Chris Stedman
Born (1987-04-09) April 9, 1987 (age 36)
Robbinsdale, Minnesota, U.S.
EducationAugsburg University (BA)
University of Chicago (MA)

Christopher Stedman (born April 9, 1987) is an American writer who teaches in the department of religion and philosophy at Augsburg University.[1] He was previously the founding executive director of the Yale Humanist Community at Yale University and a humanist chaplain at Harvard University.[2]

Biography

Stedman was born in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. He was raised in a secular household, but converted to Evangelical Christianity at the age of eleven, because he was attracted by its stability during his parents' divorce.[citation needed]

Stedman struggled for years to reconcile his gay sexual orientation with his Christian faith and declared himself an atheist in college.[3] Stedman studied Religion at Augsburg University, Meadville Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago, obtaining baccalaureate and master's degrees prior to joining Harvard at the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard.[4] Following his time at Harvard, he founded the Yale Humanist Community.[5]

Stedman currently teaches at Augsburg University.[6]

He is the author of IRL and Faitheist, and host of the narrative podcast Unread, named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by the Guardian,[7] Vulture,[8] HuffPost,[9] Bello Collective,[10] Mashable,[11] and the CBC.[12] Stedman's writing advocates outreach to seek "common moral ground between theists and atheists," and proposes achieving that aim by expanding interfaith dialogue to include atheists.[13]

Awards

Stedman is a past awardee of the 2011 Billings Prize for Most Outstanding Scholastic Achievement.[14]

In 2018, Augsburg University selected Stedman for the Decade Award, which recognizes alumni "who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community" in their first decade after graduating.[15]

In 2022, Stedman was honored by the Webby Awards in the Podcasts - Best Writing category for his podcast Unread.[16]

Reception

Stedman's advocacy for inclusive interfaith dialogue and tolerance has found support from other atheists and interfaith advocates in the Millennial generation,[17] as well as pluralistic rationalist communities.[18]

Stedman has received some criticism for his open embrace of religion from the broader atheist community.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ "Welcome to Chris Stedman as the Inter-Religious Resource Coordinator". 25 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  2. ^ "Meet Chris « Yale Humanist Community". Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
  3. ^ Wheeler, Wendi (April 1, 2011). "Talking About Faith and Values". Augsburg NOW. Augsburg University. Archived from the original on 2013-03-17. Retrieved 2012-11-16.
  4. ^ "Meet Our New Interfaith and Community Service Fellow". The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard. Archived from the original on 2011-09-05. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
  5. ^ "True nonbeliever". Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  6. ^ "Welcome to Chris Stedman as the Inter-Religious Resource Coordinator". 2022-02-25. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
  7. ^ The 20 best podcasts of 2021 Archived 2022-08-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  8. ^ The Best Podcasts of 2021 Archived 2023-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  9. ^ 19 Podcasts We Loved In 2021 Archived 2022-02-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  10. ^ 100 Outstanding Podcasts From 2021 Archived 2022-07-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  11. ^ Best new podcasts of 2021 Archived 2022-10-25 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  12. ^ The Best Podcasts of 2021 Archived 2022-09-05 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  13. ^ "Twin Cities native seeks atheist/religious common ground", St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 28, 2012 Archived January 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  14. ^ "Author Bio: Christopher Stedman". The New Humanism. The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard. Archived from the original on 2011-03-20. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  15. ^ Meet First Decade Award Winner Chris Stedman ‘08 Archived 2022-02-26 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Unread (Podcast Series 2021) - Awards - IMDb. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  17. ^ "Chris Stedman is a Faitheist: Atheists Involved in Interfaith Dialogue", The Huffington Post, November 24, 2012 Archived November 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  18. ^ Burton, Frank H. (2011-11-09). "Be Sane, Be VERY Sane", "NonProphet Status". Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  19. ^ "Skepticblog » Thoughts on Chris Stedman's Faitheist". Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  20. ^ "Why "faitheist" Chris Stedman is so obnoxious". Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
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