nrivera

BA (Cum Laude), Universidad de Puerto Rico, 1981; MDiv, LTSP, 1987; MA, Temple University, 1997; STM, LTSP, 1998; PhD, Temple University, 2006; Pastorates in Puerto Rico 1987-93.

Dr. Nelson Rivera teaches courses in systematic theology, e.g., on God, Creation, Christology, Theological Anthropology, Theology and the Sciences, and Liberation Theology. Dr. Rivera's research and teaching also include courses that explore the relationships between theology and the traditions of Western philosophy and culture. Among Dr. Rivera’s strong interests is the exploration of the social and theological dimensions of important scientific ideas. His book The Earth Is Our Home (Imprint Academic, 2010) explores the meanings and implications of evolutionary theory for epistemology and philosophy of religion, especially in the work of British Philosopher Mary Midgley. As part of his responsibilities with the Latino Concentration, Dr. Rivera teaches courses in US Latino/a and Latin American Theology. As a Lutheran, he has been involved, with other members of the Latino community, in a critical reassessment of Luther as a source for their own theological and ethical reflections. As a theologian and scholar, and as someone committed to the perspectives brought by theologies of liberation, Dr. Rivera moves within an interdisciplinary intellectual landscape.