Harvard History

Over the course of its 133-year history, the prestigious Gifford Lectures delivered annually in Scotland have developed deep ties to Harvard University whose faculty—including Professors Diana Eck, William James, and Steven Pinker—have broken new ground...

“I had not intended to go on into a ministry. I really had intended to take a year out and go back into foreign service, but after I had been there for about six months studying, I knew that this was the place where I wanted to be. I felt my calling was...

Believing that a month should be dedicated to the celebration and teaching of gay and lesbian history, Rodney Wilson, a Missouri high school teacher, gathered other educators and community leaders to discuss the issue in 1994. The group selected October...

Offered as a prayer to his “first years,” proctor and MDiv candidate J.Y. Lee ponders the ways that God has shown up throughout Harvard's history.

"Enlightenment is all the brighter on the more richly diverse common ground where we meet every kind of believer and non-believer," writes Professor Frank Clooney in a rebuttle to Steven Pinker's new book Enlightenment Now.

During HDS's bicentennial celebration, Harvard President Drew Faust spoke of how HDS has "made its own forms" over two centuries.

As HDS enters its bicentennial year, there is an increasing representation of world religions at the School, which has fostered new communities and directions for alumni.

In 1816, when Harvard Divinity School was established, its founders aimed to ensure that “every encouragement be given to the serious, impartial, and unbiased investigation of Christian truth.” Two hundred years later, HDS has expanded its mission. With...

Stephen Shoemaker, a lecturer on the study of religion, said it is common for his students to be surprised by the significance of religion in the evolution of Harvard, and he believes part of his mission is to raise that awareness.

Former directors, residents, and students of the Center for the Study of World Religions discuss the different eras of the Center’s history of studying religion.