Christopher Schelin

Rev. Dr. Christopher Schelin serves as an administrator and faculty member at Starr King School for the Ministry, a Unitarian Universalist and multireligious seminary in Oakland, California. His primary role is coordinating student services programs as the Dean of Students. As the Director of Contextual Education, he oversees praxis-oriented learning opportunities beyond the classroom, such as field education internships and clinical pastoral education.

Chris holds a Ph.D. in ecclesiology and political theory from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His doctoral studies were conducted in collaboration with the International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS). He now serves as a Senior Research Fellow at IBTS Amsterdam.

His research interests include Baptist history and theology as well as the interactions between religious traditions, political liberalism, and democracy. He is the author of The Contestable Church: Dissent, Democracy, and Baptist Ecclesiology (Mercer University Press, 2024). He is currently working with a co-author on a history of the conflicts at the Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College.

Chris is an ordained minister affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA and the Alliance of Baptists.