Michael Coren

Early Life, Heritage and Immigration

Michael Coren was born on 15 January 1959 in Walthamstow, then part of Essex, England. His heritage is Jewish, with his father being Jewish and his maternal grandfather also Jewish, while his maternal grandmother came from a family of Welsh coal miners and had converted to Judaism. He was raised in a secular environment, and his father and uncle worked as cab drivers. Coren has noted that his father's family left Poland in the 1890s, decades before the Holocaust, a fact he has referenced when defending himself against accusations of antisemitism. He pursued higher education at the University of Nottingham, where he obtained a degree in politics. In 1987, he decided to emigrate, moving from Britain to Canada where he would establish his media career. His early professional writing in Canada included columns for the satirical humour magazine Frank, which would later satirize him extensively, including running a spoof ad contest to 'deflower' him as a jab at his conservative leanings.

Print Journalism and Columnist Career

Michael Coren's writing career in Canada began shortly after his arrival. He first wrote a column for Frank magazine, a publication that had targeted him even before he wrote for them and would continue to do so afterwards, notably labelling him a 'literary prostitute' in 1994, a characterization to which Coren took exception. He then became a columnist for The Globe and Mail, establishing himself in mainstream Canadian journalism. In 1995, he began writing syndicated columns for the Financial Post and Sun Media, a relationship that would last for twenty years. His weekly Saturday column for the Sun newspaper chain continued until February 2015. Over the years, his columns have also appeared in a wide array of publications including the Western Standard, Catholic Insight, The Women's Post, National Post, and Reader's Digest. Following his departure from conservative circles, he became a columnist for the Toronto Star and the online political publication iPolitics, where he continues to write. His columns have consistently focused on politics, religion, and social issues, reflecting his own evolving perspectives.

Broadcasting Career in Radio and Television

Michael Coren's broadcasting career began in the early 1990s when he co-hosted a political debate segment with Irshad Manji on TVOntario's current affairs program Studio 2. His major foray into radio started in 1995 with an evening talk show on Toronto's powerhouse station CFRB. In 1999, he briefly moved to Talk 640 for a short stint as its morning host before returning to CFRB. At CFRB, he hosted a weekday evening show from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and regularly filled in for other hosts. His first dismissal from CFRB came in November 2005 following listener complaints about a scripted comedy segment where an actor portraying a guest was ridiculed for his weight. Station management called the segment 'totally out of bounds,' though Coren argued it was satire comparing attitudes toward third-world starvation and North American weight obsession. He returned for guest appearances and in the fall of 2007 launched a daily afternoon show on CFRB with former Liberal Party president Stephen LeDrew called Two Bald Guys With Strong Opinions. After LeDrew's departure, Coren was joined by Tarek Fatah. On television, Coren hosted The Michael Coren Show on the Crossroads Television System (CTS) from 1999 until June 2011. He then joined the newly launched Sun News Network to host The Arena with Michael Coren, a weeknight program that ran from 30 August 2011 until the channel's demise in February 2015. Following this, he had an extremely brief association with Ezra Levant's online platform The Rebel Media, leaving after only one week.

Published Books and Literary Output

Michael Coren is the author of more than fifteen books, spanning biography, religion, and social commentary. His early works were biographies of notable British literary figures, beginning with Theatre Royal: 100 Years of Stratford East in 1985. He established a reputation in this genre with Gilbert: The Man Who Was G. K. Chesterton (1990), The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H. G. Wells (1993), The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1993), The Man Who Created Narnia: The Story of C. S. Lewis (1994), and J. R. R. Tolkien: The Man who Created the Lord of the Rings (2001). His later work shifted toward defending and explaining Christian faith, such as Why Catholics Are Right (2011). This was followed by Heresy: Ten Lies They Spread About Christianity (2012), The Future of Catholicism (2013), and Hatred: Islam's War on Christianity (2014). His public change of views was crystallized in Epiphany: A Christian's Change of Heart & Mind over Same-Sex Marriage (2016). His most recent works include The Rebel Christ (2021) and a memoir, Diary of a Low-Born Cleric, which details his experiences as an Anglican priest. His books reflect his intellectual journey and have been a constant alongside his media work.

Complex Religious Journey and Theological Shifts

Michael Coren's religious path has been neither linear nor private. He converted to Catholic Christianity in 1984 while still living in England, later describing it as converting 'to an institution.' In the 1990s, after a conversion experience greatly influenced by Canadian televangelist Terry Winter, he left Catholicism for Evangelicalism. During this period, he made sharply critical comments about Catholicism, writing in 1991 that 'Evangelicals may be intolerant, small-minded, and repellent, but at least they hold a consistent set of beliefs.' A major rupture with the Catholic Church occurred in 1993 after he published an unflattering profile of Archbishop Aloysius Ambrozic in Toronto Life magazine, which quoted the archbishop using vulgar language and offering a favourable opinion of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Coren defended his article, stating that thousands of Catholics expected him to lie. After this, he stated he no longer considered himself Catholic, though his wife remained Catholic and his children were raised in the faith. He returned to the Catholic Church in early 2004, citing influences like Thomas More and C. S. Lewis. A decade later, around 2014, he left Catholicism once more, formally joining the Anglican Church of Canada in 2015. He cited the Catholic Church's teachings on homosexuality and contraception as key reasons. This conversion involved a public embrace of socially liberal ideas, profound contrition for the tone of his past commentary, and a new identification as a Christian socialist. He was ordained a transitional deacon in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara in October 2019 and a priest in September 2021, now serving as associate priest at St. Luke's in Burlington.

Major Public Controversies and Statements

Throughout his career, Coren has frequently provoked controversy with his statements. In the 1990s and 2000s, his comments on AIDS drew significant criticism. In a 1994 interview, he argued that public concern represented a double standard, stating, 'When it was blacks in Africa dying of AIDS, no one gave a toss. Suddenly, it's middle-class men in California and everyone goes crazy about it.' In a 2006 column for the Toronto Sun titled 'Why is AIDS so special?' he wrote bluntly that prevention meant 'stop fornicating,' and described AIDS in the West as overwhelmingly a threat to male homosexuals and intravenous drug users. In September 2006, he published an article in the Toronto Sun supporting the use of tactical nuclear strikes against Iran, a position he retracted the following year. His 1993 profile of Archbishop Ambrozic caused a lasting rift with Catholic authorities. His very public theological shift also generated intense backlash. He estimated in a 2015 interview that he lost approximately $35,000 a year in income from cancelled speaking fees and terminated columns for Sun Media, Crossroads Christian Communications, The Catholic Register, and other conservative Christian publications following his support for same-sex marriage. He observed that 'there is none so angry as a fundamentalist scorned.'

Personal Life and Family Connections

Michael Coren married his wife, Bernadette, in 1987, the same year he moved to Canada. The couple have four children together. Coren is a cousin of the late British author and journalist Alan Coren, which makes him a relative of Alan's children, television presenter and writer Victoria Coren Mitchell and journalist and restaurant critic Giles Coren. A devoted football fan, Coren supports the English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and has appeared as a guest host on The Score's The Footy Show. He has spoken about the impact of his religious choices on his family, noting that his Jewish father told him he could not attend his son's wedding in a Catholic church without becoming 'physically sick.' Coren is also a public speaker, particularly at religious gatherings, and continues to blend his clerical life with his public intellectual one.

Current Activities and Dual Vocation

Today, Michael Coren maintains a dual vocation as an Anglican priest and a working journalist. He serves as an associate priest at St. Luke's Anglican Church in Burlington, Ontario, involved in parish ministry, sacramental duties, and pastoral care. Simultaneously, he remains an active columnist, contributing regularly to the Toronto Star's Opinion section and to iPolitics, where he writes on current affairs, politics, and religion from his evolved perspective. He is also an award-winning author and continues to write books, his most recent being a memoir of his clerical life. This combination of roles makes him a rare figure in Canadian public life, a cleric who is also an internationally known columnist. He has discussed this journey in interviews and on programs like TVOntario's The Agenda, framing his story as one of personal and spiritual transformation from media firebrand to Anglican priest.

Questions about Michael Coren

What is Michael Coren known for in Canada?

Michael Coren is known as a longtime television host, radio personality, and columnist who was a prominent conservative voice in Canadian media for years. He hosted The Michael Coren Show on Crossroads Television for over a decade and later The Arena on Sun News Network. He is also known for his very public religious journey from conservative Catholicism to socially liberal Anglicanism and his subsequent ordination as a priest, which marked a dramatic shift in his public persona and commentary. His prolific writing includes biographies and books on Christian theology.

Why did Michael Coren leave the Catholic Church?

Michael Coren left the Catholic Church and joined the Anglican Church of Canada around 2014 to 2015. In interviews, he cited the Catholic Church's teachings on homosexuality and contraception as primary reasons for his departure. This theological shift was accompanied by a change in his social views, including his new support for same-sex marriage, which he has described as an epiphany that led to significant personal and professional consequences. He has also expressed contrition for the tone of his earlier conservative commentary.

Is Michael Coren still on television?

Michael Coren's last regular television hosting role was on The Arena with Michael Coren on the Sun News Network, which ended when the channel shut down in February 2015. He has not hosted another regular television series since that time. His media presence continues primarily through his written columns for the Toronto Star and iPolitics, as well as through public speaking, author events, and his work as an Anglican priest. He does make occasional guest appearances on television discussion programs.

What did Michael Coren say about AIDS?

In the 1990s and 2000s, Michael Coren made several controversial statements about AIDS. In a 1994 interview, he suggested public concern was a double standard, arguing that people cared more when middle-class men in California were affected compared to blacks in Africa. In a 2006 newspaper column, he wrote that AIDS in the West was largely a threat to male homosexuals and intravenous drug users and bluntly linked prevention to stopping fornication, comments that generated significant criticism. He framed these arguments as challenging comfortable points of view.

Where does Michael Coren work as a priest?

Michael Coren works as a priest in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. He was ordained a transitional deacon in that diocese in October 2019 and then ordained a priest in September 2021. He currently serves as the associate priest of St. Luke's Anglican Church in Burlington, Ontario. This clerical role is a central part of his life, which he balances with his career as a columnist and author. His experiences in parish ministry are detailed in his recent book, 'Diary of a Low-Born Cleric'.

What happened to Michael Coren's radio show on CFRB?

Michael Coren's relationship with CFRB radio involved multiple terminations. He was first dismissed in November 2005 following complaints about a scripted segment where he ridiculed an actor's weight, which station management deemed totally out of bounds. He later returned for guest appearances and in 2007 co-hosted a show called Two Bald Guys With Strong Opinions with Stephen LeDrew. After LeDrew's departure, Tarek Fatah became his co-host. Coren was let go from CFRB a second time on 27 August 2009, alongside 12 other staff members, as part of a broader station reduction.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.