Dr. Teresa Delgado started questioning traditional religious institutions at a young age. Raised in a conservative Catholic household in a Puerto Rican family, she attended mass each week and received every mandated sacrament. While she felt some calling towards faith, she was also frustrated by inconsistencies she saw in the Catholic Church. She was particularly skeptical of the role of women in the Church and recalled having debates with the pastor about women’s ordination. It was only when she met a Protestant professor at Colgate University – the Rev. Dr. Coleman Brown – that she began to understand and explore the social justice teachings of the Bible. Rev. Dr. Brown helped Dr. Delgado think about faith in action and learn the lessons at the heart of the gospel. At the time, Dr. Delgado had no idea that Rev. Dr. Brown was a UTS graduate. Years after graduating, Dr. Delgado had a crisis of conscience in her career. She was frustrated by an employer who was putting profits over workers’ dignity and livelihood. So she called Rev. Dr. Brown. He suggested that she might need to wrestle with these questions at a seminary and recommended several options. Dr. Delgado chose UTS for its reputation as a progressive, social justice-oriented institution. She noted, “UTS was the hub of liberation theology in the United States. If you wanted a socially progressive theological environment, it was UTS. No other place was doing things like UTS.” Only later did she find out that Rev. Dr. Brown had also attended UTS years prior. And so, in the early 1990s, her journey through UTS began. She spoke fondly of the vast array of renowned faculty members. Trailblazing Womanist theologian Dr. Delores Williams guided her doctorate work and opened her eyes to the many roles of women in theology. Dr. Beverly Wildung Harrison provided profound insight into Christian ethics, particularly around sexuality.
Professor emeritus Larry Rasmussen gave revolutionary lessons on earth ethics. The list goes on. Ultimately, UTS taught Dr. Delgado, “Our faith has to be lived authentically every day. Our faith is cultivated in our actions and not just in our words.” Dr. Delgado completed her Master of Arts degree at Union Theological Seminary in 1993 and her PhD in 2005. As she explained, her education took a bit longer than expected because she had four children during her time at the Seminary. After she graduated, she went on to work in higher education. She served as a professor at Iona College for more than 15 years. Then, in 2022, she felt a calling to move elsewhere. She now serves as Dean of St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University, NY. In her new role, she frequently recalls the lessons she learned at UTS. As Dean, she must balance both the needs of the administration and the scholarly pursuits of faculty, all in the service of students. There are often competing priorities. UTS has taught her to constantly consider how her choices will affect all parties and minimize harm. She aims to make bold decisions, treat every person with dignity, acknowledge mistakes, and maintain a sense of humility. Since graduating, Dr. Delgado has also produced an enormous amount of religious scholarship. She has written about Puerto Rican decolonial theology, Augustine and social justice, women in faith, Latino contributions to Christian ethics, sexuality, and more. Due to her esteemed work, Dr. Delgado is a recipient of Union’s Unitas Distinguished Alumna Award, the highest honor presented to a living UTS graduate. While she is proud of much of her career work, she noted that she is most proud of the family she built with her late husband, Pascal N. Kabemba. She credits his partnership with strengthening her understanding of theology and its place in the world. She noted, “My greatest accomplishment is yet to come because it will be all about honoring his legacy.”