Professor Tinoco Ruiz is a practical theologian whose work centers on the intersection of homiletics, pastoral care, and evangelism. Throughout her ministry, she has witnessed that most preachers are poorly equipped to respond to the traumatic injuries marginalized and oppressed communities experience. In contrast, she sees in the sermons of Saint Óscar Romero a profound response to the traumatic injuries the marginalized and oppressed people of El Salvador were experiencing during the years he was the archbishop of San Salvador (1977-1980). Influenced by Saint Romero’s preaching, Professor Tinoco Ruiz is exploring how preachers can effectively address the trauma experienced by marginalized and oppressed communities, particularly the community of undocumented immigrants from Latin America in the United States. She completed her Th.D. thesis on "Óscar Romero's Theological, Hermeneutical, and Pastoral Framework for Preaching to Traumatized Communities." Her publications include essays in the International Journal of Homiletics, Predicación con Impacto: Preparación y Presentación de Mensajes Bíblicos, The Christian Century, and Duke Divinity School’s DIVINITY magazine. Professor Tinoco Ruiz was awarded the Denman Fellow of the Foundation for Evangelism (FFE) in 2016, the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) Doctoral Fellowship in 2019, and the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI)/Lilly fellowship in 2020. She is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church.
In the Media
News and Stories
Celebrating the 2026 Graduates of Duke Divinity School
Duke Divinity School celebrated over 150 graduating students at the 2026 Baccalaureate Service on May 9 in Duke Chapel. Other events included Closing Convocation, an academic awards ceremony, and Graduate Cross services.
Hispanic Latino/a Pastoral Initiative Celebrates First Certificate Graduates
The first graduating class has completed the Hispanic Latino/a Pastoral Initiative Certificate in Theology, a program that provides online training in Spanish and Portuguese to pastors and church leaders from across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the U.S.
Alma Tinoco Ruiz Named ACC Leadership Fellow
Professor Tinoco Ruiz will serve as a fellow in the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Leaders Network program, developing as a leader with faculty peers from across the ACC.