Graduate Profile: Daniel Sanders, MTS '21

May 18, 2021
Daniel Sanders
Daniel Sanders, MTS '21 / Courtesy photo

HDS communications reached out to our 2021 graduating students to hear from them in their own words about their experiences at HDS, the people who've helped and inspired them along their grad school journeys, and their plans for the future.

Message of Thanks

I am grateful for my friend and mentor, Rick Colby, who helped prepare me for the Ivy Leagues. And for inspiration from my old friend, HDS grad Karlie Fox-Knudtsen, who showed it can be done. I would like to thank my HDS advisor, Francis X. Clooney, S.J., for his guidance in authentically engaging Hindu and Christian texts and figures. I was grateful for the opportunity to practice the refined discipline of comparative theology with a world expert in the field.

I also loved my Buddhism courses with Elon Goldstein, whose passion for and knowledge of the subject were truly stunning. I would like to thank Diane L. Moore, Lauren R. Kerby, the staff of the Boston Children’s Museum, and HDS Religion and Public Life for all their training in religious literacy in the fields of media, journalism, and early childhood education. I also relished the Advanced Screenwriting course at Harvard College, taught by award-winning filmmaker Musa Syeed. I hope to use film to explore themes of religious diversity.

Thank you to my family for their support: Reva & Stephen Mitchell, Jim Sanders, and Donna & Mark Andrews. They were there when I needed them the most. Dan Turner, an old friend and Assistant Dean at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, provided crucial assistance in paving the way for my return to academia. And finally, I am grateful for my fiancée, Claire, whose spiritual companionship helped me stay the course through many intense school days!

What I Hope to Be Remembered By

I hope that my passion for multiple traditions will encourage others to explore beyond their own comfort zones. There are many hidden treasures waiting to be discovered for those who beware overspecialization and value a strong multi-religion knowledge base.

Future Plans

I hope to use fiction, non-fiction, and film to explore themes of religious diversity. I want to show others why the world's varied religious traditions inspire me so deeply, by making them exciting and accessible for everyone. I would like to write, teach, and engage in interfaith work.