submitted by dames@augsburg.edu
Chris Stedman
Date: November 10, 2020
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Format: Zoom Webinar – to register see Zoom webinar link below
For much of history, humans have grappled with questions of meaning and belonging within institutions like churches and civic groups. Today, especially in the time of social distancing and online learning, more and more people are moving their search for connection and significance into digital space. The work of being human — exploring life’s big questions, finding a sense of identity and context, and connecting with others — increasingly happens on the internet. How is this changing our understanding of who we are? Join Augsburg University alum and current adjunct professor in Augsburg’s Department of Religion and Philosophy Chris Stedman for a conversation about his new book IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives (out October 20, 2020), what it means to be “real” in the age of Twitter and TikTok, and what we can learn from the novel ways of being and belonging that are emerging online.
The lecture will feature a presentation by Chris Stedman followed by a time of Q & A. This is a free event, open to students, staff and faculty. Registration required at webinar link provided. After registering, participants will receive a link to connect to the event.
Chris Stedman is a Minneapolis-based writer, speaker, teacher, and community organizer. He is the author of IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives (2020) and Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious (2012). Chris has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS.
Previously the founding director of the Yale Humanist Community and a fellow at Yale University, Chris also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University. He currently teaches in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg and serves as the Network of ELCA Colleges and Universities’ 2020-21 visiting lecturer.