About Us
TheoEd is a faith-based speaker series that brings together leading thinkers in the church and the academy to give the talk of their lives in 20 minutes or less. Its speakers deliver neither sermons nor traditional lectures. Rather they offer highly polished, no-notes, TED-style talks that seek to spark conversations about God, religion, and the power of faith to change lives and communities.
Our Story
What might happen if we brought a little bit of TED to church?
This was the question that a group of lay leaders at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta were wrestling with back in 2016 as they tried to reimagine the congregation’s annual speaker series. While the individuals invited were compelling, what they were asked to deliver – a traditional sermon and a lengthy academic lecture – appealed only to a limited audience. A new approach was needed that could make the best learning available not only to a wider range of individuals within the congregation but also the broader community.
Under the leadership of Ryan Bonfiglio, then Scholar in Residence at FPC Atlanta, TheoEd was born. The mission was ambitious: to assemble leading thinkers in the church and the academy to give highly-polished, no notes, “big idea” talks in 20 minutes or less. In doing so, TheoEd was designed to spark conversations that could change the way people think about God, religion, and the power of faith to shape lives and communities.
The first TheoEd event was offered in the fall of 2017. Since then, TheoEd has grown and expanded into a multi-city speaker series that is run by The Candler Foundry at Emory University. Through its website, TheoEd offers audiences from around the world free access to its collection of talks, as well as discussion guides, play lists, and other content. Through the events and content TheoEd produces, its goal is provide audiences with innovative and engaging outlets for deepening their faith formation.
Partnerships
TheoEd is a part of The Candler Foundry at Emory University, an initiative that seeks to bring in-depth theological learning to churches and communities outside of seminary degree programs. TheoEd events are made possible through partnerships between The Candler Foundry and congregations, schools, and other institutions in the host city.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Doing for the Bible, theology, and spirituality, what the popular Ted series has done for technology, entertainment, and design.
OUR VALUES
The values we believe in
Quality
Our speakers are experts in their fields, and we capture their groundbreaking ideas through high quality events and digital productions.
Accessibility
We strive to make our content available and engaging for everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, ability, cultural background, economic means, or theological tradition.
Community
Because we believe that learning happens best in community, we create resources designed to help audiences explore the ideas raised by our speakers beyond our events.
Diversity
We strive to use our platform to uplift diverse voices with varied points of view. Our speakers may not always agree with each other, and we believe that’s a good thing.
Innovation
TheoEd was born out of a commitment to thinking in fresh ways about how and where faith formation happens. This commitment continues to inform how TheoEd grows and evolves.
Curiosity
TheoEd seeks to cultivate a community of curious souls who are empowered to seek deeper understanding regardless of where they are in their journey of faith.
