The Reverend Dr. Gregory L. Cuéllar is Inaugurated as Full Professor and Installed in the Ruth A. Campbell Chair of Biblical Studies

On February 26, 2025, the Reverend Dr. Gregory L. Cuéllar was inaugurated as full professor and installed in the Ruth A. Campbell Chair of Biblical Studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Shelton Chapel. Cuéllar’s family, several mentors who guided him throughout his professional journey, and Austin Seminary faculty, staff, students, and alumni were in attendance.

As Professor of Hebrew Bible at Austin Seminary, Cuéllar’s work promotes critical and ethical engagement with global justice concerns, challenging conventional epistemologies and reimagining the intersections of sacred texts, history, and contemporary struggles. His latest research extends into postcolonial trauma studies, further cementing his role as a leading voice in critical biblical scholarship. In his charge to Cuéllar, Dr. David H. Jensen, professor in the Clarence N. and Betty B. Frierson Distinguished Chair of Reformed Theology, said, “Your research focuses on matters of life and death—immigration, the carceral system, the trauma of forced migration, and the biblical plea for justice. Human lives depend on this kind of research. And you show us that we can’t understand the Hebrew Bible, apart from the way that it is a product of forced migration, longing for a home, and a reflection of immigrant experiences. This makes you a gift to this Seminary.”

Cuéllar’s inaugural address was a product of his latest research, "The Nature of Empire in Prophetic Discourse.” In his address, Cuéllar emphasized the crucial function that prophetic discourse serves in identifying patterns of empire. He said, “Prophetic discourse serves as a pedagogical function by mapping the contours of empire and teaching us to identify its foundational elements…Prophetic voices compel us to confront urgent questions: Where does empire reside today? And how does it continue to shape our world?”

Cuéllar’s inauguration marks a historic moment in the life of Austin Seminary. He is the first Mexican American to be confirmed as a full professor. As Austin Seminary celebrates this momentous occasion, Cuéllar is hopeful for the future and what this means for future LatinX scholars and professors. He said, “Hopefully, what my community and my faith have helped me to achieve opens the way for others so that there will be a chain of Mexican Americans that follow.”