By Sara Humphries
Rev. Dr. Aquiles Martinez
When Rev. Dr. Aquiles Martinez first came to Reinhardt nearly 20 years ago to teach religion, he hoped for his students to learn more than the history of religion in his courses.
Martinez, professor of religion and coordinator of the religion program, wants his students to learn about themselves and others in a way that improves the world around them.
“[I want to] get them a little closer to the mystery we call ‘God,’ as they learn about themselves and others to improve the world, we live in.”
Martinez wants his students to take something from his classes that they can use for the rest of their lives. He understands the importance of his religion classes and how they affect students at Reinhardt.
“I like classes in which I can help students understand religious phenomena but methodologically making sense of ‘social reality’ in order to articulate its diversity and significance, which depends considerably on the angles one adopts and the tools one uses to facilitate such a process.”
Martinez has written many books and articles in the past 20 years of his professional career. This past year he finished a textbook in English and Spanish entitled “Encounters with the Mystery: An Understanding of Religion.” He used his textbook to teach Introduction to Religion at Reinhardt. Martinez also published the second edition of “Interpretación Bíblica con Sabor Latino: Una Invitación al Diálogo Desde la Diáspora,” which highlights interpretations of the bible.
Martinez traveled to archaeological, historical and religious sites and museums in Turkey, India, Egypt, Israel and Brazil to gain knowledge that he could use for his courses during his recent sabbatical. He used the blog posts and photographs from his travels as a resource to teach his students.
When Martinez isn’t in the classroom, he enjoys dancing, singing, writing poetry, taking pictures, playing tennis and traveling worldwide.
“To complement my scholarly interests, I love to travel around the world to help improve my life and the lives of others.”
