Yara González-Justiniano

Assistant Professor of Religion, Psychology, and Culture
On leave Fall 2023

Yara González-Justiniano is Assistant Professor of Religion, Culture, and Psychology with emphasis in Latinx Studies at Vanderbilt University. She is also affiliated faculty of the Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies.

 She received a PhD in Theological Studies with concentration in church and society from Boston University School of Theology, where she also received her Master of Divinity. At the University of Puerto Rico, Dr. González-Justiniano earned a B.A. in Audiovisual Communications with a concentration on film; she also double majored in theater and modern languages. Her educational journey of interdisciplinarity inform the ways in which she approaches theological studies.

 Prior to joining Vanderbilt Divinity faculty, Dr. González-Justiniano was Visiting Assistant Professor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary as a Louisville Postdoctoral Fellow. Here she also served as DMin program Track Adviser for the students in the Preaching and Leadership in LatinX Congregations.

 Dr. González-Justiniano serves in the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession Committee of the American Academy of Religion. And is secretary-treasurer of the Association of Practical Theology. She is also currently under care in the ordination process with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the New England region. 

Her research and teaching interests include Latinx theologies, Latin American Liberation theology, ecclesiology, memory studies, postcolonial and decolonial theory, popular culture and film, and popular religion and theologies of hope.