 Born in 1952, Johnson was educated at the University of Western Ontario and then received his Master of Divinity degree in 1977 from Trinity College in the University of Toronto.He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity ("honoris causa") by Wycliffe College and Trinity College, both in 2005, and by Huron College in 2015.Johnson was made an Honorary Senior Fellow of Renison University College in 2017.