REYES AND YARBOROUGH JOIN THE FACULTY After an extensive search conducted by faculty members, Rudolph P. Reyes II has joined the faculty as instructor of Christian ethics and Latinx studies, as of August 1, 2021. A doctor of philosophy candidate at the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology, Reyes specializes in social ethics, Latinx studies, and disability studies. Members of the search committee praised Reyes saying, “His research, teaching, and character set him apart as a most exceptional candidate for this position.” His academic work and scholarship were noted as “a promising, original, and groundbreaking consideration of Latinx neurodivergence as a matter of import for Christian ethics.” Reyes holds a bachelor of arts in religious studies from Arizona State University and a master of divinity from Harvard Divinity School. He is poised to complete his doctoral dissertation in the spring of 2022. Reyes will be named assistant professor of Christian ethics and Latinx studies upon completion of his dissertation. His dissertation is titled, “Divergence: Towards a Neurodivergent Latinx Liberative Social Ethic.” “I am grateful for the opportunity to join GarrettEvangelical’s faculty and contribute to the courageous scholarship of this institution,” said Reyes. “As a liberative ethicist, my pedagogy is grounded in the pursuit of justice and education inclusivity. Under President Viera’s leadership, Garrett-Evangelical’s bold witness is making a transformative impact in the church, the academy, and the world.” Reyes is the recipient of numerous doctoral and dissertation fellowships. He is a member of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), the Society for Disability Studies, and the Society of Christian Ethics. He has served on a steering committee for AAR, an organizing team for the Intersectional Neurodiversity Reading Group London (UK), and the dean’s task force at the University of Denver, Iliff School of Theology.
Rev. Dr. Chelsea Brooke Yarborough joined the faculty on June 15, 2021, as assistant professor of liturgical studies, Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow, and Styberg Teaching Fellow. Having completed her doctoral program at Vanderbilt University in Spring 2020, Yarborough comes to the seminary as the 2021-2023 Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and the 2021-2022 Styberg Preaching Institute Teaching Fellow in Homiletics. Yarborough is an ordained minister, a poet, an enneagram enthusiast, and a lover of leadership development. Her research interests include expanding genre in both homiletics and liturgics. She is committed to interrogating normative and traditional ways of thinking about preaching, liturgy, and exploring black liturgical theology. Her interests in preaching push against spatial demarcation for the sacred in order to include a wider canon of worship and preaching expressions. “I am excited to join the faculty of GarrettEvangelical as I continue my journey as a practitioner, professor, and scholar,” Yarborough said. “I look forward to imagining new horizons alongside the faculty and students and being a part of such a dynamic community.” Yarborough received her doctor of philosophy in homiletics and liturgics with a minor in practical theology from the Graduate Department of Religion at Vanderbilt University. Her dissertation is titled, “That’ll Preach: Decentering the Pulpit through the Non-Pulpit Homiletical Practice of Black Women.” As a doctoral candidate, she received numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including two doctoral fellowships from The Forum for Theological Exploration. She holds a master of divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity and a bachelor of arts in political science from Elon University.
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