News Archive
Harvard-acquired Pentecostal collection offers up ‘gold mine’
Bishop Carlton Pearson’s media archive, which will be digitized by Andover-Harvard Theological Library over the next two years, will offer scholars a rare unvarnished glimpse inside the closely guarded world of evangelical religious broadcasting—and the...
Progressive Religion at the Democratic National Convention
Many saw the Convention’s emphasis on inclusive faith as an opportunity to challenge the so-called “God gap” between the parties.
What HDS Is Reading This Summer
There are still a few weeks of summer remaining, and that means there is still time to enjoy a great book. Members of the HDS community recently shared what they’ve been reading for class and for pleasure. Harvey Cox, Hollis Professor of Divinity Emeritus...
Video: Helmut Koester Memorial Service
HDS faculty and friends remember Professor Helmut Koester during a memorial service on May 6, 2016. Koester, John H. Morison Professor of New Testament Studies and Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History Emeritus, passed away on New Year’s Day, 2016, at...
Professor Beliso-De Jesús Wins Journal of Africana Religions Book Prize
The Journal of Africana Religions announced on August 1 that Professor Aisha Beliso-De Jesús’s Electric Santería: Racial and Sexual Assemblages of Transnational Religion Columbia University Press, 2015) has won the 2016 Albert J. Raboteau Book Prize for...
Khizr Khan DNC speech: How important was it for Muslims in America?
Visiting Professor Jocelyne Cesari discusses how the speech given by a Muslim immigrant at the Democratic National Convention could represent a watershed for Muslims in America, as they increasingly move beyond interfaith activity and into politics.
Tim Kaine, Mike Pence, and Faith
As the race for the White House enters the final stretch, the recently chosen GOP and Democratic Party picks for vice president are introducing themselves to the nation. In speeches and political messaging over the last two weeks, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence...
The Existential War Between ISIS and France
Visiting Professor Jocelyne Cesari writes about the recent attacks in France and why the country seems to be a target.
Religious Voices of the Republican National Convention
Religious leaders across political affiliations were quick to condemn the benediction last week by televangelist Mark Burns as inimical to the message of the Bible and the spirit of the nation.
Humans of HDS: From Peace Corps to Divinity School
Recent grad Nick Zehner talks about his long, winding path to HDS, from attending a Christian college as an undergrad, to having his faith challenged, to ministering to patients as a hospital chaplain.
The Love of God
Professor Jon Levenson discusses how the concept of 'love' differed in ancient Israel, whether Song of Songs can/should be read allegorically, and how understandings of love developed and changed throughout history.
Unearthed Bones Bring Philistines to Life
A Harvard-backed expedition working in Israel has carried out the first-ever excavation of a Philistine cemetery.
HDS's Walton: Split-Second Decisions That Leave Black and Brown People Dead
Rev. Jonathan Walton writes in the New York Times on how to have faith in our capacity to become a country that does not control large segments of our society based on race and class.
African-American Church Leaders Address New Challenges
Delman Coates, MDiv '98, the senior pastor at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Maryland, weighs in on how African-American church leaders are responding to new challenges in the crisis in police-community relations.
HDS's Clooney: After Recently Killings, Be a Good Samaritan
St. Paul, Baton Rouge, and Dallas are but the latest tragic incidents, but unfortunately, surely not the last.
Fad Diets as Religion?
From Jews keeping kosher to Jains’ strict vegetarianism, dietary restrictions are common across many religious traditions.
Staging the Ineffable: A Tribute to Elie Wiesel
Guila Clara Kessous, HDS post doctoral fellow for 2015-16, reflects on the influence of her teacher and friend Elie Wiesel.
Remembering Deacon Roy
I opened up my Facebook page Tuesday morning—a practice I usually don't indulge in at first wake. Typically, before the news of the outside world outside engages my mind and spirit, I arise and move into devotional and scripture reading, walk/run atop the...
Taking Care of Their Own
As an undergraduate in Los Angeles, Nestor Pimienta was often asked by university workers if he could tutor their children to steer them toward the road he took. Driven by a passion for social justice that he attributes to having grown up in an immigrant...
Examining the Roots of American 'Chosenness'
As we celebrate our nation's birth this July Fourth with parades, fireworks, and BBQs, we revisit the year 1776 to ask about the reasons for the American Revolution. What inspired thousands of ordinary Americans to risk their lives and fight against the...
Humans of HDS: On Grace and Theology
HDS staff member Leslie MacPherson Artinian is one of the most recognizable faces on campus. During a typical day, she may be found handling the financials for the OMS office, tending to the HDS garden, helping plan a national conference, or learning more...
HDS's Online World Religions Course Continues to Grow
More than 106,000 people from 181 countries have registered for Harvard Divinity School's free, online course "World Religions Through Their Scriptures."
Should Christians Fast This Ramadan?
Professor Francis Clooney, SJ, on fasting's power to promote unity and community in the wake of the Orlando shootings.
At HDS, Writers Find Their Voice
Before he became an award-winning poet and Episcopal priest, Spencer Reece, MTS ’90, attended Harvard Divinity School. He took classes on Flannery O’Connor, the Bible, and the nineteenth-century Transcendentalist writer, poet, and HDS student Ralph Waldo...
Orlando: A Lament
Professor Mark D. Jordan writes about mourning in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
The Harvard That Was
Ruth Purtilo, MTS '75, PhD '79, was involved in the feminist movement at Harvard during the '70s, and advocated for equal pay for Harvard faculty and staff. She is one of many alumni who shared memories of their alma mater and how it has changed since...
God and the 2016 Election
From Christians and Jews to those who follow psychics and ancient civilizations like the Maya, the bitter political chaos of Campaign 2016 has some wondering if its causes are entirely secular.
The Love of God
Professor Jon Levenson discusses his latest book, The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism, in which he explores the origin and development of the idea of "love of God."
Humans of HDS: Path to Buddhist Ministry
In a wide-ranging interview, HDS instructor in Buddhism Chris Berlin discusses music and mantras, end-of-life care, and interfaith healing.
Jesuit Historian Honored at Harvard
Professor Francis X. Clooney, S.J., director of the Center for the Study of World Religions, writes about John O'Malley, S.J., who was awarded a Centennial Medal by the Harvard Alumni Association.
