Religious Literacy

"Religion is conceived very narrowly with exclusive attention to ideas or doctrines, even though we have established that most of the political conflicts related to religion do not pertain to beliefs but belongings," writes Jocelyne Cesari, T. J. Dermot...

“Baked into the international system and into diplomacy, especially in the West, is a great deal of simplistic and often biased thinking about religion,” said Susan Hayward, associate director of the religious literacy and the professions initiative at...

HDS is launching its first new master’s degree program in more than 50 years, the master of religion and public life. Coupled with a similarly named certificate program—the anchors of the of the Religion and Public Life initiative—HDS has embarked upon a...

This week, we conclude our Divinity Dialogues Gomes Award podcast series with a reflective conversation between Dean Hempton and our 2021 Gomes Friend of the School honoree, Drew Gilpin Faust. Faust holds several titles, including President Emerita of...

Religion and Public Life at Harvard Divinity School announced its 2021-22 fellows. This inaugural cohort of expert practitioners bring deep expertise and social justice commitments to a range of professions (government, education, journalism, organizing...

HDS celebrated the 2021 Peter J. Gomes STB '68 Distinguished Alumni Honors on May 4. This year's alumni honorees are: Joshua Eaton, MDiv ’10; Dr. Omar Sultan Haque, MTS ‘04, MD ’08; Robin Coste Lewis, MTS '97; and Lama Rod Owens, MDiv ’17. A journalist...

HDS celebrated the 2021 Peter J. Gomes STB '68 Honors Friend of the School on May 11. Our 2021 Friend of the School is Drew Gilpin Faust, President Emerita of Harvard University the Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor, and longtime partner and...

HDS Fellow in Religion and Public Life Susan Hayward explains the history of religious political action in Myanmar and why this time is different.

"For white Christian nationalists, taking back the country is about more than just political power. They see themselves as faithful patriots fulfilling the American Founders’ covenant with God to maintain a righteous Christian nation," writes Lauren R...

Buddhism is a way of life, a philosophy, a psychology, a set of ethics, a religion, or a combination thereof. Central to the many ways Buddhism is understood is the achievement of emotional, mental, and psychological wellness. African Americans are at...