Pearl Maria Barros
Pearl Maria Barros received a B.A. in English and Religious Studies from 91¶ÌÊÓƵ, her M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, and her Th.D. in Religion, Gender, and Culture from Harvard Divinity School. She is a Catholic feminist theologian whose work engages Latine cultural studies and decolonial theories, especially Anzaldúan thought. Currently, she is working on two book projects, Ambivalent Grace: Catholic Feminist Reflections on Mothering and Catholic Feminism as Borderlands.
Barros is published in the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, Theological Studies, Concilium: International Journal for Theology, and Horizons: The Journal of the College Theology Society. She is the First Place Winner of the JFSR’s Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza New Scholar Award for 2020. Her work has also appeared in Sojourners magazine and From the Pews in the Back: Young Women and Catholicism (Liturgical Press). She is a member of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS), the American Academy of Religion (AAR), and the Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA).
Barros enjoys teaching a variety of courses at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ and mentoring students, especially first-generation college students, as well as students in the Graduate Program of Pastoral Ministries (GPPM), as they prepare for ministry in a complex global and synodal Church.
Undergraduate
- TESP 4: The Christian Tradition
- TESP 59/WGST 44/ETHN 25: Sexuality and Spirituality in Latinx Literature and Theologies
- TESP 79/WGST 48: Women in Christian Tradition
- TESP 131/WGST 149: Feminist Theologies
- TESP 131R/WGST 149: RSS: Feminist Theologies (Seminar)
- TESP 199: Feminisms, Mothering, and Mary (Independent Study)
Graduate
- PMIN 201: Theological Foundations for Ministry ONLINE
- PMIN 288: Practical Theology HYBRID Course
- ST80210: Sexuality and Spirituality in Latinx and Chicanx Literature and Theologies (JST)
- HSRS 8200: Women in the Christian Tradition (JST)
Academic Publications
“Racism and Trauma: Borderlands, Ambivalent Healing, and Hope.” Concilium: International Journal for Theology. “Racism: Women’s intercultural perspectives.” Eds. Sharon A. Bong, Bernardeth Caero Bustillos, and Susan Abraham. Vol. 1. (March 2023): 97-105. Translated into Spanish, German, and Italian.
“Turning toward a Theology of Transformation: Notes from the Borderlands.” Theological Studies. Vol. 83, no. 4. (December 2022): 579-598.
“‘Liberating Conscience’ and Latinx Students at Catholic Universities: Moral Consciousness, Power, and Nos/otrx,” in Conscience and Catholic Education: Theology, Administration, and Teaching. Eds. David DeCosse and Kevin Baxter. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, March 2022). 167-182.
“Misogyny in the New Testament.” Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception. Berlin: De Gruyter. Vol. 19. (July 2021): 395-396.
“Rethinking Women’s Suffering and Holiness: Gloria Anzaldúa’s ‘Holy Relics.’” Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. Vol. 36, no. 2. (2020): 7-24.
Public Scholarship
“The Power of Humility.” Sojourners. November 2019.
“Days of Feast and Famine.” Living the Word. Sojourners. November 2018.
“Finding God in Dark Alleys.” Living the Word. Sojourners. September 2018.
“The Sheepy Smell of God.” Living the Word. Sojourners. July 2018.
“Of Memory and Vision: My Grandmother’s Legacy,” in From the Pews in the Back: Young Women and Catholicism. Eds. Kate Duggan and Jen Owens. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009. 133-139.
“The Promise of Dead Leaves.” Santa Clara Review 92.1 (2004): 72-73.
