James Hartree

James Hartree is a Christian thinker and seminar leader dedicated to discerning what faithful Christian charity looks like in the 21st century. Trained in classical theology and philosophy at St. John’s College and formed spiritually through Anglican liturgy and practice, James is building a bridge between the Christian tradition and the urgent, practical questions raised by globalism, digital life, and modern philanthropy.​ James’s journey began far from faith—engaging with Effective Altruism and secular moral philosophy while studying at United World Colleges in Armenia. As a former atheist drawn to the rigor of utilitarian frameworks, he discovered that such systems, while sincere in intent, lacked the substance and completion of Christian theology. His conversion to Christianity was marked by encounters with the presence of Christ in the local church and a growing conviction that the life of the mind must be yoked to the life of the Spirit.​ James’s current work critiques the secularization of giving—particularly the need for a reconciliation between the frameworks of Effective Altruism, NGOs, and utilitarian ethics with the theological reality of neighbor-love and the Church’s call to embody love, mercy and charity in relational and incarnate ways. He argues that Christian charity cannot be grounded in abstraction or impact metrics alone; it must be rooted in intimate knowledge and contact with those being helped.