Chris Stedman is a writer, activist, and professor who teaches in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN, and currently serves as Research Fellow for Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute. 

 

He is the author of the books IRL, Faitheist, and the forthcoming Nothing in Particular, and the writer and host of Unread, named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by the Guardian, Vulture, HuffPost, Mashable, and the CBC, and honored by the 2022 Webby Awards. Additionally, he has written popular essays for outlets including the Atlantic, Pitchfork, BuzzFeed, VICE, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and the Washington Post. 

 

In his free time, Chris is a powerlifting hobbyist and LGBTQIA fundraiser. In 2024, he was selected for a Moxie Award in recognition of his fundraising efforts in support of trans and gender-expansive midwesterners.

Previously the founding director of the Yale Humanist Community and a fellow at Yale University, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University. In 2018, Augsburg selected Chris for their annual First Decade Award, which recognizes alumni “who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community” ten years after graduating. He currently serves on the board of PFund, an organization that provides direct financial assistance to LGBTQIA midwesterners.