Thalheimer Speaker Public Theologian Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza On Power of Story

Public theologian and scholar Dr Roberto Che Espinoza addressed the School community on Tuesday, September 26 on the topic of Radical Belonging and Finding Connection across Profound Difference.  

Dr. Rob, as they prefer to be called, is a transgender public scholar and Latinx using story and imaginative narrative with hopes of stewarding ethical futures. Dr. Rob is on the faculty at Duke University Divinity School and launched the Activist Theology Project, a collaborative project dedicated to social healing, using story as the primary method for social change. They received a Ph.D. in Theology and Ethics from the University of Colorado. 

Dr. Rob shared the importance and power of story to know what narrative animates an individual’s life, what stories might be “stuck in a body,” and how engaging in the act of re-storying may help us make meaning collectively to bridge to others’ perspectives, “using empathy to value the relationships needed to nurture humanity,” they said. 

"It's truly a privilege for the Choate community to hear from Dr. Rob,” said Dean of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers. “His messages around belonging and creating bridges resonated a lot with me personally, considering my role here at Choate. It is also incredibly significant that we hear from a proud Latinx speaker during National Hispanic Heritage Month.” 

After the all-School address, students from Spectrum, Hispanic-Latine Forum, and various faith groups on campus had the opportunity to continue the conversation and engage in personal dialogue with Dr. Rob over lunch.  

Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza’s visit was made possible by the Thalheimer Educator-in-Residence Program.