Miguel De La Torre

Miguel De La Torre is a prominent Cuban American professor and scholar, known for his work in the fields of theology, ethics, and social justice. He has held positions at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University and Iliff School of Theology, and has written extensively on topics related to Latin American theology, liberation theology, and postcolonial theology, drawing inspiration from thinkers like Gustavo Gutiérrez and James Cone. De La Torre's work has been influenced by his experiences growing up in Miami, Florida, and his involvement with organizations like the National Council of Churches and the American Academy of Religion. He has also been shaped by the ideas of Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Michel Foucault, among others.

● Early Life and Education

Miguel De La Torre was born in Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States with his family at a young age, settling in Miami, Florida. He grew up in a Cuban American community, surrounded by the influences of Catholic Church and Santeria, which would later shape his theological perspectives, similar to those of Orlando Espín and Justo González. De La Torre pursued his higher education at Florida International University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, and later attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning his Master of Divinity degree, with a focus on biblical studies and theological ethics, inspired by scholars like Reinhold Niebuhr and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Temple University, under the guidance of Francis Schüssler Fiorenza and Rosemary Radford Ruether.

● Career

De La Torre's academic career has spanned several institutions, including Iliff School of Theology, where he served as a professor of theology and ethics, and Harvard University, where he was a visiting professor at the Harvard Divinity School, teaching courses on liberation theology and feminist theology, alongside scholars like Kwok Pui-lan and Emilie Townes. He has also held positions at Denver University and University of Denver, and has been a visiting scholar at institutions like University of California, Berkeley and Yale University, engaging with thinkers like Cornel West and Seyla Benhabib. De La Torre has been an active member of various professional organizations, including the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics, and has served on the editorial boards of journals like Journal of the American Academy of Religion and CrossCurrents, alongside editors like Mark Lewis Taylor and Kathleen Sands.

● Theology and Works

De La Torre's theological work has focused on the intersection of theology, ethics, and social justice, drawing on the ideas of Liberation Theology and Postcolonial Theology, as well as the insights of Womanist Theology and Mujerista Theology, developed by scholars like Delores Williams and Ada María Isasi-Díaz. He has written extensively on topics such as immigration, racism, and economic justice, and has been influenced by the work of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and César Chávez, among others. De La Torre's books, such as Reading the Bible from the Margins and Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins, have been widely praised for their insightful analysis of the Bible and its application to contemporary social issues, and have been compared to the works of Walter Brueggemann and Ched Myers. His work has also been shaped by the ideas of Feminist Theology, Queer Theology, and Ecological Theology, as represented by scholars like Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marcella Althaus-Reid, and Sallie McFague.

● Awards and Recognition

De La Torre has received numerous awards and recognition for his contributions to theology and social justice, including the National Hispanic Heritage Award and the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award, as well as the American Academy of Religion's Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Society of Christian Ethics's Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been recognized by organizations like the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches for his work on ecumenical dialogue and interfaith cooperation, and has been honored by institutions like Harvard University and Yale University for his contributions to theological education and scholarly research. De La Torre's work has been praised by scholars like Cornel West, Seyla Benhabib, and Kwok Pui-lan, among others, and has been recognized by publications like The New York Times and The Christian Century.

● Personal Life

De La Torre is married to Deborah Hirt, and they have two children together, Isabella De La Torre and Julian De La Torre. He is an active member of the United Methodist Church and has been involved in various social justice initiatives throughout his career, including work with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. De La Torre has also been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and immigrant rights, and has worked with groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the National Immigration Law Center. In his free time, De La Torre enjoys reading the works of Latin American literature, including authors like Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende, and listening to Latin music, including artists like Celia Cruz and Tito Puente.