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Religious Literacy

Professor Jocelyne Cesari

From 9/11 to COVID-19: Lessons Learned on Religion and Politics

September 8, 2021
"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 Dunphy Visiting Professor of Religion, Violence, and Peacebuilding at HDS.
A soldier stands guard at Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan on December 8, 2013. REUTERS/Mark Wilson/Pool. THOUGH NONVIOLEN

Could the U.S. Government Take Nonviolence Seriously?

September 3, 2021
“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.
Diane L. Moore

Toward a 'Religiously Literate' World

August 16, 2021
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 comprehensive program of training professionals for practice in other realms.
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Religion and Public Life Announces 2021-22 Fellows

June 14, 2021
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, and media and entertainment) and issues (racial justice, climate change, immigration advocacy, and Native and Indigenous rights).
A man prays in front of the United States Capitol during on January 6, 2021. Photo by Getty Images

White Christian Nationalists Want More Than Just Political Power

January 15, 2021
"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. Kerby, religious literacy specialist for HDS's Religion and Public Life program.
"Black And Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom" author conversation took place December 8, 2020.

Video: Black And Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom

January 8, 2021

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 perpetual risk of psychological imbalance and trauma due to the social realities of racism in the United States. In  this video, the authors engage the question: What can Buddhism offer African Americans who want to be emotionally resilient in a context they cannot singlehandedly change?... Read more about Video: Black And Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us about Race, Resilience, Transformation, and Freedom

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