Dr. Hostetter was awarded a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in Near Eastern Studies. He has taught courses on interfaith dialogue; ethics and world religions; historical Jesus; and apocalypse and social change. He wrote an Elementary Grammar of Biblical Hebrew; curated poems for the National Museum of Language's Power of Poetry exhibit about Resisting Injustice with Language; and edited an issue of Family & Corrections Network Report concerning the spiritual impulse behind family programming. He has delivered public talks regarding the effect of south Asian religion on the Indian diaspora, governmental funding of faith-based organizations, and other subjects.

Outside of academia, Dr. Hostetter found previous employment at Prison Fellowship Ministries, 40 West Assistance & Referral Center, and Fuel Fund of Maryland. He also served on the boards of Central Maryland Ecumenical Council and Center for Social Change International.

A native of Pennsylvania, Edwin Hostetter currently lives in Baltimore with his wife Christine.