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 Approach

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Bringing TED to the Church

Read more about the vision and strategy behind the TheoEd speaker series.

The Candler Foundry

 The Candler Foundry aims to make theological education accessible to everyone – believers and seekers, Sunday School attendees and lay ministers, community organizers and non-profit leaders, regular church goers and those just curious about faith. Our offerings are designed to be equal parts accessible and rigorous, providing wise, reliable, and relevant teaching in formats that can be integrated into your everyday life and faith. Join us to grow spiritually and develop practices that enable you to better serve the church, advocate for justice, have meaningful conversations, ask difficult questions, and engage issues that matter to the world.

Foundations in Faith & Leadership

The Foundations in Faith & Leadership certificate program offers cohort-based training for congregants, teachers, lay ministers, pastors, community organizers, and other individuals looking to grow spiritually and professionally through structured, cohort-based learning. 

Select from one of three tracks: 


Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation


The Bible for the Rest of Us: Essentials for Biblical Interpretation


Youth Ministry Training



Courses in the Community

Explore issues that matter to your life and faith with leading scholars and experienced practitioners through 4-6 week Courses in the Community. 



Bringing TheoEd to the Church


Read more about the vision and strategy behind the TheoEd speaker series.

Read More

The Candler Foundry


 The Candler Foundry aims to make theological education accessible to everyone – believers and seekers, Sunday School attendees and lay ministers, community organizers and non-profit leaders, regular church goers and those just curious about faith.


Learn More

Certificate Programs


 The Candler Foundry aims to make theological education accessible to everyone – believers and seekers, Sunday School attendees and lay ministers, community organizers and non-profit leaders, regular church goers and those just curious about faith.


Learn More

Short Seminary Level Courses


Explore issues that matter to your life and faith with leading scholars and experienced practitioners through 4-6 week Courses in the Community. 



Learn More
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.

Our Team

Meet the people who make the magic happen.  

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