Tyndale University was saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Dr. James (Jim) Beverley.

For more than three decades, Jim was part of the life of Tyndale, joining the faculty in 1988 and serving until his retirement in 2019. Thirty-one years is a remarkable span of service, and Jim made a lasting contribution to the intellectual and academic life of the university and on the students he taught.

Jim was a scholar of remarkable depth and curiosity. His areas of expertise included world religions, new religious movements, cults and religious extremism, Christian apologetics, Islam, and ethics. He published more than twenty books and contributed extensively to both academic and popular publications. His work brought him international recognition, and his expertise was sought by media outlets and scholars alike. His research took him around the world, and in 2000 he had the exceptional opportunity to conduct a personal interview with the Dalai Lama.

Jim’s contribution to Tyndale however, extended far beyond his publications and professional accomplishments. At heart, he was a teacher. He brought an extraordinary intellectual curiosity to the classroom and encouraged students to take difficult questions seriously, to think carefully, examine their assumptions, and engage thoughtfully with perspectives different from their own.

For Jim, his areas of research were never simply subjects to be mastered. They were, fundamentally, questions about people: what they believe, why they believe it, how those beliefs shape their lives, and how Christians might respond with both conviction and grace. He could challenge an assumption, probe an argument, introduce an unfamiliar perspective, engage in role-play or send a student off to investigate something they had never considered before. And he did so with a deep commitment to Christian faith.

Jim understood that scholarship was not simply about the accumulation of knowledge. He understood that education, at its best, is about the formation of people, and despite the breadth of his scholarship and the significance of the questions he studied, Jim never seemed to lose sight of the individual person sitting across from him. That was one of his great gifts as a professor. His intellectual curiosity was matched by a genuine interest in others, and his questions were not simply a way of advancing an argument; they were a way of engaging those around him.

That same curiosity shaped Jim as a colleague. He was an engaging conversationalist, a generous intellectual companion, and someone who was sincerely interested in the ideas and experiences of others. Those who worked with him will remember his willingness to engage in conversation, sometimes at considerable length and his genuine interest in the stories and ideas of others. Jim had a remarkable ability to connect with people. He could move easily from a discussion of theology or world religions to a personal story, a practical observation, or some wonderfully unexpected anecdote. His curiosity was infectious, and his willingness to engage others reflected both his scholarly instincts and his genuine interest in people.

Jim also had a deep appreciation for those who had shaped his own intellectual and spiritual journey. He often spoke with gratitude about teachers and mentors who had influenced him. In that sense, his own career became part of that same chain of influence. He passed on what he had received, shaping generations of students and contributing to the intellectual formation of the Tyndale community. His legacy, therefore, is found not only in his books and scholarship, but in the students he taught, the colleagues with whom he worked, and the many people whose thinking was broadened and deepened through his work.

Jim spent his career asking important questions. He encouraged others to do the same. And perhaps one of the best ways we can honour him is to continue that work: to remain curious, to listen generously, to think carefully, to disagree graciously, and to live with confidence in the grace and love of God.

On behalf of Tyndale University, we are grateful for Jim’s many years of service, for his scholarship, his teaching, his collegiality, and the distinctive intellectual contribution he made to our institution.

His influence has become an enduring part of Tyndale’s story, being woven into the fabric of our community and he will be remembered not only for what he contributed intellectually to Tyndale, but for the way he enriched the lives of those who had the privilege of learning from him, working alongside him, and knowing him.

A celebration of life service will take place on Saturday, October 10 at Hillside Church, Moncton.