John Figdor
{{Infobox person
| name = Jonathan Figdor
| image =
| occupation = Humanist Chaplain at Stanford University
| alma_mater = Vassar College, Harvard Divinity School
| website = {{URL|http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com}}
}}
John Figdor is a cryptocurrency fundraiser{{Cite web |title=John Figdor - Account Executive and Account Manager at Empowerly |url=https://theorg.com/org/empowerly/org-chart/john-figdor |access-date=2023-11-30 |website=THE ORG |language=en}} and former humanist chaplain at Stanford University,{{cite news|title=John Figdor Appointed as Atheist Chaplain at Stanford|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-jones/an-atheist-chapaincy-a-good-way-to-begin-the-new-year_b_2366663.html|publisher=Huffington Post|accessdate=13 June 2013|first=Alan|last=Jones|date=28 December 2012}}{{cite web|title=Chaplain John Figdor develops humanist community on campus|date=20 February 2013 |url=http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/02/20/chaplain-john-figdor-develops-humanist-atheist-and-agnostic-community-on-campus/|publisher=Stanford Daily|accessdate=13 June 2013}} where he organized events and programs for students and community members in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was the first humanist chaplain at a university on the West Coast. As a humanist officiant, Figdor oversees non-theistic weddings, funerals, and baby-naming ceremonies.
Early life and education
Figdor received his A.B. with honors in philosophy from Vassar College and a master's degree (M.Div.) in humanism and interfaith dialogue from Harvard Divinity School.{{cite web|title=Stanford's New Humanist Chaplain: John Figdor|url=http://stanfordreview.org/article/stanfords-new-humanist-chaplain-john-figdor/|publisher=The Stanford Review|accessdate=13 June 2013|archive-date=15 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615093659/http://stanfordreview.org/article/stanfords-new-humanist-chaplain-john-figdor/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Secular Student Alliance John Figdor |url=https://www.secularstudents.org/speakers/JohnFigdor |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624212025/https://www.secularstudents.org/speakers/JohnFigdor |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2013 |accessdate=13 June 2013 |publisher=Secular Student Alliance}}
Career
Figdor was an Organizing Fellow of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard University and a former Assistant Humanist Chaplain at Harvard,{{cite news|title=Stanford gets a chaplain for atheists|url=http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Stanford-gets-a-chaplain-for-atheists-4139991.php#page-2|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|accessdate=13 June 2013|first=Nanette|last=Asimov|date=22 December 2012}} working with Greg Epstein.
Figdor was appointed to his position at Stanford University in 2012, where he worked with humanists, atheists, and agnostics. The organization holds a variety of events, such as dinners, public lectures, art gallery tours, pub nights, discussions and debates, and game nights.{{cite web|title=Stanford Humanist Community|url=http://stanfordhumanist.org/about-humanism/|publisher=Stanford Humanist Community|accessdate=13 June 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103060753/http://stanfordhumanist.org/about-humanism/|archivedate=3 January 2013}} Previous notable speakers have included Richard Dawkins.{{cite web|title=Richard Dawkins @ Stanford Humanist Community 2012 10 11| date=6 November 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6txAQhmBmA|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=13 June 2013}}
In 2014, Figdor coauthored, together with Lex Bayer, the book Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart: Rewriting the Ten Commandments for the Twenty-First Century (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014).{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/10-commandments-for-atheists-a-guide-for-nonbelievers-who-want-to-explore-their-values/2014/11/20/766f8330-70e7-11e4-a2c2-478179fd0489_story.html |title=10 Commandments for atheists: a guide for nonbelievers who want to explore their values |accessdate=February 15, 2015 |newspaper=The Washington Post |author=Kimberly Winston |date=November 20, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com/ |title=Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart|accessdate=February 15, 2015}} Figdor also organized the Rethink Prize, a crowdsourcing competition to rethink the Ten Commandments. The contest drew more than 2,800 submissions from 18 countries and 27 U.S. states. Winners were selected by a panel of judges in 2014.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/19/living/atheist-10-commandments/index.html?hpt=li_c2l |title=Behold, atheists' new Ten Commandments |accessdate=February 15, 2015 |publisher=CNN |author=Daniel Burke |date=December 20, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.atheistmindhumanistheart.com/the-rethink-prize/ |title=The Rethink Prize|accessdate=February 15, 2015}}
Figdor is a former board member of the Secular Student Alliance. Figdor and his work have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Huffington Post,{{cite news|title=The Atheist Chaplain|url=http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/atheist-gets-religion/50ee5c8a78c90a40500000c1|publisher=Huffington Post Live|accessdate=13 June 2013}} the Washington Post.,{{cite news|title=Humanist Parents Seek Communion Outside Church|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/20/AR2008122001896.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624212047/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-12-21/news/36814881_1_humanist-chaplain-seminar-students-graduate|url-status=live|archive-date=24 June 2013|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=13 June 2013|first=Robin|last=Shulman|date=21 December 2008}} Salon,{{cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2014/12/07/humanist_chaplain_john_figdor_religion_introduces_moral_problems_that_wouldnt_exist_otherwise/l |title=Humanist chaplain John Figdor: "Religion introduces moral problems that wouldn't exist otherwise" |accessdate=February 15, 2015 |work=Salon |author=Michael Schulson |date=December 7, 2014}} CNN, and TIME.{{cite news|url=https://time.com/3582354/heres-a-secular-alternative-to-the-ten-commandments/ |title=Here's a Secular Alternative to the Ten Commandments |access-date=February 15, 2015 |publisher=TIME |date=December 21, 2014}}
In 2016, Figdor left Stanford to work at Empowerly as an account executive and account manager. In 2021, he joined Ideas Beyond Borders as the Director of West Coast Operations and Crypto Evangelist.
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:University and college chaplains in the United States
Category:Harvard Divinity School alumni