Dr. Christopher Ryan Brewer, theologian, creator, curator, and friend to many, died at age 45 in Grand Rapids, MI on November 11, 2025. He was the husband to the love of his life, Rachel Beth (Jeffery) Brewer. He was the father to two sons, John Woodson and Samuel J Edwin Brewer.

Born in Charleston, West Virginia on March 18, 1980, Chris was the youngest of three children born to Gary Lee and Kathy Lynn (Hartley) Brewer. Chris was a global citizen from his youth, living in Cedarville, Ohio, Winfield, West Virginia, Quebec, Canada, Petionville, Haiti, and Miami, Florida, eventually landing in Jenison, Michigan where he would graduate from high school.

Chris went on to earn a BA in Bible with a minor in Philosophy at Cedarville University in 2001, an MA in Historical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary (GRTS) in 2004, an MDiv at GRTS in 2010, and a PhD under the supervision of the Revd Professor David Brown at the University of St Andrews in 2015. He was editor or co-editor of seven academic volumes—Christian Theology and the Transformation of Natural Religion among them—with several more forthcoming. He completed his first authored book, Understanding Natural Theology (Zondervan Academic, 2026) immediately before illness interrupted his work. He was a member of the American Academy of Religion and the Society for the Study of Theology.

Prior to his scholarly endeavors, Christopher worked as a marketing manager for Universal Forest Products—an early sign of his uniquely interdisciplinary path. He was a devoted Program Officer at Templeton Religion Trust, moving to Principal Advisor in his final years. Chris led the Art Seeking Understanding initiative at Templeton Religion Trust, a funding initiative devoted to exploring the empirical connection between the arts and new spiritual information. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of GiffordLectures.org, expanding access to over a century of public philosophy and theology.

As part of the At the Threshold film series, a global documentary series exploring the intellectual and spiritual lives of contemporary religious scholars, a film of Chris's vision was recently produced and can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kZ6psA5nk

Chris was happiest cooking, eating, and drinking in the company of his family and friends, but––as an introvert––enjoyed sitting in a chair early in the morning with a cup of coffee while thinking or reading. He was a world maker, capable of imagining and realizing complex projects, programs, and scenarios. He believed that theory made space for practice, and so dedicated his life to conversations, often conceptual and abstract, but always creative with real world implications. "Thinking was," he said, "immensely practical and full of feeling."

Chris Brewer is survived by his wife, Rachel, and their two sons, John Woodson and Samuel J Edwin Brewer. He is also survived by his parents, Gary Lee and Kathy Lynn (Hartley) Brewer, his brother Mathew (Jodi) Brewer and sister Stacey (Mark) Ellens, along with a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 18 at 10:30 am at St. Mark's Episcopal Church at 134 Division Ave N, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

In lieu of flowers - The Tonny Chirwa Academic Scholarship Fund

Chris and Rachel Brewer met Tonny Chirwa under unique circumstances. As Chris's health declined, Rachel sought in-home 24/7 care for Chris. Tonny was assigned to Chris and Rachel where he cared for Chris with warmth, attention, skill and grace. He made the most difficult season one could ever imagine a little bit better.

Conversely, living with Chris and Rachel inspired something within Tonny. Tonny saw through Chris what's possible when seeking the life of the mind. Surrounded by Chris's books and having numerous opportunities to meet academics from Chris and Rachel's network, Tonny put into action his desire to become a lawyer. Tonny recently applied and was accepted to law school.

With gratitude to Tonny, and in lieu of flowers or gifts, Rachel invites you to give to the Tonny Chirwa Academic Scholarship Fund via the GoFundMe link below. This gesture, in honor of Chris and his academic pursuits, will be awarded to Tonny for his upcoming academic costs.

Thank you for considering this meaningful gesture.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-tonny-chirwa-academic-scholarship-fund