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Join the Center for the Church and the Black Experience at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminar and Northwestern Religious Studies Department in welcoming guest lecturer Dr. Christophe Ringer as we explore “James Cone and the Eschatological Critique of Mass Incarceration.”

Christophe D. Ringer is an Associate Professor of Theological Ethics and Society at Chicago Theological Seminary. He is the author of Necropolitics and the Religious Crisis of U.S. Mass Incarceration and co-editor of the forthcoming Moved by the Spirit: Religion and the Movement for Black Lives. He received his Ph.D. in Religion, Ethics, and Society from Vanderbilt University. His research interests include Black religion and cultural studies, social, theological and philosophical ethics, public political theology, and political philosophy. Ringer has taught courses at American Baptist College; New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Christian Brothers College, Christian Theological Seminary, and the Illinois Humanities Council. Ringer is a member of the American Academy of Religion, serving on the steering of the Religion and Human Rights Unit and the Teaching & Learning Committee.

Ringer’s professional experience includes serving as pastor of Howard Congregational (UCC) from 2005 until 2015. Under his leadership, the over century-old church experienced renewal through community-oriented and social justice ministries. In addition, Ringer’s experience includes a background in community development, having worked at American National Bank (ANB) and the Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF). Further, Ringer completed an internship at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison (R.M.S.I.) and served as a counselor with Behavioral Treatment Providers (BTP). More recently, he’s been active in the campaign to abolish wealth-based pre-trial incarceration in Illinois.

Ringer is a Public Religion Research Institute Fellow, a New Leaders Council Fellow, a member of the Workers Center for Racial Justice, and serves on the board of the Chicago Renewal Society and A Just Harvest. Ringer is also the owner of Soul Craft Coaching, offering 1:1 spiritual coaching as well as mindfulness meditation classes. Ringer is married to the wonderful Minister Kimberly Peeler-Ringer.