Rev. Dr. Nelson Rivera

Director, Master of Divinity J. T. Hamilton Associate Professor of Doctrinal Theology PhD, Temple University, 2006 STM, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, 1998 MAR, Temple University, 1997 MDiv, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, 1987 BA, University of Puerto Rico, 1981 Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Phone: 610-625-7868 Email: riveran02@moravian.edu Curriculum Vitae

The Rev. Dr. Nelson Rivera earned his PhD in Religion from Temple University. An ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [ELCA], he has served parishes in various pastoral capacities in his native Puerto Rico and in the Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.

Dr. Rivera has taught at three theological seminaries, currently at Moravian. His main areas of teaching and research are theology and ethics, with pronounced interest on the development of Christian doctrine, the use of theological language, and how these disciplines inform the practices of ministry.

His published work covers topics on confessional statements of faith as well as the application of evolutionary epistemologies in theology and the sciences, the latterfound mostly in his book The Earth is Our Home (Imprint Academic, 2010).

In his work as translator and theological consultant for several liturgical and church resources, he edited Ritos Ocasionales (Augsburg Fortress, 2000), a compendium of rites (in Spanish) for pastors and other church leaders.

Dr. Rivera is an avid reader on diverse topics, disciplines, and perspectives. Ordinarily, he likes to spend time with his family (wife, four daughters, grandson, and granddaughter) and friends. He enjoys outdoor walks, gardening, and listening to music from Classical to Latin American and Afro-Caribbean rhythms.