Dean of Students, Director of Contextual Education, Assistant Professor of Practical and Political Theologies Full-time Core Faculty, Staff
B.A. Louisiana College
M.Div. Duke University
Ph.D. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Assistant to the Coordinator of Academic Programs and Dean of Faculty
Rev. Dr. Christopher Schelin serves as an administrator and faculty member at Starr king School for the Ministry. 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. Before joining Starr King in January 2015, he served as an associate pastor for six years in North Carolina. As an avid student of comparative theology and contemplative spirituality, he is delighted to work in a multireligious environment.
Chris enjoys amateur astronomy, gardening, and camping. He lives in the East Bay with his wife and two children.
