At a Glance:
- The detention of Ruth López, a renowned human rights attorney with Cristosal, an organization rooted in The Episcopal Church and based in Central America, just days before she was scheduled to share her expertise with the EDS community, sparks international outrage
- An upcoming event examining how Christians across the globe are responding to the enduring legacies and current realities of American empire
- Sign up to get a notification when registration opens for two fall courses: Living Postcolonialism Anglicanism with Dr. Kwok Pui Lan and Bishop Ian Douglas and White Christian Nationalism and the Black Church’s Prophetic Witness with Dr. Jemar Tisby
Dear EDS Community,
Two days before EDS planned to host Ruth López, a respected Salvadoran lawyer and anti-corruption advocate, René Valiente, Research Director at Cristosal, and the Rev. Sergio Montealegre, Anglican priest and LGBTQ+ human rights advocate, for an educational webinar entitled “Human Rights at Risk,” Ruth was disappeared by the Salvadoran government. We found out live in the webinar that Ruth’s location was disclosed after nearly two days of waiting and her family has been able to visit her. Her spirit remains strong.
As noted numerous times by her colleague René throughout the webinar - which went on as planned albeit without Ruth - her case isn’t isolated. It’s part of a broader campaign to intimidate civil society and criminalize those who stand up to power.
Authoritarianism is not just rising, it’s adapting, spreading, and embedding itself in democracies around the world. The United States is no exception to this pattern.
At the same time, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the entire population of Gaza - 2.1 million people - is at risk of famine as Israel eases its 11-week aid block. Two staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. were gunned down outside the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum. Mahmoud Khalil - the first person arrested under the administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters - was finally allowed to hold his newborn son after a judge blocked efforts to keep the father and infant separated by a plexiglass barrier.
In the face of such widespread disregard for human dignity, it is easy to feel resigned and wonder how we, God’s beloved, continue to harm and discard one another. And yet, we proclaim what we know to be true: that every person is made in God’s image and held in God’s unwavering love. We cling to each other and to this faith as we speak the truth, even if we tremble as we do so. Because Jesus accompanied those on the margins, we have faith that God will meet us in these thin, fragile, broken places.
Noah Bullock, Executive Director at Cristosal, concluded a recent update with the following, which I echo:
Keep walking with us. Bear witness.
Check in, stay present, it matters more than you know.
Keep raising your voice. Keep sharing what’s happening. Keep holding space for truth.
Your messages, your posts, your prayers, each one pushes back against the silence.
Ruth is not alone. None of us are.
With courage,
The Very Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin
President & Dean
June 4 at 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific
This event, moderated by Dr. Kwok Pui Lan, will critically examine how Christians across the globe are responding to the enduring legacies and current realities of American empire. From military intervention to economic coercion and cultural dominance, U.S. influence continues to shape lives far beyond its borders. This conversation will engage theological, political, and grassroots responses to empire—highlighting resistance, solidarity, and alternative visions rooted in Christian witness.
August 8 at 7pm CT
Saint John's Episcopal Church | 113 Madison Ave, Montgomery, AL
Episcopal Divinity School cordially invites you to Walk With Me – a vigil in observance of the sixtieth anniversary of Jonathan Daniels' martyrdom – featuring the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian of Washington National Cathedral, and Ashley M. Jones, Poet Laureate of the State of Alabama.
Additional details are forthcoming.
September 24 - October 22
Global Anglicanism is becoming increasingly postcolonial as churches in the former colonies of the West continue to use their voices and authority in an increasingly polycentric Anglican Communion. This course, taught by Dr. Kwok Pui Lan and Bishop Ian T. Douglas, will introduce the demographic shift in the Anglican Communion and the implications for Anglican identity, history, and theology and invite students to consider how being part of a postcolonial, global family of churches informs their ministry.
Fall 2025
This course, taught by Dr. Jemar Tisby this fall, will explore the historical and contemporary influence of White Christian Nationalism (WCN) in the United States and examines how the Black Christian tradition has resisted racial and theological distortions of Christianity. By engaging historical analysis, theological critique, and practical application, students will gain a deeper understanding of how WCN has shaped American religious and political life, as well as how Black Christians have maintained a prophetic witness against it.
Our webinar spotlighting the work of Cristosal, "Human Rights at Risk/Derechos Humanos en Riesgo" went on as planned on Tuesday, May 20, despite the detention of one of our panelists, anti-corruption lawyer, Ruth López. Ruth’s disappearance shifted the focus of the event and intensified its urgency, while underscoring the necessity of standing in solidarity with people and organizations safeguarding human rights under the threat of increased authoritarianism.
June 4 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT
In this present moment of fear mongering, violence and difficulty in finding the truth, it is challenging to hold on to courage. Join Dr. Catherine Meeks for an inspiring "Conversation on Courage" with the Right Rev. Paula Clark and the Rev. Becca Stevens.
EDS is pleased to be supporting Dr. Catherine Meeks in hosting this event.
Please join us in welcoming Mark Miliotto as our new Chief Finance and Operations Officer.
After serving as the Canon for Finance and CFO of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan for over 12 years, Mark and his family decided to move back to Colorado to be closer to family. Prior to joining the team at EDS, he worked for the Denver office for Your Part Time Controller (YPTC) as an outsourcing CFO/Controller for a variety of nonprofit organizations. Mark also served previously as the Director of Finance at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.
The Rev. Norma Guerra is a life-long Episcopalian and Associate for Formation and Transition Ministry at the Diocese of Los Angeles. She has served for the last five years as a member of the Board of Directors of Cristosal and currently serves as a Board of Trustee for EDS.
“I was very fortunate to be able to be part of the last graduating class from EDS at Cambridge in 2016,” Norma shared. “The professors and my classes were incredible, and I will be forever grateful for their teachings and for inspiring me to always strive for justice, inclusion, and peace.”
Read the full alum spotlight
Join us on Zoom every third Thursday at 1pm ET for Connect: Monthly Gathering of EDS Alums, where we will connect with one another, hear about the diverse contexts EDS alums are serving in their work and ministry, and stay up to date on all things EDS!
Our next connect session will take place on June 19, 2025, featuring Norma Guerra ’16.
Registration is required—click here to sign up!
EDS extends our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the following alums:
Rest eternal grant to your servants, O God:
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
If you wish to notify EDS of the passing of an alum, please reach out to edsinfo@eds.edu.