HTI Alumni
Efrain Agosto
Bennett Boskey Distinguished Visiting Professor in Latina/o Studies at Williams College
Field of Study: Biblical Studies
Efraín Agosto is currently the Croghan Bicentennial Professor in Biblical and Early Christian Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He has joined the faculty of Williams as a visiting professor for two years, beginning in July 2021, appointed jointly to two departments – Latinx Studies and Religion. Efrain had been Professor of New Testament Studies at New York Theological Seminary in New York City since 2011, and he also served NYTS as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean from July 2018 to December 2019. Previously, Efrain was Professor of New Testament and Director of the Programa de Ministerios Hispanos at Hartford Seminary for a period of sixteen years (1995-2011), which included four years as Academic Dean (2007-2011).
In his early years in theological education, Efrain was on the staff of the Center for Urban Ministerial Education of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston, serving in a variety of capacities from 1983 to 1995, including the last five years as Director and Dean of CUME. Efrain, a Puerto Rican born and raised in New York City, received his B.A. from Columbia University (1977) and attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, from which he graduated with an M.Div. in 1982. He completed his Ph.D. in New Testament Studies from Boston University in January 1996.
Efraín has published three monographs: Servant Leadership: Jesus and Paul (Chalice Press, 2005) on the theology and practice of leadership in earliest Christianity, Corintios (Fortress Press, 2008), a Spanish language lay commentary on Paul’s letters to the Corinthians; and Preaching in the Interim: Transitional Leadership in the Latino/a Church (Judson Press, 2018), a book of sermons preached at the historic Segunda Iglesia Bautista de Nueva York (East Harlem). Efrain also co-edited (with Jacqueline Hidalgo), Latinxs, the Bible and Migration (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018). In addition to being a Hispanic Theological Initiative Post-doctoral fellow, Efraín has served HTI as a selection committee member, mentor, Summer Workshop presenter, and senior editor of Perspectivas in 2018.