Christy Vines is the founding Executive Director of the Center for Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she leads a bold and timely effort to equip Christian leaders with the theological, spiritual, and practical tools to transform conflict in a divided world. A nationally recognized voice on empathy and the role of faith in healing societal fractures, Christy brings a unique blend of academic rigor, personal conviction, and creative storytelling to her work.

Before joining Fuller, Christy was the founder and President of Ideos Institute, a pioneering research and social change organization dedicated to advancing Empathic Intelligence as a tool for social renewal and conflict transformation. Under her leadership, Ideos developed cutting-edge frameworks, facilitated cross-sector dialogue initiatives, and produced widely shared digital content, including the 2022 documentary film, Dialogue Lab: America, which she executive produced.

Christy’s career spans influential roles in think tanks, NGOs, and the private sector. She served as Senior Vice President for Global Initiatives and Strategy at the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE), expanding initiatives in religious freedom, peacebuilding, and global women’s leadership. At the RAND Corporation, she worked across multiple research centers, including those focused on Asian and Middle East public policy, global risk, and national security. She has served as a senior fellow at the American Security Project, and advised organizations like the Carter Center’s Forum on Women, Religion, Violence, and Power and American Enterprise Institute’s Initiative on Faith and Public Life. She currently serves on the Imago Dei Fund Advisory Council, the Bridging Movement Leadership Council, and the Plant With Purpose Board of Directors.

A sought-after speaker, writer, and podcast guest, Christy’s work has been featured in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Capital Commentary, and on podcasts including Bob Goff’s Dream Big, How Do We Fix It?, and Comment Magazine’s Whole Person Revolution. Her storytelling and scholarship reflect a deep belief that empathy is not weakness, but a form of moral strength—one that has the power to repair relationships, communities, and systems.

Christy holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with an emphasis on foreign policy and national security. She began her undergraduate career at Stanford University and received her B.A. in Sociology and Qualitative Analysis from the University of California, Riverside.