Creating the Conditions for Scholars of Color to Thrive

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Written By Open Plaza

Stephen R. Di Trolio Coakley and Hector Herrera talk to Dr. Patrick Reyes about his journey into theological education

“Quetzalcóatl” (1973) mural by Mario Torero, et al., the first attempt at collective mural painting in Chicano Park, San Diego, CA, 2013. Parts of the mural image grace the cover of Nobody Cries When We Die by Patrick Reyes (Chalice Press, 2018). Photo: teddeady

“Quetzalcóatl” (1973) mural by Mario Torero, et al., the first attempt at collective mural painting in Chicano Park, San Diego, CA, 2013. Parts of the mural image grace the cover of Nobody Cries When We Die by Patrick Reyes (Chalice Press, 2018). Photo: teddeady

 
 

In Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood (Chalice Press, 2018), Dr. Patrick Reyes shares his story of how the community around him—his grandmother, clergy, educators, friends, and neighbors—saved him from gang life, abuse, and the economic and racial oppression that threatened to kill him before he ever reached adulthood. Today, Dr. Reyes is Senior Director of Learning Design at the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE), “a leadership incubator that inspires young people to make a difference in the world through Christian communities.”

In this episode of OP Talks, Stephen R. Di Trolio Coakley and Héctor Herrera talk to Dr. Reyes about his journey into theological education and the background to his award-winning, best-selling debut book. He highlights the difficulties of transition and the importance of rethinking the conditions for education. Citing FTE findings on the state of scholars of color in theological education, Dr. Reyes also recounts the many experiences of people of color in navigating these spaces and their challenges. He encourages us to think about both the current and the future of education for people of color.

“To put it simply, theological educators saved my life,” says Dr. Reyes. “At every major crossroads, a theologically trained elder was there to make a difference not just in my own life, but also in the lives of others in my community. It is humbling to do the sacred work of identifying, supporting, and placing the next generation of scholars and theological educators who are going to transform the academy, the church, and local communities.”

 
 
 

"Among its many contributions, the book powerfully demonstrates how story, land, and the realities of marginalized communities reconfigure our understanding of vocation.”

Jorge Juan Rodríguez V (Union Theological Seminary) review in
Perspectivas: The Journal of the Hispanic Theological Initiative

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Podcast: Sound of the Genuine
FTP Leaders - Dr. Patrick Reyes

This forum for the Theological Exploration’s podcast explores meaning and purpose, inviting listeners into the vocational journey of leaders of the church and academy.

SUBSCRIBE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible

 
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Stephen DiTrolio Coakley

Stephen R. Di Trolio Coakley is a PhD student at Princeton Theological Seminary in the Department of History and Ecumenics (World Christianity and History of Religions). He worked and taught in Buenos Aires, Argentina before moving to Princeton, New Jersey. His research interests include Pentecostalism, Latin American history, political theology, and decolonial theory.

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Héctor Herrera

Héctor Herrera III currently serves as associate pastor at Tokyo Union Church (TUC). He is the son of asylum seekers who escaped the Guatemalan civil war; his family became integrated into a larger international community of Latin American immigrants from 20 different countries at a local Spanish-speaking Baptist church, where Herrera’s Christian identity would form. Herrera holds a Bachelors in Philosophy from the University of California, Irvine, and MDiv and MA degrees in Christian Education and Formation from Princeton Theological Seminary. His pastoral experience and ministry include serving as a campus chaplain at Princeton University, a hospital chaplain at Arcadia Methodist Hospital, as a pastoral intern at San Marino Community Church near Los Angeles, and work with children and youth. Herrera also has international experience, having served at the Scotts Kirk in Lausanne, Switzerland and at Youngnak Presbyterian Church in Seoul, South Korea. With strengths in online communication and education, he has helped develop resources in Digital Learning for Princeton Seminary. Herrera aims to continue helping people of all ages and abilities connect with each other and with God as much of TUC’s ministry moves into digital space. Herrera and his wife Marie (childhood friend and high-school sweetheart) are the proud parents of Hector Herrera IV and Margot Herrera.

Featured
Patrick Reyes

Dr. Patrick B. Reyes is the author of the bestselling book The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive (Westminster John Knox Press, 2021), and of the award-winning book Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood (Chalice Press, 2018). He is the host of the Sound of the Genuine podcast. A Chicano educator, administrator, and institutional strategist, he is the Senior Director of Learning Design at the Forum for Theological Exploration. He is president-elect of the Religious Education Association and serves on several boards in education and the non-profit sector supporting the next generation of BIPOC leaders and educators. Dr. Reyes holds a Doctorate and Master of Arts from Claremont School of Theology, a Master of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology, and is proud to be a graduate of the California State education system, California State University at Sacramento (Sac State). You can learn more about Dr. Reyes at patrickbreyes.com.

 
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