Rubén Arjona
Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program
Email: rarjona@upsem.edu
Location: Richmond
Department: Practical Theology
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Email: rarjona@upsem.edu
Location: Richmond
Department: Practical Theology
Princeton Theological Seminary, Ph.D. in Pastoral Theology
Princeton Theological Seminary, Master of Theology
Princeton Theological Seminary, Master of Arts in Theological Studies
Seminario Teológico Presbiteriano de México, Bachelor of Theology
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Teaching Certificate, English as a Foreign Language
Rubén Arjona is an ordained minister in the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. He was raised by a “hybrid” Christian family (Presbyterian on his father’s side and Roman Catholic on his mother’s). He cherishes that legacy and explores ways to integrate his early faith formation with his current intentional theologies. Arjona is grateful for Union Presbyterian’s appreciation and support of his service to churches and communities in Mexico and beyond.
Inspired by his work in various congregations in Mexico City and his mentorship of students in Mexican seminaries, Arjona pursued graduate studies in pastoral care and pastoral theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. In addition to serving as instructor in seminaries in his native Mexico, Dr. Arjona served his denomination as executive secretary of its board of education and moderator of the Berea Presbytery in Mexico City.
Dr. Arjona has published several works in Spanish, including his undergraduate thesis on John Calvin’s missions to France, published by the Centro Basilea de Investigación y Apoyo under the auspices of the Fondation pour l’Aide au Protestantimse Réformé (FAP). More recently, Dr. Arjona has published several peer-reviewed articles in Pastoral Psychology and the Journal of Pastoral Theology.
Dr. Arjona’s research interests include the pastoral care of men, the intersections of pastoral care and liberation theologies, the care of couples and families, the care of LGBTQ+ individuals, and Erik H. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. One of his deepest passions is the care of theological students, which for him includes accompanying some of his former students in Mexico as well as mentoring international students pursuing theological studies in the United States.
Author, The Criminalization of Mexicans in Contemporary ‘American’ Politics: A Pastoral Theological Response (Journal of Pastor Theology )
Author, George F. Handel’s ‘How Beautiful Are the Feet’ as Transformational Object: An Autobiographical Account (Pastoral Psychology )
Author, Erik H. Erikson’s Young Man Luther: A Classic Revisited, Again (Pastoral Psychology)
Author, You Are My Friends: Pastoral Care with Young Mexican Men (Pastoral Psychology)
Author, John Calvin on the Lord’s Supper: Food, Rest, and Healing for Shivering Souls (Pastoral Psychology)
Author, The Librarian as an Image of Pastoral Care (Pastoral Psychology )
Author, William James and the Varieties of Religious and Drinking Experience: The Case of Pablo Ávila (Pastoral Psychology)
Author, Hoagies and Tacos: Food and Men’s Unquenchable Hunger (Pastoral Psychology)
Author, A Time to Sing and a Time to Dance: Activating Hope and Wisdom (Pastoral Psychology )
Co-author, A Spiritually Integrative Digital Pedagogy (Routledge)
Author, Calvino, el placer y ‘la buena vida’ (AIPRAL/CUR)