Dr. Fernando F. Segovia Is Resident Scholar: March 31–April 11

DALLAS – The Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, announces the residency of Dr. Fernando F. Segovia as the Center’s visiting scholar March 31–April 11. Dr. Segovia, a noted expert on Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Hispanic theology, will preach, lecture, and participate in a number of public and academic events during his tenure.

Dr. Fernando Segovia Resident Scholar at Perkins March 31– April 11, 2014

Two events are open to the public:

• Dr. Segovia will preach during the annual Archbishop Romero Memorial Service in Perkins Chapel on Wednesday, April 2, at 11:30 a.m. His homily is titled, “Romero and the Call to Bear Fruit in the World.”

• On Thursday, April 3, Dr. Segovia will give a public lecture titled, “Vatican II in Retrospect: A Lifetime and Welcome Companion,” in the Prothro Great Hall of Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall. Dr. Carlos Cardoza-Orlandi, Professor of Global Christianities and Mission Studies at Perkins School of Theology, will present a Response. The event begins with refreshments at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Lecture and Response at 6:00 p.m.

As visiting scholar, Dr. Segovia will lecture in a variety of settings during events open only to students and faculty of Perkins School of Theology and SMU. These include:

  • Tuesday, April 1, 11:30 a.m. – Dr. Segovia will lead CHAP (Community Hour at Perkins—open to all), with a presentation titled "Theological Education in Context," in Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Hall, Room 100.

  • Monday, April 7, 11:30 a.m. – Dr. Segovia will be the guest speaker at the Perkins faculty luncheon (open only to Perkins faculty), lecturing on “Reflections on Biblical Criticism: Past, Present, Future,” Prothro Great Hall.

  • Wednesday, April 9, 7 to 9 p.m. – Dr. Segovia will lead the GPRS (Graduate Program in Religious Studies—open only to GPRS students) colloquium, Prothro 205.

  • Thursday, April 10, 12:30 p.m. – A farewell reception will be held for Dr. Segovia in the Perkins refectory during Community Lunch.

Dr. Segovia is the Oberlin Graduate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at Vanderbilt University’s Divinity School, where he has taught since 1984. He is also a member of the faculty of theology of Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Poster Listing Public Events: PDF | JPG

His teaching and research are in the fields of early Christian origins, theological studies, and cultural studies, including non-Western Christian theologies, postcolonial, minority and diaspora studies.  Dr. Segovia has served on the editorial boards of a variety of academic journals, has worked as consultant for foundations and publishing houses, and has lectured widely both nationally and internationally. He is also a past president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians in the United States.

He is editor, with Roland Boer, of “The Future of the Biblical Past” and “A Postcolonial Commentary on the New Testament Writings,” with R. S. Sugirtharajah.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Segovia to Perkins School of Theology and to SMU,” said the Rev. Dr. Hugo Magallanes, director of the Center. “He is world class scholar, the current president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and to have him with us for two weeks is a great honor. His teaching and writings are quite influential in general, and in particular in the area of Biblical interpretation from a post-colonial perspective,” he said.

The Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions hosts a visiting scholar each academic year. The central mission of the Center for the Study of Latino/a Christianity and Religions at Perkins School of Theology is to promote a deeper understanding of the varieties of religious life and expression within the Latino/a communities in the United States and in Latin America.

For directions to Perkins Chapel and the Prothro Great Hall—locations for the two public events–visit smu.edu/maps

Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Church Ministries, and Doctor of Ministry, as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.