Samuel Escobar Aguirre, a number one Peruvian theologian, missiologist and Bible scholar, died this week on the age of 90.
Born in Arequipa, Peru, in 1934, Escobar devoted his life to serving the church and advancing theological reflection from a distinctly Latin American perspective. He became probably the most influential voices in the worldwide evangelical movement, helping to shape the emergence of Latin American Evangelical Theology by offering a contextualized vision of Christian faith amid the continent’s social, political and cultural realities.
Escobar played a number one role within the historic 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland, convened by Billy Graham. There, he worked alongside René Padilla, the Ecuadorian-Argentine theologian and longtime collaborator, and John Stott, the renowned British evangelical leader and principal writer of the Lausanne Covenant, a foundational document for contemporary evangelical missions.
The Lausanne Congress marked a turning point for the worldwide evangelical movement, laying the groundwork for an understanding of Christian mission that integrated evangelism with social responsibility. Escobar, together with Padilla, was one in all the important thing advocates for the concept of integral mission — proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ each in word and in motion, addressing each material and spiritual poverty.
Throughout his profession, Escobar also played an important role within the Latin American Theological Fellowship (Fraternidad Teológica Latinoamericana, or FTL), which he co-founded to offer an area for dialogue, critical pondering, and ministerial collaboration amongst evangelical leaders across Latin America. He served as president of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) and taught at theological institutions in Peru, Canada and Spain.
The writer of diverse influential works — including The New Face of Latin American Protestantism, The Evangelical Faith and Contemporary Culture, and A Time for Mission — Escobar tackled critical issues comparable to integral mission, the believer’s social responsibility, and biblical faithfulness in difficult contexts.
Those who knew him remember his humility, tireless passion for teaching, and memorable ability to construct bridges between generations and across Christian traditions. Until his final days, Escobar lived in Valencia, Spain, where he remained lively as a speaker, author, and mentor to emerging Christian leaders.
Escobar’s passing leaves a profound gap in evangelical theological and missional reflection. Yet his legacy lives on through his writings, his students, and the numerous initiatives he inspired over his fruitful lifetime.
Samuel Escobar Aguirre (1934–2025) is remembered with deep gratitude.
