Chris approaches the disciplines of philosophy and theology as they were approached in the world of ancient philosophy and early Christianity—namely as ethical enterprises that give expression to embodied ways of life. He is particularly interested in questions that arise at the intersection of knowledge and politics. His current project is an interpretation of the emphasis in the Christian tradition on the interrelationship between martyrdom, knowledge, and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. In his book A Precarious Peace, he examined how issues of violence and peace come to be embedded in debates about the nature of Christian theology, theories of knowledge, and questions of selfhood and identity.

In addition to regularly teaching introductory courses in theology, ethics, and philosophy, Chris also offers numerous upper-level seminars addressing topics of contemporary concern. Recent seminars have explored the topics of animal life, the concept of the secular, and the contemporary interest among philosophers and political theorists in the writings of Saint Paul. One of his favourite things about teaching is to take challenging theoretical texts and help students try to make sense of them.

Chris graduated with a PhD in Theology and Ethics from the Duke University Department of Religion in 2002. He earned and MA in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba and has undergraduate degrees in both Philosophy and Theology. Before coming to CMU, he taught courses at Duke University and Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. He returned to Duke University in 2008-09 as a visiting scholar.

Chris was born and raised in Winnipeg, but came to appreciate the complexity of the world during a two year period in Jerusalem in the early 1980s. Chris and his wife Rachel have three children. They attend Charleswood Mennonite Church.