Ratner Family Lecture 2026

The Department of Religious Studies welcomes guest lecturer Rev. Dr. Miguel De La Torre to deliver the Bi-Annual Ratner Family Lecture, “Toward a Liberative AI Ethics.”

Co-sponsored by the Department of Religious Studies and The Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities

Thursday, September 24th

4:30 pm – 6 pm

Thwing Excelsior Ballroom (229)

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AI is radically changing how most of us go about our daily lives, bringing – in some cases – radical changes. Unfortunately, we are rushing forward simply because we can, paying little attention to the ethical implications of these changes. Focusing on the impact of AI, this lecture will begin by exploring their theological implications and its impact on the individual, the nation, and the world. Special attention will be given to those who were already marginalized before the normalization of AI.

Rev. Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre is Professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. He is an international scholar, documentarian, novelist, academic author, and scholar activist. The focus of Dr. De La Torre’s academic pursuit is social ethics within contemporary U.S. thought, specifically how religion affects race, class, and gender oppression.