Building Community; Bolstering Resistance Symposium

RSVP to explore the intersections of Puerto Rican history and faith communities in their pursuit of social justice at Yale Divinity School!
About this Event

Description

RSVP to join us on Friday, September 25, 2026 at Yale Divinity School for the “Building Community; Bolstering Resistance” Symposium. This symposium is a partnership between the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP), Yale Divinity School (YDS), Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School (ANS), and Union Theological Seminary (UTS) that explores the intersections of Puerto Rican history and faith communities in their pursuit of social justice.

Symposium Schedule

• 11:30 AM - Chapel Service @ Marquand Chapel with Rev. Dr. Yara González-Justiniano (Vanderbilt Divinity School) preaching and presiding
• 12:15 PM - Interactive Lunch & Learn @ Old Refectory led by the Rev. JaQuan Beachem (YDS) with remarks from featured speakers
• 2:00 PM - Lecture & Respondents @ Old Refectory with the lecture by Dr. Jorge Rodríguez (HSP) with responses from featured respondents and moderation from Dr. Adrián Emmanuel Hernández-Acosta (YDS)
• 4:00 PM - Closing Remarks & Coffee Break @ Old Refectory co-facilitated by Dr. Jorge Rodríguez (HSP) and Rev. Antonio Vargas (YDS)

Sponsors

Yale Divinity School, Andover Newton Seminary, Hispanic Scholars Program, and Union Theological Seminary

Questions?

Contact: [email protected]

Phone Number: (203) 436-9970 / (203) 436-9947
Contacts: Anna-Liisa Lubbert Administrator / David C. Smith, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Advancement

Lecture Title and Description

The Colonial Gospel in Puerto Rico: Protestant Missionaries and the Making of Empire

Puerto Rico stands at the intersection of multiple, overlapping crises: increased gentrification, unprecedented drought and damaged water infrastructure, an aging and fragile power grid, a prolonged fiscal emergency, and the growing presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the island. At the same time, Puerto Ricans continue to build vibrant social movements that challenge austerity, resist police violence, and imagine a future where Puerto Ricans—regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation—can live and thrive in Puerto Rico.

To understand this moment, we must reckon with Puerto Rico's colonial past. And to understand that history, we must examine the role Protestant missionaries played after 1898 in helping construct the moral, educational, economic, and health institutions that advanced U.S. colonial rule. This lecture explores how Protestant theologies were central to the project of U.S. empire building while also asking what this history means for religious leaders today. Together, we will consider how faith communities have both reinforced and resisted systems of colonial power. We will also explore how Puerto Ricans adapted, transformed, and reimagined Protestant traditions as resources for spiritual resilience, cultural identity, and even decolonization. What responsibilities do religious leaders bear when the traditions they inherit are entangled with histories of empire? How can theological reflection help uncover those histories while also nurturing anti-colonial imagination, solidarity, and hope? Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of Puerto Rico's colonial history and new ways to think critically about the relationship between mission, power, and faithful leadership.