What Can We Learn About Being Human From Life Online?
Chris Stedman
November 10 from 4-5 pm
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Nov 10, 2020 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Chris Stedman Lecture
The lecture is available online.
Description:
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.
Bio:
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, and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Atlantic, BuzzFeed, Pitchfork, VICE, The Rumpus, The LA Review of Books, and The Washington Post.
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. In 2018 Augsburg selected him 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. To learn more, visit chrisstedmanwriter.com or irlbook.com.