Steven Charleston

Steven Charleston is an Episcopal Bishop, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, and a Native American elder. After graduating from Trinity in 1971 with a degree in religion, Steven Charleston earned a master’s of divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

His vocation in the church has been extensive. He was the national staff officer for Native American ministries in the Episcopal Church; director of the Dakota Leadership Program, developing new methods of training indigenous laity and clergy. He later because tenured professor in Systematic Theology at Luther-Northwestern Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he was instrumental in the development of the cross-cultural studies program. Steven Charleston also served as diocesan bishop of Alaska.

Bishop Charleston is widely recognized as a leading proponent for justice issues and for spiritual renewal in the church in the United States and Canada. He has published two spiritual diaries, a novel, several collections of spiritual meditations, and numerous articles in theological journals. Today there are over 10,000 people who read his daily meditations on Facebook and thousands more around the world who read his books through Red Moon Publications.

In 1992, Bishop Charleston received an honorary degree from the college, and served as chaplain here at Trinity from 1996-1999. To read about the dedication event, see this press release.