Finding Our Whole Selves 'In Real Life': Chris Stedman

What does it mean to have a ‘real life,’ when so much of our identities and human interactions occur virtually and in social media? That’s the question at the heart of the recent book by our guest Christ Stedman.

IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives takes an honest look at the ways in which we use our digital lives to test out new personas and to explore new areas of growth. It also explores how we use our digital selves to prune and curate the aspects of ourselves we don’t like or cannot yet expose to the world. Through it all, Stedman gives an honest account of his own journeys and struggles.

Chris Stedman, an activist, community organizer, and writer, is the author of Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious. He has written for The Guardian, The Atlantic, Pitchfork, BuzzFeed, and VICE, and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. Formerly the founding executive director of the Yale Humanist Community, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University and is currently Adjunct Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.