An Afternoon in Honor of Samuel Escobar
An Afternoon in Honor of Samuel Escobar
In 2025, Wheaton Archives & Special Collections and the A. Duane Litfin Divinity School celebrated the life, ministry, and enduring legacy of J. Samuel Escobar (1934–2025) — Peruvian theologian, pastor, and leading voice in Latin American evangelicalism.
For more than five decades, Dr. Escobar shaped missiological understanding and evangelism trends through his work with the Fraternidad Teológica Latinoamericana, the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and other global evangelical networks and seminaries.
The program featured tributes from family members, colleagues, and ministry partners, a presentation of a special double issue of the Journal of Latin American Theology: Christian Reflections from the Latino South, dedicated to Dr. Escobar, and a curated exhibit showcasing highlights from the newly acquired J. Samuel Escobar Papers. A generous gift from the Escobar family, the Escobar Papers include personal correspondence, photographs, and original manuscripts from the 1950s onward. The collection is now housed in the Wheaton Archives & Special Collections and is open for research.