Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros, poet, student in the MA/MFA program in literature, creative writing and social justice program and program coordinator for the Center for Women in Church and Society, has won the 2019 Ruben Alves Theopoetics Award. Arts Religion and Culture (ARC) selected her as the third recipient of the organization’s award for her work that centers on storytelling and faith.

Hinojosa-Cisneros will receive the award and speak at ARC’s 2019 Theopoetics Conference in Oakland, California March 22-24. Established in 2016, the award is given in honor of Brazilian theologian, author and teacher Ruben Alves.

An accomplished Tejana poeta, Hinojosa-Cisneros serves as co-editor of “The Journal of Latina Critical Feminism” and poetry editor of “The Thing Itself.” Her work has appeared in “On Being,” “The Acentos Review,” “SheLovesMagazine,” “RedbudPost” and other publications.

“I am learning to decolonize my theology by exploring my ancestral roots, navigating my history and exploring language as it pertains to faith and Latinidad,” she writes on her website. “I was raised Catholic and now call the Episcopal church my home. My work hopes to promote social change and disrupt Western canonical thought and process… I occasionally call myself a baby theologian.”

Her recent chapbook, “Becoming Coztototl,” was published by Flower Song Books.