HTI 25th Anniversary Lecture Series

videoHTI25PTSCompilation
Written By Open Plaza

Princeton Theological Seminary commemorates the Silver Jubilee of the Hispanic Theological Initiative with free recorded lectures by Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto, Dr. Doris García-Rivera, and Dr. Gerardo Martí

Black Lives Matter protest in front of the St. Bonifatius Cathedral, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2020. Photo: Folco Masi

Black Lives Matter protest in front of the St. Bonifatius Cathedral, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2020. Photo: Folco Masi

 

Doing Theology En Conjunto

From HTI JOURNEYS Newsletter, June 2021:

To celebrate HTI’s 25th anniversary, member institution Princeton Theological Seminary hosted a three-day lecture series titled “The Role of Religious Institutions in the Future of American Society: Interdisciplinary Approaches from Latinx Perspectives.”

This lecture series is just one of the many testaments of the impact of your support of HTI over the past 25 years. Rev. Dayle G. Rounds, Associate Dean for Continuing Education at Princeton Seminary spoke of this en conjunto work: “We are blessed to have the Hispanic Theological Initiative in our midst. It has been a journey of joy and revelation, learning new things, meeting new people, and participating in one of the most innovative resources in the academy.”

 During the lecture series, several HTI scholars brought to light issues faced in theological education by Latinx individuals. They featured Dr. Eric Barreto (2008-2009 HTI Dissertation Year Scholar, HTI Mentor and HTI Steering Committee member), Dr. Doris García-Rivera, and Dr. Gerardo Martí.

Each pre-recorded lecture below is 75 minutes long and immediately available upon free registration.

 

A Latinx Imagination and Future for Theological Education
Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto

As theological education faces significant change in a time of racial, political, and public health pandemics, the complexities of the stories and perspectives of Latinx communities hold great promise as we imagine what vocation, study, and formation might look like in an uncertain future. With a particular emphasis on biblical studies, this presentation will gesture towards a future that centers the marginalized and sees in Latinx communities the promise of a transformed imagination for theological education.

What You'll Learn:

  • How to articulate some of the complex cultural dynamics that distinguish diverse Latinx communities, pedagogies, and theological perspectives.

  • How to imagine a hopeful future for theological education and the church alike.

Audience: LatinX community, pastors, theological educators

Featured
Eric Barreto

Rev. Dr. Eric D. Barreto is the Frederick and Margaret L. Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary and an ordained Baptist minister. He holds a BA in religion from Oklahoma Baptist University, an MDiv from Princeton Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from Emory University. Prior to coming to Princeton Seminary, he served as associate professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, and taught as an adjunct professor at the Candler School of Theology and McAfee School of Theology. Dr. Barreto is the author of Ethnic Negotiations: The Function of Race and Ethnicity in Acts 16 (Mohr Siebeck, 2010), the co-author of Exploring the Bible (Fortress Press, 2016), and editor of Reading Theologically (Fortress Press, 2014). For more, go to ericbarreto.com and follow him on Twitter (@ericbarreto).

HTIyellow1.jpeg

Soaring into the Night Remapping the Theological Star Chart
Dr. Doris García Rivera

Using the imagery of the Zapatista's reinterpretation of a cosmogonic myth "La Noche... la noche es nuestra," at the periphery of theological academic discourses, this presentation “apalabra” - rephrases – the present social challenges and provides suggestions to center the Hispanic theological thinking, stories and experiences to remap the theological horizon. The myth's reinterpretation provides a metaphor to reaffirms the essentiality of People of Color and especially of Hispanic groups to the survival of the U.S.A. and to the renewal of theological education. The presentation concludes by noting the leadership role of the Hispanic Theological Initiative in setting up "new constellations" and the possibilities of partnering with the nonprofit sector serving Hispanic communities to work “en conjunto” to navigate the “night” and continue to redesign the “star chart” of theological education.

What You'll Learn:

  • Explore the capacity of theological myths to reframe reality.

  • Learn about how partnering with nonprofits can expand and enrich the academic theological understanding and theological education.

Audience: LatinX community, pastors, theological educators

Featured
Doris García-Rivera

Rev. Dr. Doris García-Rivera is a Professor of Old Testament and Mission and Evangelism in the Certificate in Hispanic Ministries at Lexington Theological Seminary, where she also serves as Academic Coordinator for Pathways for Tomorrow Grant. Her work focuses on Nonprofit Organizations Management, Fundraising, Preaching, Social Justice, Interculturality, Ancient Near Eastern culture, and Prophetic Literature. Since 1982, Rev. Dr. García-Rivera has collaborated with a variety of journals and digital spaces, sharing valuable biblical and theological knowledge and receiving several awards for her writings. She spent 23 years of missionary service in Central America, connecting Indigenous and Central Americans communities with churches and organizations in the U.S. through the International Ministries of American Baptist Churches (IM-ABC). Formerly, she served as Interim Director at Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA)-Bautistas por la Paz. In 2014, Rev. Dr. García-Rivera was appointed President of the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico, becoming the first woman president in the seminary's history. She holds a PhD focused in Historical & Bible Studies and Sociology from Boston University's School of Theology; an MAR in Cross-Cultural Evangelism from the Andover Newton Theological School; an MS in Microbiology from the School of Medicine of Puerto Rico; and a BSc from University of Puerto Rico. In 1990, Rev. Dr. Garcia-Rivera was ordained as a minister of the ABC – Puerto Rican Baptist Churches. A proud mother of three adults, she enjoys science fiction, writing, and music.

HTIPurple.jpeg

Latinidad in Our Righteous Republic
Latinx Churches, Christian Libertarianism, and the Future of American Politics
Dr. Gerardo Martí

Examine how today’s Latinx Protestants in the United States increasingly align with neoliberal political agendas, benefiting a long-established hierarchy of whiteness and white supremacy that further accentuates racial and economic inequalities. Seeing how the desire for being a “good Christian” in Latinx communities merges with libertarian notions of American citizenship provides a glimpse into the near future of Latinx populations and the future of American politics.

What You'll Learn:

  • The global rise of neoliberalism and its effect on Latinx Christianity in America.

  • How a rising Christian Latinidad aligns with Christian Libertarian priorities.

Audience: LatinX community, pastors, theological educators

Featured
Gerardo Martí

Dr. Gerardo Martí is Professor of Sociology at Davidson College. He is also President-Elect of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and his book, The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2014), co-written with Gladys Ganiel, received the 2015 Distinguished Book Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion. Currently, Dr. Martí’s research is funded generously through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative and focused on churches actively confronting racial injustice. His most recent book is American Blindspot: Race, Class, Religion, and the Trump Presidency (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020).

 
Open Plaza
Previous

Quarter-Century Perspectives
Next

Not Your Typical Devotional