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Illustration of Pamela Ayo Yetunde and Cheryl A. Giles

Black, Buddhist, and Free

May 3, 2021
Cheryl Giles, Francis Greenwood Peabody Senior Lecturer on Pastoral Care and Counseling at HDS, discusses her coedited anthology of “freedom stories” exploring what it means to be Black and Buddhist in America.
People rally outside the courthouse in Minneapolis in April 2021. Photo by AP

Ensuring the Floyd Trial Becomes a Turning Point

April 22, 2021
Cornell William Brooks, Visiting Professor of the Practice of Prophetic Religion and Public Leadership at HDS and Hauser Professor of the Practice of Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the significance of the conviction of former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd and what it may mean for the future of meaningful police reforms.
Abuse of Power in Alternative and Emerging Spiritual and Cultural Organizations

Video: Follow-up Panel on Abuse of Power in Alternative and Emerging Spiritual and Cultural Organizations

April 20, 2021

In the wake of our February 25 Virtual Panel, “Abuse of Power in Alternative and Emerging Spiritual and Cultural Organizations,” many people have expressed a desire to continue the conversation. Therefore, we are launching an ongoing discussion on our platform around this complex and sensitive topic.... Read more about Video: Follow-up Panel on Abuse of Power in Alternative and Emerging Spiritual and Cultural Organizations

Professor Preston Williams

Preston Williams to Receive 2021 Harvard Medal

April 14, 2021

The Harvard Alumni Association announced that HDS Professor Preston N. Williams, PhD ’67, will receive the 2021 Harvard Medal. Williams, Houghton Professor of Theology and Contemporary Change Emeritus, was the first tenured African American faculty member of HDS and the first to lead the School when he was acting dean from 1974 to 1975. He was also the founding director of Harvard’s W.E.B. DuBois Research Institute.

Zion Church in Iowa. Photo by Getty Images

Fewer Americans Belong to a House of Worship. What's Filling the God Gap?

April 14, 2021
"As people are leaving formal institutions—they're no longer members of a congregation—it doesn't mean that their spirituality no longer exists. They're still looking for community. They're still looking for mentorship and intergenerational connection. And for most of them they still believe in God or a higher power," says Casper ter Kuile, HDS Ministry Innovation Fellow.

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