Wanted: Dead or Alive
Dr. Patrick Reyes

What does it mean that God calls each of us to life? Latinx practical theologian Patrick Reyes explores the idea of vocation through the lens of the biblical story of Hagar and Ishmael.

Interview with Dr. Patrick Reyes and Founding Director Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio.

Patrick B. Reyes (PhD, Claremont School of Theology) is a Latinx practical theologian, educator, administrator, and institutional strategist. He currently is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Doctoral Initiatives at the Forum for Theological Exploration (fteleaders.org). His expertise is helping communities, organizations, and individuals excavate their stories to create strategies and practices that promote their thriving.  He consults, speaks, and offers workshops for communities seeking to embody their vision of justice and peace. Informed by his home community of Salinas, California, Patrick has published research focusing on the intersection of popular religiosity and social action.


He previously served as the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and the Director of the Center of Community Engagement at Trinity Lutheran College in Washington State. For the last 15 years, his work with gang-affiliated, farmworker, and religious communities has focused on compassion and spiritual based practices for healing. 


He is the author of the book, Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood (2016). The work explores the role of narrative and trauma in vocational discernment. His work can be found in the Encyclopedia of Christian Education, Claremont Journal of Religion, Journal of Feminist Theology, Religious Education Association, and he is an editor of Theopoetics: A Journal of Theological Imagination, Literature, Embodiment, and Aesthetics. 
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The Silence of God

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Inheriting Trauma

By Dr. Moshe Szyf • November 9, 2024
Dr. Szyf delves into the fascinating science of epigenetics and its profound implications for understanding intergenerational trauma. Epigenetics refers to how environmental factors—such as stress, trauma, and life experiences—can influence gene expression without changing the DNA sequence itself. This talk explains how trauma experienced by one generation can leave biological marks on the genes, which may then be passed down to subsequent generations.

The Fourth Temptation

By Reginald Sharpe, Jr. • November 9, 2024
Rev. Sharpe explores the challenge of overcoming the pressure to please others and the inner conflict that arises when the desire to gain approval occasionally wins. He acknowledges that the need for external validation is a natural part of the human experience, but it emphasizes the importance of not allowing that desire to dictate one’s life decisions or self-worth.
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