Scholar and Princeton Seminary Alum Jared Alcántara

Jared Alcántara knew early on what his life mission was. The 2014 PhD graduate was called to uplift and educate peers while being a voice for his community. His education although crucial, was not the only factor propelling his vision. It was Alcántara's culture and Latine background that eventually informed his area of study and ignited his life's work.

"I already knew that I was called to preach and loved preaching at the age of 19. While I was serving in local churches as a pastor after seminary, I discovered how much I enjoyed training others to preach, reading about preaching and contributing to preaching through my writing. It was during that time that I knew that I needed to continue my studies so that I could teach and write as well as preach."

"My ethnic identity as a bicultural Latine preacher and scholar shapes my theology and work in profound ways. I resonate deeply with many of the terms that Justo González uses to describe Latine hermeneutics: marginality, theology of affirmation, collaborative theology (teología en conjunto), eschatological subversion, and theology that is local without ceasing to be universal. Also, my primary research agenda is to bring racially-ethnically marginalized voices closer to the center. Sometimes, I venture outside of that but not very often."

Alcántara focuses on using his resources and talents to uplift those less talked about leaders of the faith. "I care deeply about intercultural engagement which is why I also engage black churches and majority-culture churches in my writing. I care about centering minoritized preachers and their stories, especially since many of the historical figures that I’m interested in are unknown to many preachers and scholars."

Connecting his culture to his calling didn't come easily but over time, Alcántara learned the beauty of melding the two. "Like many second-generation Latine Christians, as a teenager and young adult, I struggled to reconcile my ethnic identity with my faith. Some older Christian leaders of influence in my life tried to persuade me that I shouldn’t care about my ethnic identity, that it was some kind of distraction. However, I eventually came to realize that as a Latine Christian, I could claim both the adjective and the noun as gifts from God."

Before becoming a Professor of Preaching, Alcántara found guidance in how to configure his love of teaching and faith into one from a beloved professor. "In college, my Greek professor, Scott Hafemann, modeled excellent scholarship and love for the local church. His example, mentoring, and influence played a major part in my decision to go to seminary."

His pursuit of highlighting the unsung heroes of preaching continues through his written works. "My latest book is on Joseph H. Jackson, an African American preacher from Chicago. I started working on it in 2016, and it comes out in 2024 with Oxford University Press. It is the longest book I have ever written at 450 pages and the longest project I have ever done at eight years. At present, I am writing a book on the future of Christian preaching, and I am doing preliminary research for a homiletical biography of Orlando E. Costas, a Puerto Rican preacher and missiologist." Books are not the only outlet Alcantara uses to reach the community, while at Baylor's Truett Seminary, he carries out tasks that call him to unite his coworkers. "At my university, I collaborate with like-minded Latine faculty members on projects, and I serve on the Strategic Planning Group. I also serve as the faculty liaison to the Latine Seminarian Association at my seminary."

Scholarly exploration into churches around the world and those closer to home is yet to be done. "One of my goals is to write more and to do more research on preaching in Majority World Churches and the Global South. Since I live in Texas, a border state, another goal is someday to publish a book on preaching in the borderlands."

Alcántara credits his time at Princeton Seminary and the Hispanic Theological Initiative for refining his ability to serve and educate while connecting him to his culture. "Princeton Seminary was a place where I could engage in deep thinking, practice fresh teaching, and meet amazing people. The school was also a place where I could hold together critical scholarship and service to the church because I was not forced to choose one over the other."

"The Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI) and being an HTI fellow made such a difference in my PhD experience at Princeton Seminary. I was the only Latine PhD student at the school for the majority of my time there, so the HTI felt like a lifeline at various points. I looked forward to HTI’s summer conference every year, I read books that I would not otherwise have read in PhD seminars, and I received professional mentoring and training that set me up for success after graduation. I was so fortunate to have HTI’s offices on the same campus where I was doing my doctoral work."