings

Executive Vice President

 

Ray Pennings co-founded Cardus in 2000 and currently serves as Executive Vice President, working out of the Ottawa office. Ray has a vast amount of experience in Canadian industrial relations and has been involved in public policy discussions and as a political activist at all levels of government. Ray is a respected voice in Canadian politics, contributing as a commentator, pundit and critic in many of Canada’s leading news outlets and as an advisor and strategist on political campaign teams.

Ray completed a degree in History at McMaster University and obtained a Master of Arts in Religion degree from Puritan Theological Seminary. He has led a number of large research projects at Cardus over the years and was lead author on Death is Natural: Reframing the End-of-Life Conversation in Canada. In addition to authoring Cardus reports and columns he has also written chapters in several publications including Church and Caesar (RHB, 2004), Living for God’s Glory (RHB, 2011), Calvin the Revolutionary (RHB, 2010), Religious Liberty and the Law (Routledge, 2017), and The Handbook of School Choice (Wiley-Blackwell, 2017).

Ray’s grasp of applied public theology is evident not only through his writings, but through his volunteer efforts as well. He was founding president of EduDeo (formerly Worldwide Christian Schools) and has served as Chair on the board of Redeemer University College, and as a board member for the Civitas Society and the Rosebud School for the Arts. Ray currently sits on the adjudication committee for the Redeemer Centre for Christian Scholarship and on the Champions Circle for Compassionate Ottawa. Ray and his wife, Kathy, have one adult son.

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Writings

A Christmas of Spiritual Longing
Dec 15, 2020
Convivium Research & Analysis
Addressing Canada’s MAiD Concerns
Nov 25, 2020
Convivium Research & Analysis
Broad Support for MAiD in Canada Has Caveats and Concerns
Nov 10, 2020
Research Report
Testing COVID for Positives
Oct 14, 2020
Convivium Article
What Donald Trump Says About Us
Oct 5, 2020
Convivium Article
Steady As She Goes
Sep 24, 2020
Convivium Article
Leadership, Forgiveness, and Our Loves
Sep 10, 2020
Comment Article
A Life Story of Giving
Apr 20, 2020
Convivium Article
Public Prayer in a Viral Time
Mar 18, 2020
Convivium Article
Secularism’s Anti-Charter Ugliness
Dec 12, 2019
Convivium Article
A Tolerant Canada
Nov 28, 2019
Convivium Article
Making the Public-Good Case for Private Schools
Oct 31, 2019
Article
Who Will Govern for the Common Good?
Oct 25, 2019
Convivium Article
The Vanishing Point of Political Principles
Oct 11, 2019
Convivium Article
Cardus Education Survey 2018: Rethinking Public Education
Oct 7, 2019
Research Report
Why the Public School Monopoly?
Sep 13, 2019
Convivium Article
Just in Time Books on Justin
Sep 3, 2019
Convivium Article
Headquarters: Introducing Comment's New Editor-in-Chief
Jul 17, 2019
Comment Article
Encouraging Faith and Family
Jun 27, 2019
Convivium Article
A Case for Religious Freedom
May 21, 2019
Convivium Article
Innovate to Educate
Apr 26, 2019
Convivium Article
Educating Globally, Deciding Locally
Apr 25, 2019
Convivium Article
Education Reform in Canada
Apr 25, 2019
Research Report
A Fresh Eye On Education
Apr 24, 2019
Convivium Article
Religious Schools: Seedbeds of Civic Virtue in the Culture War?
Apr 4, 2019
Research Report
Funding Fairness for Students in Ontario with Special Education Needs
Mar 20, 2019
Research Report
We've Got to Talk
Mar 19, 2019
Convivium Article
Remarks for Economic Club of Canada Presentation
Feb 25, 2019
Research Article
God's in His Heaven and All Right With A Joke
Dec 18, 2018
Convivium Article
Getting Religious Freedom Right
Nov 26, 2018
Convivium Article
Religious Diversity is Good Business
Oct 11, 2018
Convivium Article
Navigating Religious Diversity in the Workplace
Oct 2, 2018
Research Report
Coming Anew to Religious Faith
Sep 19, 2018
Convivium Article
New Canadians Keep the Faith
Sep 13, 2018
Convivium Article
Standing Up For Trinity Western’s Board
Aug 20, 2018
Convivium Article
Religion is Good for Canada: Can We Figure it Out?
Jun 22, 2018
Article
Getting Education Right
May 2, 2018
Convivium Article
Salvation By The Young
Mar 6, 2018
Convivium Article
A Seriously Sorry New Year
Jan 3, 2018
Convivium Article
Desiring a Better Country
Dec 5, 2017
Convivium Article
Points of Christian Re-Formation
Nov 21, 2017
Convivium Article
Religion's Perception Gap
Nov 16, 2017
Convivium Article
Contempt of Lethbridge
Sep 27, 2017
Convivium Article
The Age of Hubris
Aug 23, 2017
Convivium Article
Keeping The Faith Local
Jun 29, 2017
Convivium Article
The Five Goodbyes of Dying
May 12, 2017
Convivium Article
Sacred Fire
Jan 4, 2017
Convivium Article
No Trumping Virtue
Nov 8, 2016
Convivium Article
Perpetuating Homeschool Myths
Oct 31, 2016
Convivium Article
What to do in Post-Truth Politics?
Oct 24, 2016
Convivium Article
Cardus Education Survey 2016: Educating To Love Your Neighbour
Oct 11, 2016
Research Report
Is the Party Over?
Aug 12, 2016
Convivium Article
Palliative Care: Time for a Compassionate Approach
May 31, 2016
Convivium Article
Mapping the Progressives Progress
Apr 8, 2016
Convivium Article
A Toolbox for Changing the World
Apr 7, 2016
Comment Article
Steps Towards More Compassionate End-of-Life Care
Feb 12, 2016
Research Report
Comment: A Year in Review
Dec 30, 2015
Comment Article
Paris: Avoiding the Knee-Jerk Reaction
Nov 23, 2015
Convivium Article
How Trudeau’s Election Complicates the Narrative
Oct 20, 2015
Convivium Article
The Commons: Death Is Natural
Sep 1, 2015
Comment Article
Lessons From the Alberta Election: Part II
Jun 19, 2015
Convivium Article
Lessons From the Alberta Election: Part I
Jun 18, 2015
Convivium Article
A Court of Many Colours
Jun 1, 2015
Convivium Article
Death is Natural: Reframing the End-of-Life Conversation in Canada
Apr 28, 2015
Research Report
Stories of Subsidiarity
Apr 21, 2015
Convivium Article
Miracle Worker
Apr 6, 2015
Convivium Article
Mr. Pennings Goes to Ottawa
Mar 4, 2015
Convivium Article
On the Table
Feb 1, 2015
Convivium Article
When Idylls Become Idols
Feb 1, 2015
Convivium Article
School Choices
Jan 30, 2015
Convivium Article
He Came to Shoulder Our Burdens
Dec 24, 2014
Convivium Article
A Devastating Day
Dec 1, 2014
Comment Article
The Building Meaning Project Paper and Recommendations
Nov 19, 2014
Research Report
The First Freedom of the Human Soul
Nov 4, 2014
Convivium Article
Three Assumptions Not to Make About Education
Oct 21, 2014
Convivium Article
Subpoenaed Sermons
Oct 16, 2014
Convivium Article
Finding a Global Common Grammar
Oct 10, 2014
Convivium Article
Cardus Education Survey 2014: Extended Data Pack
Oct 3, 2014
Research Report
The Art of Faithful Persuasion
Sep 23, 2014
Convivium Article
Cardus Education Survey 2014: Private Schools for the Public Good
Sep 10, 2014
Research Report
Protests and the Police Force
Jul 24, 2014
Convivium Article
Is There Room for the Quaker's Wife?
Jul 9, 2014
Convivium Article
The System Built on Slogans
Jun 25, 2014
Convivium Article
The Secular Democracy and its Victims
Jun 19, 2014
Convivium Article
The Time Wasn't Wasted
Jun 13, 2014
Convivium Article
Social Licence and Democratic Institutions
Jun 11, 2014
Convivium Article
The Right to be Forgotten
May 29, 2014
Convivium Article
De-Register the Liberals, Anyone?
May 21, 2014
Convivium Article
Poverty and Violence: What's the Connection?
May 1, 2014
Convivium Article
Flahernomics
Apr 23, 2014
Convivium Article
In the Absence of Virtuous Leaders
Apr 8, 2014
Convivium Article
What makes a Christian Organization?
Apr 2, 2014
Convivium Article
No Politician Is Above Politics
Mar 27, 2014
Convivium Article
The Chance to Speak Up
Mar 25, 2014
Convivium Article
Part of the Problem with Politics is You
Mar 20, 2014
Convivium Article
Taxes Are Good, but Charity's Better
Mar 12, 2014
Convivium Article
Conversation Changes for Social Conservatives
Mar 5, 2014
Convivium Article
Remembering Dad
Feb 19, 2014
Convivium Article
In Praise of Ritual
Feb 12, 2014
Convivium Article
Non-Partisan Politics
Feb 5, 2014
Convivium Article
Dignity of Work
Jan 22, 2014
Convivium Article
Rediscovering Liberal Principle?
Jan 8, 2014
Convivium Article
Advent Hope
Dec 18, 2013
Convivium Article
Jumping out of the Private-Public Box
Dec 11, 2013
Convivium Article
Reforming Political Institutions
Dec 4, 2013
Convivium Article
Rob Ford, the Media, and the Three Cs
Nov 29, 2013
Convivium Article
Caricatures and Blame Games
Nov 15, 2013
Convivium Article
Muddled in the Middle
Nov 6, 2013
Convivium Article
Does Successful Leadership Require Distasteful Characteristics?
Oct 29, 2013
Convivium Article
Diminishing Religion
Oct 9, 2013
Convivium Article
Too Soon to Tell?
Oct 2, 2013
Convivium Article
Experiencing Every Square Inch of God's Theater
Sep 25, 2013
Convivium Article
Mixing Journalism and Politics
Sep 18, 2013
Convivium Article
Talking Hell in Public
Sep 11, 2013
Convivium Article
Power and Common Good: Squaring the Smiths
Aug 23, 2013
Convivium Article
Loyola's Freedom of Religion
Aug 2, 2013
Convivium Article
Oldest Human Institutions
Jul 24, 2013
Convivium Article
No Class
Jul 10, 2013
Convivium Article
True Patriot Love
Jul 4, 2013
Convivium Article
Reflections from the Calgary Flood Plain
Jun 24, 2013
Convivium Article
The Religion of the Nones
Jun 12, 2013
Convivium Article
Taking a Bow
Jun 3, 2013
Convivium Article
Bright Days Ahead for Faith-Based Universities?
May 28, 2013
Convivium Article
When Democracy Loses its Moral Authority
May 22, 2013
Convivium Article
Greatly Troubled
May 15, 2013
Convivium Article
Can Ethics be Taught?
May 8, 2013
Convivium Article
The Good of our Opponents
May 1, 2013
Convivium Article
Attack Ads and Attention Spans
Apr 24, 2013
Convivium Article
Watching Democratic Infrastructure Crumble
Apr 3, 2013
Convivium Article
Why Tolerate Religion? According to Brian Leiter
Mar 28, 2013
Comment Article
Welcoming the End of "Government Compassion"
Mar 27, 2013
Convivium Article
Candid Discussions Worth Having
Mar 20, 2013
Convivium Article
Places of Worship Protected in City Core
Mar 15, 2013
Convivium Article
Book of Jobes
Mar 6, 2013
Convivium Article
The Devil's Advocate: Perfection Waits for Another World
Mar 1, 2013
Comment Article
A Post-Politics Consensus?
Feb 28, 2013
Convivium Article
Impolite Canadian Conversations
Feb 20, 2013
Convivium Article
Democracy Lessons from Grade 9
Feb 14, 2013
Convivium Article
Many Textures of Beauty
Jan 31, 2013
Convivium Article
The Liberal Future
Jan 17, 2013
Convivium Article
More than a Sports Story
Jan 9, 2013
Convivium Article
No Time for #NoRegrets
Dec 19, 2012
Convivium Article
Royal Confusion
Dec 12, 2012
Convivium Article
The Fine Print Matters!
Nov 30, 2012
Convivium Article
Dissecting Democracy's Verdict
Nov 27, 2012
Convivium Article
Families and their Worldviews
Nov 22, 2012
Convivium Article
Paying Attention to the Courts
Nov 14, 2012
Convivium Article
Day-After Musings
Nov 7, 2012
Convivium Article
Intuition Trumps Strategy
Oct 31, 2012
Convivium Article
Strength Isn't What it Seems
Oct 24, 2012
Convivium Article
Anti-Bullying and Over-Correcting
Oct 17, 2012
Convivium Article
Sesame Street Politics
Oct 10, 2012
Convivium Article
Private Schools, Public Education
Oct 3, 2012
Convivium Article
Cardus Education Survey: Phase II Report (2012)
Sep 26, 2012
Research Report
Cardus Education Survey: Phase II Extended Data Pack (2012)
Sep 25, 2012
Research Report
The Commons Truth
Sep 19, 2012
Convivium Article
The Conversation: Private Education, Public Interest
Sep 1, 2012
Convivium Article
Evil Explained Away
Aug 30, 2012
Convivium Article
Reinvigorating Unions
Aug 16, 2012
Convivium Article
Church Practices and Public Life: The Public Implications of Church Discipline
Aug 13, 2012
Comment Article
Our Only Comfort
Jul 30, 2012
Convivium Article
The Limits of Our Merit
Jul 18, 2012
Convivium Article
Engaging Those Who Disagree
Jul 3, 2012
Convivium Article
Marrying Yourself
Jun 27, 2012
Convivium Article
Graduation Wishes
Jun 22, 2012
Convivium Article
Competition or Regulation? Reforming Labour Relations in Canada
Jun 22, 2012
CPiP Article
Church Meetings Matter
Jun 13, 2012
Convivium Article
The Loudest Exclamation: Humility
May 30, 2012
Convivium Article
Is Canadian Politics Becoming an Extreme Sport?
May 15, 2012
Convivium Article
A Convivial Culture
May 9, 2012
Convivium Article
Watch out for those Charitable Types!
May 1, 2012
Convivium Article
150 Years of Faith
May 1, 2012
Convivium Article
The NY Times on Chapter and Verse
Apr 13, 2012
Convivium Article
Holy Week and Public Theology
Apr 5, 2012
Convivium Article
The Long, Slow, Nail-Biting Crawl to Harper's Federalism
Mar 29, 2012
CPiP Article
Socialists and so-cons in same boat now
Mar 29, 2012
Convivium Article
In Praise of Deliberation
Mar 21, 2012
Convivium Article
Understanding the Fringe
Mar 14, 2012
Convivium Article
Watching the Frog Boil
Mar 6, 2012
Convivium Article
Jonathan Edwards and Life's Adverbial Questions
Mar 1, 2012
Comment Article
Personal, not private
Feb 23, 2012
Convivium Article
Religion, and the CRTC's Paternalistic Leftover
Feb 21, 2012
Convivium Article
A Gift for Canada
Feb 15, 2012
Convivium Article
Change the record
Feb 8, 2012
Convivium Article
The Virtue of Small Charities
Feb 1, 2012
Convivium Article
Canada's Political Game a-Changin'
Jan 11, 2012
Convivium Article
Beyond the Predictable
Jan 4, 2012
Convivium Article
Living the Paradox
Dec 21, 2011
Convivium Article
Veiled Interference in Freedom of Religion
Dec 14, 2011
Convivium Article
Giving Drunk Driving Laws a Breathalyzer
Dec 7, 2011
Convivium Article
In Favour of Marriage or Afraid of Divorce?
Nov 30, 2011
Convivium Article
Educating Without Families
Nov 23, 2011
Convivium Article
Brother Calvin
Nov 15, 2011
Convivium Article
Feeling Gutless on Remembrance Day
Nov 11, 2011
Convivium Article
More than One in 7 Billion
Nov 1, 2011
Convivium Article
Hockey and Politics Don't Mix
Oct 26, 2011
Convivium Article
Keeping Public Faith in Perspective
Oct 19, 2011
Convivium Article
Calgary City Soul Phase 2: Final Report
Oct 7, 2011
Research Report
Finding Nuance in the Practice of Politics
Sep 30, 2011
Comment Article
Cardus Education Survey: Phase I Report (2011)
Aug 16, 2011
Research Report
Cardus Education Survey: Phase I Facilitator's Guide (Parents and Supporters)
Aug 16, 2011
Research Report
Cardus Education Survey: Phase I Facilitator's Guide (Teachers and Administrators)
Aug 16, 2011
Research Report
Fights We'll Wish We Had: a Four Sectors Analysis of the 2011 Canadian Federal Election
May 3, 2011
CPiP Article
We still need unions
Mar 11, 2011
Comment Article
We Are the Public
Dec 3, 2010
Comment Article
Civil Religion: Caution is Advised
Sep 17, 2010
Comment Article
Necessary for Life
Aug 27, 2010
Comment Article
Embracing the Paradox
Jun 25, 2010
Comment Article
International Trade: Unionism
Jun 16, 2010
CPiP Article
The Armageddon Factor: The Rise of Christian Nationalism in Canada
Jun 16, 2010
CPiP Article
The Politics of the Budget Game
Mar 10, 2010
CPiP Article
Cardus' 2010 Federal Budget Analysis: Long-Term Talk Masks Short-Term Thinking
Mar 10, 2010
CPiP Article
Irrigating in the Desert
Feb 20, 2010
Cardus Audio
The Shifting Demand for Social Services
Feb 16, 2010
Research Report
The Doers: Tales of a Vanishing Tribe
Nov 20, 2009
CPiP Article
The Canadian Culture of Generosity
Nov 20, 2009
CPiP Article
Satisfied by Edwards' God
Oct 16, 2009
Comment Article
Cardus Education Survey - Brochure
Oct 9, 2009
Research Report
A Canadian Culture of Generosity
Oct 2, 2009
Research Report
The Whole and Heart of the Gospel
Sep 18, 2009
Comment Article
Would John Calvin have come to his own birthday party?
Jul 17, 2009
Comment Article
Papyrus to Tweeting: the once and future cartography of the news room
Jun 15, 2009
CPiP Article
Ice-Breakers
Apr 1, 2009
CPiP Article
Borrowing From the Future to Maintain the Ways of the Past
Jan 1, 2009
CPiP Article
2009 Budget Analysis
Jan 1, 2009
CPiP Article
Can we hope for a neocalvinist-neopuritan dialogue?
Dec 1, 2008
Comment Article
Why Is Construction So Expensive in Ontario?
Nov 25, 2008
Research Report
Social Architecture
Nov 1, 2008
Cardus Audio
About Cardus
Oct 16, 2008
Cardus Audio
Working Local: A study of Stationary Labour in Canada's Construction Sector
Sep 1, 2008
Research Report
A New Lens: Considering Work in Construction and Its Impacts on Canadians
Sep 1, 2008
CPiP Article
Q&A with Ray Pennings, Vice-President Research, Work Research Foundation
Jul 18, 2008
Comment Article
Vocational Calvinism
Jun 6, 2008
Comment Article
Two minutes for elbowing: Competing for influence and cultural change
Aug 25, 2006
Comment Article
The Strategy of Salt
Apr 1, 2006
Cardus Audio
Replacing the Pan-Canadian Consensus
Mar 1, 2006
Comment Article
Working Mobile: A study of Labour Mobility in Canada's Industrial Construction Sector
Mar 1, 2006
Research Report
Capitalism at the Crossroads: a review essay
Feb 17, 2006
Comment Article
What is to be done... in the public square?
Dec 1, 2005
Comment Article
Stepping Forward 2005: The Face of Construction is Changing
Dec 1, 2005
Research Report
Global corporations: Can big be beautiful?
Nov 18, 2005
Comment Article
Beyond Unions?
Aug 1, 2005
Comment Article
Sphere Sovereignty 101
Aug 1, 2005
Comment Article
Building Institutions: The Work Research Foundation
Jul 15, 2005
Comment Article
Spiritual Capital
Jul 1, 2005
Cardus Audio
The Naked Public Squares Revisited
Jan 1, 2005
Comment Article
Learning from the Journey
Nov 1, 2004
Comment Article
Collective Representation: A Conservative Defense
Sep 1, 2004
Comment Article
The Value of Values-Talk
Jun 1, 2004
Comment Article
Can Bad People be Good Leaders?
Apr 1, 2004
Comment Article
Collective Representation: A Conservative Defence
Apr 1, 2003
Research Report
Guilds from the Dot-com Ashes?
Mar 1, 2003
Comment Article
Human Rights, Union Changes
Mar 1, 2003
Comment Article
Kuyper's Sphere Sovereignty and Modern Economic Institutions
Jan 1, 2003
Comment Article
Competitively Working in Tomorrow's Construction
Jul 1, 2002
Research Report
Beyond Talking: Practical Steps Towards Cooperative Labour Relations
Sep 1, 2001
Comment Article
Has Harris Really Changed Things?
May 1, 2001
Comment Article
Civic Entrepreneurialism
May 1, 2001
Comment Article
Buying a Labour Monopoly?
Jul 1, 1998
Research Report

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