简介

Miguel A. De La Torre is the Iliff professor of social ethics and Latino/a studies. The focus of his academic pursuit has been social and political ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression. He specializes in applying a postmodern/postcolonial social theoretical approach to U.S. marginalized spaces to construct a theological and biblical ethics that challenges structures of oppression. This liberationist approach to ethical thought from the periphery provides a unique perspective to the normative discourse. De La Torre joined the Iliff faculty in 2005 after teaching at Hope College in Holland, Michigan for five years. An ordained Southern Baptist minister, he served as pastor for Goshen Baptist Church in Glenn Dean, Kentucky. He is the author of Genesis: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (WJK, 2012); The Quest for the Historical Satan (co-authored, 2011); Liberating Jonah: Toward a Biblical Ethics of Reconciliation (Orbis Books, 2007); Lily Among the Thorns: Imagining a New Christian Sexuality (Jossey-Bass, 2007); Leer la Biblia desde los Marginados (Ediciones Messajero, 2005); Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins (Orbis Books, 2004); Santeria: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America (B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004); La Lucha for Cuba: Religion and Politics on the Streets of Miami (University of California Press, 2003); The Quest for the Cuban Christ: A Historical Search (University Press of Florida, 2002); Reading the Bible from the Margins (Orbis Books, 2002); Introducing Latino/a Theologies (co-authored, Orbis Books, 2001). He is also the editor of Out of the Shadows and Into the Light (TBA, 2009); Seeking Liberation within World Religions (Baylor University Press, 2008); Rethinking Latino/a Religion and Ethnicity (co-edited, Pilgrim Press, 2006); Handbook on Latina/o Theologies (co-edited, Chalice Press, 2006); AAR Career Guide for Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession (AAR, 2006); Handbook on U.S. Theologies of Liberation (Chalice Press, 2004). His latest book, _Latina/o Social Ethics: Moving Beyond Eurocentric Moral Thinking,_is being published by Baylor University Press, 2010). De La Torre has also edited the Encyclopedia on Hispanic American Religious Culture, a 2-volume set (ABC-CLIO, 2009), is the series editor for the 12-volume Latino/a Religious Thought for the New Millennium (Baylor University Press), and is on the advisory board of Religous Perspectie on Contemporary Ethical Issues (Rowan & Littlefield Publishers). In addition, he has published numerous chapters for edited books, articles for scholarly journals, entries for dictionaries and encyclopedias, and op-eds for newspapers and news-journals. De La Torre’s latest publication (June 2011) is a bi-lingual pastoral book titled “A La Familia: A Conversation About Our Families, the Bible, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” It was written for Hispanic Christian families looking for biblical responses to deal with family members who come out. The book is rooted in the Latina/o experience through real life testimonies. Thanks to the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Unid@s, it is free to download. De La Torre was appointed to the board of the directors of the Religious Institute in 2014. He was elected president of the Society of Christian Ethics in 2012, the first hispanic to be elected to this post. He has also served on the editorial board for the Society’s Journal of Religious Ethics, and visiting co-editor of Perspectivas: Occasional Papers published by the Hispanic Theological Initiative. Presently he is the co-chair for the Ethics Section of the American Academy of Religion. Additionally he has served on the board of directors in organizations such as: Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity; Tulipanes Latino Art and Film Festival; West Michigan Strategic Alliance, and former vice-president of Latin Americans United for Progress. In June 2011, De La Torre received a Fulbright Specialists Scholarship from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB), the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State (ECA), and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). His scholarship is for a five year term in the discipline of religion.