Harvard Divinity School

“Reproductive Healthcare Access and White Nationalism,” featured founder of Funky Brown Chick, Twanna Hines, and Melissa Deckman, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Assistant Dean for Religion and Public Life, Hussein Rashid, served as moderator. Access to reproductive healthcare engages with explicitly religious language. This session positioned that language in the broader framework of white nationalism, which is often undergirded by Christian nationalism. The session tied together structures of patriarchy and race, and offered ways of possible solidarity to create a more just future. This was the third of four sessions in the Religion and Democratic Ideals series. This series focused on where religion intersects with democratic ideals and institutions. Sponsored by Religion and Public Life Full transcript: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/11/14/video-religion-and-democratic-ideals-reproductive-healthcare-access-and-white-nationalism.

In Zionism: An Emotional State, author Derek J. Penslar demonstrated how the energy propelling the Zionist project originates from bundles of feeling whose elements have varied in volume, intensity, and durability across space and time. Penslar examined the emotions that have shaped Zionist sensibilities and practices throughout the movement’s history. Featuring Derek J. Penslar, William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History at Harvard University Moderated by Shaul Magid, HDS Visiting Professor of Modern Jewish Studies Full transcript: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/12/3/video-zionism-emotional-state.

On October 1, 2024, HDS hosted a celebration of "Hindu and Catholic, Priest and Scholar: A Love Story," the new memoir from HDS Professor Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Joining Prof. Clooney on a panel of respondents were: Rajeev Persaud, MTS ’24, Andrea Bischoff, MTS ’24, and Jonathan Makransky, multireligious ministry initiatives coordinator at HDS. The event was introduced by Kerry Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. Sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain and Religious and Spiritual Life and by the Office of Ministry Studies. Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/01/video-hindu-and-catholic-priest-and-scholar-love-story.

In their book, “Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism,” Shane Burley and Ben Lorber, two activist journalists, present a progressive, intersectional approach to the vital question: What can we do about antisemitism? Using personal stories, historical deep-dives, front-line reporting, and interviews with leading change-makers, Burley and Lorber help us break the current impasse to understand how antisemitism works, what’s missing in contemporary debates, and how to build true safety through solidarity, for Jews and all people. Featuring co-authors Ben Lorder and Shane Burley Moderated by Shaul Magid, HDS Visiting Professor of Modern Jewish Studies This is the first event in RPL's Religion, Conflict, and Peace 2024-25 Book Series. Full transcript: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/01/video-safety-through-solidarity-radical-guide-fighting-antisemitism.

This special HDS Buddhist Ministry Initiative event commemorated Dhamma Chakra Day, the anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism along with 500,000 of his followers. Dr. Ambedkar’s peaceful, egalitarian, and grassroots movement of social liberation left an indelible mark on Indian society, embracing Buddhism as a powerful method for marginalized people to denounce the caste system and to gain true equality and dignity. Moderated by Buddhist Ministry Initiative Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. Santosh Raut, this program included a presentation by Professor Charles Hallisey and a panel discussion on Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy as it resonates with Isabel Wilkerson’s "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," featuring Dean Melissa Bartholomew and Professor Stephanie Sears. Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/11/07/video-celebrating-dhamma-chakra-day-buddhism-emancipation.

"Rematriation, Land, and Healing," featured co-founder of Women of Bears Ears, Cynthia Wilson, and board member of Women of Bears Ears, Doreen Bird. Assistant Dean for Religion and Public Life, Hussein Rashid, served as moderator. How we steward our land—and the lands of others—brings up essential questions of belonging, indigeneity, and spiritual and political governance. How do different types of stewardship impact how we enact democracy in and with the land we occupy? This session examined how we relate to the natural world around us and the possibilities—and obstacles—for strengthening those relationships through our democratic institutions. This was the fourth of four sessions in the Religion and Democratic Ideals series. This series focused on where religion intersects with democratic ideals and institutions. Sponsored by Religion and Public Life Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/22/video-religion-and-democratic-ideals-rematriation-land-and-healing

There was a presentation and brief film screening with Eileen Moncoeur, Executive Director of HRDC Sabal Foundation in Nepal, which harnesses global support so that the poorest children with disabilities in Nepal can access surgery, rehabilitation, and loving care. Eileen guided us through an exploration of the ways in which global principles of compassion can be put into action on the ground in community settings, using the Sabal Foundation’s work as a case study. HDS Buddhist Ministry Initiative instructors Chris Berlin and Dr. Santoshkumar Raut offered a response and commentary. Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/24/video-what-it-takes-manifest-compassion-talk-sabal-foundation.

Stephanie Paulsell delivered a moving lecture about her life in scholarship before her retirement in December 2024. Paulsell has been a member of the HDS faculty since 2001. She is the author of "Religion Around Virginia Woolf" (2019), co-editor (with Davíd Carrasco and Mara Willard) of "Goodness and the Literary Imagination" (2019), and has served as a regular columnist for The Christian Century since 2007. Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/22/video-lost-mystery-god-remembered-wisdom-retirement.

Naomi Saks, MDiv ’10, Chaplain at University of California, San Francisco Medical Center offered remarks via Zoom about her new book, "Intentionally Interprofessional Palliative Care." Naomi was joined by one of her co-authors Chaplain Paul Galchutt. Sponsored by the Office is Religious and Spiritual Life Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/30/video-interprofessional-palliative-care.

For episode 10 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome the musician, composer, and producer Trey Spruance. We discuss Trey’s early musical and occult explorations and how reading the philosopher Henry Corbin changed the course of his life. Trey then takes us through the esoteric dimensions of Secret Chiefs 3 and how albums like Book M and Book of Horizons are filled with correspondences to Kabbalah, astrology, Hermetic magic, and Pythagorean musicology. Along the way, we touch on Trey’s work with Jim Zorn and Kronos Quartet, his conversion to Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and the afterlives of Saint Cyprian the Mage.

In our second episode of Praxis, we meet Marisol Andrade Muñoz, a Master of Theological Studies student, graphic designer, and historian, whose archival research looks at the relationship between time and people in Central Mexico. Join us as we look deeper into the student experience at Harvard Divinity School. Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/11/20/from-visual-storytelling-to-historical-imagination-featuring-marisol-andrade-munoz

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Taylon E. Lancaster, a third-year MDiv candidate at HDS and pastor at Third Baptist Church in Springfield, MA. We discuss his pursuits as a drum major for justice, the role of rest, and what hope looks like in community. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: https://hds.harvard.edu/community-life/religious-and-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/11/19/hope-podcast-featuring-taylon-e-lancaster-mdiv-candidate

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Eve Schwartz, a third-year MDiv candidate at HDS. We discuss blending the personal and the academic, building community, and the power of ritual. Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/11/12/hope-podcast-featuring-eve-schwartz-mdiv-candidate Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: https://hds.harvard.edu/community-life/religious-and-spiritual-life Transcript forthcoming.

For episode nine, we welcome to the show Diana Pasulka, professor of Religious Studies at UNC – Wilmington. Her books American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology and Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences are both classics in the field of Religion and Technology studies. We discuss how Pasulka’s early work on Catholic purgatory led her to the study of UFOs, the spiritual practices of experiencers, and the role of government (dis)information and popular culture in the rise of UFO religion. On the way, we touch on A.I., revelations, St. Teresa of Avila, sleep paralysis, and the perils and possibilities of new technologies. Full transcript forthcoming.

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Hiatt O'Connor, a second-year MDiv student at HDS. He discusses his journey from a Christian upbringing to Zen Buddhist practices, reading the Tao Te Ching, and his relationship with Quakerism. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: https://hds.harvard.edu/community-life/religious-and-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/31/hope-podcast-featuring-hiatt-oconnor-mdiv-26.

Terrence Johnson, Charles G. Adams Professor of African American Religious Studies at HDS, interviews Corey Brettschneider about his new book, "The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought To Defend It." Brettschneider is professor of political science at Brown University, where he teaches constitutional law and politics, as well as a visiting professor at Fordham Law School. Editor's note: We experienced a microphone issue during the interview recording, so our apologies for the inconsistent audio quality from 4:34 to 9:10. Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/01/book-interview-terrence-l-johnson-interviews-corey-brettschneider-about-presidents-and.

We are excited to launch our new podcast Praxis, which looks deeper into the student experience at Harvard Divinity School. This episode featuring Amy Sexauer, MDiv ‘26, explores being a veteran and mother while attending HDS. More episodes are coming!

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Jordan Ahmed, a first-year MDiv student at HDS. We discuss his relationship to Islam, community organizing, and the joy of embodied practice. Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/23/hope-podcast-featuring-jordan-ahmed-mdiv-candidate

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Nicole Marie, a third-year MDiv student at HDS. We discuss her relationship to hope, imagination, and mystery. Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/10/23/hope-podcast-featuring-nicole-marie-mdiv-candidate

For our eighth episode, CSWR Research Associate and Pop Apocalypse host Matthew J. Dillon welcomes author Eric Wargo to the show. Eric is perhaps the world’s foremost expert on precognition. His most recent book, "From Nowhere," examines precognition in its relationship to creativity in the lives of major authors and artists. They discuss the nature of time, dreamwork, memories from the future, and the four-dimensional brain. Along the way, they discuss figures like Virginia Woolf, Philip K. Dick, Andrei Tarkovsky, Sigmund Freud, and the sculptor, Michael Richards. Eric Wargo has a PhD in anthropology from Emory University and works as a professional science writer and editor in Washington, D.C. He is the author of three books on precognition: "From Nowhere," "Precognitive Dreamwork and the Long Self," and the acclaimed "Time Loops." In his spare time, Wargo writes about science fiction, consciousness, and parapsychology at his popular blog, "The Nightshirt." Full transcript forthcoming.

This year, HDS is hosting two Hindu Swamis, Swami Chidekananda of the Ramakrishna Order, and Swami Sachidananda of the Arsha Vidya Gurukul. Both Swamis quickly became cherished members of our community, in the classroom, in community activities, and at religious services. During this event, participants heard the two swamis talk personally about their choice for monastic life, sharing with us insights into their personal journeys as swamis, and reflecting on what it means to be a monastic in the twenty first century. This event took place March 20, 2024. Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/03/20/video-being-hindu-monastic-personal-journeys

Dr. Charmain Jackman (she/her), founder and CEO of InnoPsych, delivered the closing keynote at the Black Religion and Mental Health Symposium. Professor Ahmad Greene-Hayes (Harvard Divinity School) and Professor George Aumoithe (FAS, History and African and African American Studies) proposed this two-day interdisciplinary symposium, integrating mind, brain, and behavior insights into the exploration of Black religious practices and their impact on mental health. They questioned how Black religious spaces can enhance mental health outcomes, considering their dual role as sanctuaries and potential impediments to open discourse. The symposium brought together experts from history, public health, psychiatry, African American studies, religious studies, and civic society, focusing on understanding the neurobiological and socio-behavioral dynamics contributing to mental health stigmatization within Black communities. The symposium aimed to illuminate how societal stressors, such as racism, influence brain function and behavior, thereby affecting mental health, while also exploring resilience mechanisms among Black religious communities. This project aligns with the Harvard Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative’s mission of facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex issues, contributing to a broader understanding of the interplay between mind, brain, and behavior in the context of Black mental health. This event took place on March 1, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/03/01/black-religion-and-mental-health-symposium-closing-keynote-dr-charmain-jackman

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and legendary gospel artist Twinkie Clark talked about her musical journey and performed music from her catalog of over 350 songs. Scholars Charrise Barron, Assistant Professor of Music at Harvard University, and Damien Sneed, Associate Professor in the Department of Music at Howard University, facilitated the conversation with Twinkie Clark which illuminated the motivations and milestones of her music career and explored key elements of her signature sound. The evening culminated in a recital in which Twinkie Clark, a Hammond Organ Hall of Fame member, performed on the Hammond B-3 organ. This event took place April 10, 2024. Learn more: https://hds.harvard.edu/ Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/22/video-evening-twinkie-clark

Each spring, the Office of Ministry Studies organizes the Billings Preaching Prize Finals, an annual preaching competition open to all HDS students who have not previously won. Congratulations to MDiv candidate Auds Jenkins, the 2024 Billings Preaching Prize Competition winner, and to finalists Nicole Marie and Eve Woldemikael for their incredible talents. The event also featured readings from Solomon Kwaghko, the Massachusetts Bible Society scripture reading winner, and Ivy Wang, the OMS reading prize winner. This event took place April 17, 2024. Learn more: https://hds.harvard.edu/ Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/17/video-2024-billings-preaching-prize-competition

Full title: Battle of Siffin: The Intrigues Against Imam Ali's Statebuilding Project & Its Legacy in the Modern Middle East This talk explores the politics and legacy of the Battle of Siffin — a foundational moment in the early political memory and history of Islam that pitted Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib against a rebellion in Syria led by Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. As the first Shi'a Imam and fourth Sunni Caliph, the figure of Ali looms large in the consciousness of Muslims from the very early Islamic period until today. The talk is divided into two sections. The first explores the dialogue and politics between Ali and the diverse battle factions in his army at the Battle of Siffin. It analyzes Imam Ali's state building project, the interests of various elite generals and divisions within Imam Ali’s army, the context behind internal Muslim conflict and the political order of the early Islamic state, and the distinctions made by Ali regarding the roots and reasons behind internal civil conflict within the Muslim body politic. The second section analyzes how contemporary thinkers and scholars in the modern Middle East have interpreted the legacy of Imam Ali, the Battle of Siffin, and the "First Muslim Civil War” as a lens through which to understand the intersection between early Islamic history and modern political theology as well as debates over governance and statecraft in contemporary Islamic intellectual thought. Speaker: Dr. Mohammad Sagha, Lecturer in the Modern Middle East, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations (NELC), Harvard University This event took place on April 29, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/04/29/battle-siffin-intrigues-against-imam-alis-statebuilding-project-its-legacy-modern

Sahar Shahid, MDiv ’17, and the members of the HDS Alumni/Alumnae Council are pleased to invite fellow graduates and the School community to celebrate Peter J Gomes STB ’68 Distinguished Alumni Honors and our theme of Journeys of the Soul. This year, we seek to honor those who, across various systems of belief, delve into the soul's journey in this life and beyond and are committed to practices that foster connection with the transcendent. Read about this year's honorees here: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/22/journeys-soul-hds-recognizes-awe-inspiring-alumni-2024-gomes-distinguished-honors This event took place on May 9, 2024. For more information, visit https://hds.harvard.edu/ Full Transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/05/09/peter-j-gomes-stb-%E2%80%9968-distinguished-alumni-honors-journeys-soul

Listen to Tibetan Buddhist master H.E. Ling Rinpoche's teachings on embodying the power of compassion and wisdom to uproot discrimination and bigotry. HDS was so honored to extend this rare opportunity to the community to experience the teachings of Buddhism from a representative of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Bio His Eminence the 7th Kyabjé Yongzin Ling Rinpoche is the reincarnation of the senior tutor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He entered Drepung Monastery in India in 1990 and completed all of his Buddhist studies and training by 2017. He is one of the few religious figures in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition who represents His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and he travels widely around the globe giving teachings. This event took place on April 23, 2024. For more information, see https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/04/23-compassion-action-addressing-discrimination-through-lens-buddhist-teachings

A yearly tradition at HDS, the Stendahl Symposium honors the memory of former professor Krister Stendahl, who tirelessly sought to repair fractions between Jews and Christians, supported the ordination of women, and pushed for the full inclusion and participation of women and minority voices in academia and interfaith work. Opening Remarks: Given by Samirah Jaigirdar, HDSSA Academics Chair Panel 1: Conversations Across Religious Boundaries "Christian Zen: Innovative Syncretism or Cultural Appropriation?" by Jeffrey Ng "Are You My Mother: Redefining Adoptive Relationships Through a Comparative Study of Western-Christian and Neo-Confucian Ethics" by Grace Sill "They said that he was the image of Tezcatlipoca: Dress and iconography in technologies of ritual remembrance in 1500s Texcoco" by Marisol Andrade Muñoz "Humanism in the Eastern and Western Philosophy and Religion: Concerning Confucius/Mencius and Kant" by Juye Han Panel 2: Religion and the Digital Age "Meme-ing Making: Our Newest Testament" by Maddison Tenney "Religion’s On Her Lips: Exploring the “Good Girl Faith” of Taylor Swift’s Lyricism" by Olivia Hastie and Anna Guterman "New Media, New Narratives, New Nuns: Catholic Nuns Making a Habit of Social Media" by Lauren Tassone "The Spiritual Value of Slasher Films: Watching Horror Movies as a Sacred Practice" by Kristen Maples Panel 3: Religion and Current Affairs "From Haven to Hazard: Examining the Role of Family as Sanctuary in Mormon Discourse" by Perlei Toor ""We Are Both First Responders and Vulnerable": Religious Actors as Implementing Partners for Climate Adaptation in Kenya" by Miriam Israel "Vacation to Auschwitzland: The Commodification of Grief and Fear in Auschwitz Dark Tourism and its Implications for the Divine" by Hannah Eliason "Is QAnon a Cult? An Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in Q Drops" by Brady W Schuh "The Transformative Power of Humility: The Irony of American History and a Reorientation of American Foreign Policy in the 21st Century" by Ailih Weeldreyer Panel 4: Studying Religion "“Christian Writers on Judaism” at Harvard: Who Studies Whom in the Academic Study of Religion?" by Rachel Florman "Rassenfrage, Judenfrage, Schwarzen-frage: Liminal Identities in W.E.B. Du Bois’s Prayers for Dark People" by Becca Leviss "Reimagining Religious Studies: Wilfred Cantwell Smith’s Revolutionary Legacy" by Yanchen Liu Panel 5: Religion and Identity "Thus Spoke the Child " by Micah Rensunberg "Coming Out as Evangelical, Converting to Queerness" by Karina Yum "Heritage Judaism, Race Science, and the Embodied Past: Searching for the Anti-Zionist Jewish Body" by Shir Lovett-Graff "Building a Theological Home for Korean Queers: The Possibilities for Korean Queer Theology through the Eyes of Korean Christian Queers" by Jihyun Son This event took place on April 19, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/04/19/stendahl-symposium-2024-new-horizons-new-resistance

Full title: RCPI Spring 2024 Book Series: Stranger in My Own Land: Palestine, Israel and One Family's Story of Home This book talk featured “Stranger in My Own Land: Palestine, Israel and One Family's Story of Home,” a memoir by Palestinian writer Fida Jiryis. “Stranger in My Own Land” chronicles a desperate, at times surreal, search for a homeland between the Galilee, the West Bank and the diaspora. The book is a tale of conflict, exodus, occupation, return, and search for belonging, narrated through Jiryis’s personal experience with displacement. In the book, Jiryis asks difficult questions about what the right of return would mean for the millions of Palestinians waiting to come ‘home’. Featuring Fida Jiryis, Palestinian writer and editor Moderated by Sara Roy, Associate of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies Co-sponsored by the Middle East Forum at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard This event took on April 8, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu/ Full transcript: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/06/18/video-stranger-my-own-land-palestine-israel-and-one-familys-story-home

This lecture was given by visiting Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and Islam, Z. Fareen Parvez (University of Massachusetts, Amherst). This event took place on April 4, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://wsrp.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/04/video-passions-aisha-women-trauma-and-jinn-possession-morocco

Full title: "Public Courage and the Academy: Beyond the Binaries: Depolarizing our Politics and Bridging Our World" The Rev. Dr. Deborah Johnson explored the theme of depolarizing our politics and bridging our world. She invited us to move beyond societal binaries and to embrace a more inclusive and compassionate future. Rev. Dr. Deborah Johnson (she/her) is a renowned spiritual leader and social justice activist known for her significant contributions to promoting universal spiritual principles and cultural diversity. As the founding minister of Inner Light Ministries, she has dedicated her life to teaching the practical application of Universal Spiritual Principles to all aspects of life. Additionally, she is the founder and president of The Motivational Institute, a consulting firm specializing in cultural diversity, serving a wide range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to community-based organizations. Dr. Johnson is recognized for her exceptional public speaking skills and her ability to bring clarity to complex and emotionally charged issues. Throughout her career, Dr. Johnson has been a prominent figure in the fight for social justice and equality. She played a pivotal role as a co-litigant in two landmark cases in California that set precedents for the inclusion of sexual orientation in the state’s Civil Rights Bill and defeated the challenge to legalize domestic partnerships. Her focus on coalition building, conflict resolution, public policy development, and cultural sensitivity awareness has made her a powerful voice for compassion, equality, and reconciliation. Dr. Johnson holds a visionary perspective of Oneness, transcending creed and doctrine, and is particularly dedicated to bridging the gap between individuals with conservative and progressive ideologies. Public Courage and the Academy is a speaker series that explores the power religion plays in advancing social change. The series will feature nationally recognized leaders whose creative approaches toward a just world at peace have had national and global impact. This series is hosted by the Office of Ministry Studies at Harvard Divinity School in collaboration with Just Us, A Unity Campus Justice Ministry for change agents and peacemakers. Facilitated by Rev. Dr. Kevin Ross, MRPL ‘23, Senior Minister and CEO of Unity Sacramento. This event took place on February 29, 2024. For more information, see https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/02/29/public-courage-and-academy-beyond-binaries-depolarizing-our-politics-and-bridging

Full title: "Public Courage and the Academy: The Future of the Church and the Cosmopolitan Leaders It's Calling For" Join this online conversation featuring Bishop Yvette Flunder and the Rev. Eric Ovid Donaldson. Bishop Yvette Flunder (she/her) is an American womanist, preacher, pastor, activist, and singer from San Francisco, California. She is the senior pastor of the City of Refuge United Church of Christ in Oakland, California, and the Presiding Bishop of the Fellowships of Affirming Ministries. Public Courage and the Academy is a speaker series that explores the power religion plays in advancing social change. The series featured nationally recognized leaders whose creative approaches toward a just world at peace have had national and global impact. This series was hosted by the Office of Ministry Studies at Harvard Divinity School in collaboration with Just Us, A Unity Campus Justice Ministry for change agents and peacemakers. Facilitated by Rev. Dr. Kevin Ross, MRPL ‘23, Senior Minister and CEO of Unity Sacramento. This event took place on March 28, 2024. For more information, see: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/03/28/public-courage-and-academy-future-church-and-cosmopolitan-leaders-its-calling

This is the sixth event is a six-part series. This session was a discussion among presenters reflecting upon the insights shared throughout the series. In addition to identifying themes and throughlines among sessions, they returned to the overarching questions that framed this collaboration: What can an expansive understanding of religion provide in these times of Earth crisis? What is the role of the study of religion in times of catastrophe? Panelists: Mayra Rivera, Dan McKanan, Teren Sevea, Matthew Ichihashi Potts, Terry Tempest Williams Moderator: Diane L. Moore, Diane L. Moore, Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life Mayra Rivera, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Religion and Latinx Studies Dan McKanan, Ralph Waldo Emerson Unitarian Universalist Association Senior Lecturer in Divinity Teren Sevea, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies Matthew Ichihashi Potts, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church Terry Tempest Williams, HDS Writer-in-Residence For more information on the full series, "Religion in Times of Earth Crisis: A Series of Public Online Conversations," visit https://hds.harvard.edu/news/religion-times-earth-crisis This event took place on March 18, 2024. For more information on HDS, visit https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/06/18/video-religion-times-earth-crisis-reflecting-religion-times-earth-crisis ​​​​​

This book talk featured “Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, The People, The Bible” by Mitri Raheb. “Decolonizing Palestine” challenges the weaponization of biblical texts to support the current settler-colonial state of Israel. Raheb argues that some of the most important theological concepts–Israel, the land, election, and chosen people–must be decolonized in a paradigm shift in Christian theological thinking about Palestine. “Decolonizing Palestine” is a timely book that builds on the latest research in settler-colonialism and human rights to place traditional theological themes within the wider socio-political context of settler colonialism as it is practiced by the modern nation-state of Israel. Written by a native Palestinian Christian theologian who continues to live in the region, “Decolonizing Palestine” provides an insider’s perspective that disrupts hegemonic and imperialist narratives about the region. Featuring Rev. Prof. Mitri Raheb, Founder and President of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem Moderated by Diane L. Moore, Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life This event took place on April 16, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/06/18/video-decolonizing-palestine-land-people-bible

The Yang Visiting Scholars in World Christianity program brings distinguished senior and junior scholars of world Christianity to Harvard Divinity School each year, opening up fresh perspectives, particularly from the global south. This discussion was led by David N. Hempton, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, and Alonzo L. McDonald, Family Professor of Evangelical Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School. Professor Hempton led a conversation with this year’s Yang Visiting Scholars, Nathanael Homewood, Tom Santa Maria, and Gina A. Zurlo. Each scholar gave a brief presentation of their work and how it contributes to the study of World Christianity, followed by a group discussion. This event took place on April 11, 2024. For more information, see https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/04/11/yang-scholars-2024-explorations-world-christianity

Organized by the HDS student group, HDS Muslims, this event began after breaking fast; guests enjoyed an hour-long performance by a group of musicians who performed examples of traditional music from Ottoman Sufi Istanbul lodges. This event featured the Istanbul Meshk Ensemble, directed by A. Eylül Valçunkaya, Ph.D., a visiting researcher at CMES. This event took place on March 26, 2024. For more information, see https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/03/26/ottoman-sufi-music-night

The vast range of meditation practices in Buddhist traditions has stood the test of time. Still, we live in a culture that differs radically from Buddhist cultures of the past. Our minds and lives are fragmented, and people find even basic concentration challenging. In such circumstances, an approach grounded in inquiry at a deep level, together with non-dual acceptance, may be of special value. Tibetan teacher Tarthang Tulku, active in the West for more than five decades, has developed such an approach: the Time, Space, Knowledge Vision. Jack Petranker, one of his senior students, introduced the inquiry-based Vision and present practices that derive from it. Jack Petranker is the Director of the Mangalam Research Center for Buddhist Languages and the Founder and Senior Teacher of the Center for Creative Inquiry. Editor and author of numerous books on contemplative inquiry, Jack is a senior student of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Tarthang Tulku, an innovative, traditionally trained lama resident in America for fifty-five years. This event took place on March 7, 2024. For more information, see https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video/2024/05/07/-meditation-fractured-times

Saints, spiritual warriors, bodhisattvas, zaddikim—no matter how they are named in a given tradition, all share a profound altruistic wish to free others from suffering. Saints are not beings of stained glass or carved stone. “Each of us can be a new saint,” says Lama Rod Owens. “In our pain, our trauma, and all our complexity, we all can—and must—awaken the virtue of our compassion for the benefit of our communities, our planet, and our own souls.” Watch Lama Rod as he shares personal stories, spiritual teachings, and instructions for contemplative and somatic practices from his newest book, The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors. This work reinforces the truth of our interdependency—allowing us to be of service to the collective well-being, and to call on the support and strength of the countless beings who share our struggles and hopes. Bio Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School. Author of The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors and Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod activates the intersections of his identity to create a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive. Applauded for his mastery in balancing weighty topics with a sense of lightness, the Queen has been featured by various national and international news outlets. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is to show you how to heal and free yourself. This event took place on March 19, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video-becoming-new-saint-exploring-path-emerging-warriors-our-broken-hearts

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we sit down with Keisha Bush, a second-year MTS student. We discuss the importance of intention and the value of community. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: hds.harvard.edu/community-life/re…nd-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/05/02/hope-podcast-featuring-keisha-bush-mts-24.

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we sit down with Swami Sachidananda, a student fellow at HDS. We discuss his monastic journey and the power of a smile. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: hds.harvard.edu/community-life/re…nd-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/05/01/hope-podcast-featuring-swami-sachidananda.

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Jamail Khan, a second-year MTS student at HDS. We discuss the importance of religious community for spiritual growth and the power of love and beauty in the face of hopelessness. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: hds.harvard.edu/community-life/re…nd-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/30/hope-podcast-featuring-jamail-khan-mts-24.

Pop Apocalypse, hosted by Matthew J. Dillon, postdoctoral fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School, explores the mystical and the mythic, the paranormal and the psychedelic in popular culture. For episode 7, we welcome the writer and scholar Erik Davis to reflect on the journey that led to his new book, BLOTTER: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium. We discuss Erik’s writing for the Village Voice in the early 90s, his breakthrough monograph Techgnosis, and how his home state of California informs his oeuvre. In the second half of the interview, we discuss the academic study of “the weird,” perils and possibilities for the psychedelic renaissance, and how BLOTTER is a love letter to LSD. A full transcript is forthcoming. Learn more: cswr.hds.harvard.edu/

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Michael Fuhrman, a second-year MDiv student at HDS. This conversation includes his religious position of non-position, religious sympathy, and the importance of writing for its own sake. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: hds.harvard.edu/community-life/re…nd-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/29/hope-podcast-featuring-michael-fuhrman-mdiv-candidate.

In this episode of the Hope Podcast, we hear from Ahmaad Edmund, a third-year MDiv student at HDS. He discusses his long-time commitment to the Baptist tradition, starting a basement church as a youngster, and finding hope in transit. Learn more about religion and spiritual life at Harvard Divinity School here: https://hds.harvard.edu/community-life/religious-and-spiritual-life Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/26/hope-podcast-featuring-ahmaad-edmund-mdiv-24.

This alumni webinar explored the role of chaplaincy in fostering resilience and navigating complex challenges. Representing different religious traditions and fields, HDS alumni—Celene Ibrahim, MDiv '11, Faculty and Muslim Chaplain at the Groton School; Naomi Tzril Saks, MDiv '10, Palliative Care Chaplain at University of California, San Francisco; and The Venerable Priya Rakkhit Sraman, MDiv '17, Buddhist Chaplain at Emory University—shared their insights and experiences on providing spiritual care in diverse settings. The conversation was moderated by Kerry Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at Harvard Divinity School. The global impact of Harvard Divinity School is realized through generations of remarkable alumni like Celene, Naomi, and Priya. You can help HDS continue to educate leaders who serve with empathy and care by making a gift this year: www.hds.harvard.edu/give. This event took place March 19, 2024. A full transcript can be found online: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/04/16/video-chaplaincy-across-fields-resilience-compassion

This was the fifth event is a six-part series, Religion in Times of Earth Crisis. Can personhood be granted to mountains, lakes, and rivers? What does it mean to be met by another species? How do we extend our notion of power to include all life forms? And what does a different kind of power look like and feel like? Wild Mercy is in our hands. Practices of attention in the field with compassion and grace deepen our kinship with life, allowing us to touch something deeper than hope. Great Salt Lake offers us a reflection into our own nature: Are we shrinking or expanding? Speaker: Terry Tempest Williams, HDS Writer-in-Residence Moderator: Diane L. Moore, Diane L. Moore, Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life Terry Tempest Williams joined HDS as a writer-in-residence in 2017. She is the author of numerous books, including the environmental literature classic "Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place." Her most recent book is "The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks," which was published in June 2016 to coincide with and honor the centennial of the National Park Service. Her writing has also appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Orion Magazine, and numerous anthologies worldwide as a crucial voice for ecological consciousness and social change. While at HDS, Williams has taught seminars on the spiritual implications of climate change, apocalyptic grief, and centering the wild and non-human voices, among others. For more information on the full series, "Religion in Times of Earth Crisis: A Series of Public Online Conversations," visit https://hds.harvard.edu/news/religion-times-earth-crisis This event took place on March 4, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/03/04/video-religion-times-earth-crisis-practice-wild-mercy-something-deeper-hope

Plenary II: Plenary Chair: Dr. Melissa Wood Bartholomew, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Lecturer on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Harvard Divinity School Panelists: Sevonna Brown, National Director of Black Women’s Blueprint, Safer Childbirth Cities Initiative, Merck for Mothers, Dr. Henry Love, inaugural Obama Foundation U.S. Leaders Fellow, Vice President of Public Policy and Strategy at Women in Need, Dr. Joshua Louis Gills, Rutgers Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at the Aging and Brain Health Alliance, Yolo Akili Robinson (he/him/his) is a non-binary award-winning writer, healing justice worker, yogi and the founder and Executive Director of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective) Professor Ahmad Greene-Hayes (Harvard Divinity School) and Professor George Aumoithe (FAS, History and African and African American Studies) proposed this two-day interdisciplinary symposium, integrating mind, brain, and behavior insights into the exploration of Black religious practices and their impact on mental health. They questioned how Black religious spaces can enhance mental health outcomes, considering their dual role as sanctuaries and potential impediments to open discourse. The symposium brought together experts from history, public health, psychiatry, African American studies, religious studies, and civic society, focusing on understanding the neurobiological and socio-behavioral dynamics contributing to mental health stigmatization within Black communities. The symposium aimed to illuminate how societal stressors, such as racism, influence brain function and behavior, thereby affecting mental health, while also exploring resilience mechanisms among Black religious communities. This project aligns with the Harvard Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative’s mission of facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex issues, contributing to a broader understanding of the interplay between mind, brain, and behavior in the context of Black mental health. This event took place on March 1, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/03/01/video-black-religion-and-mental-health-symposium-plenary-ii-0

Plenary I: Plenary Chair: Dr. Tracey E. Hucks, Victor S. Thomas Professor of Africana Religious Studies, Harvard Divinity School Panelists: Rev. Dr. Monica A. Coleman, John and Patricia Cochran Scholar for Inclusive Excellence and Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Delaware, Dr. Martin Summers, Professor of History and African and African Diaspora Studies at Boston College, Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans, Professor of Black Women's Studies (WGSS & AAS) at Georgia State University Professor Ahmad Greene-Hayes (Harvard Divinity School) and Professor George Aumoithe (FAS, History and African and African American Studies) proposed this two-day interdisciplinary symposium, integrating mind, brain, and behavior insights into the exploration of Black religious practices and their impact on mental health. They questioned how Black religious spaces can enhance mental health outcomes, considering their dual role as sanctuaries and potential impediments to open discourse. The symposium brought together experts from history, public health, psychiatry, African American studies, religious studies, and civic society, focusing on understanding the neurobiological and socio-behavioral dynamics contributing to mental health stigmatization within Black communities. The symposium aimed to illuminate how societal stressors, such as racism, influence brain function and behavior, thereby affecting mental health, while also exploring resilience mechanisms among Black religious communities. This project aligns with the Harvard Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative’s mission of facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex issues, contributing to a broader understanding of the interplay between mind, brain, and behavior in the context of Black mental health. This event took place on March 1, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/video-black-religion-and-mental-health-symposium-plenary-i

Full Title: Black Religion and Mental Health Symposium Keynote, "Black Freedom and the Racialization of Religious Excitement in American Psychiatry” by Dr. Judith Weisenfeld Professor Ahmad Greene-Hayes (Harvard Divinity School) and Professor George Aumoithe (FAS, History and African and African American Studies) proposed this two-day interdisciplinary symposium, integrating mind, brain, and behavior insights into the exploration of Black religious practices and their impact on mental health. They questioned how Black religious spaces can enhance mental health outcomes, considering their dual role as sanctuaries and potential impediments to open discourse. The symposium brought together experts from history, public health, psychiatry, African American studies, religious studies, and civic society, focusing on understanding the neurobiological and socio-behavioral dynamics contributing to mental health stigmatization within Black communities. The symposium aimed to illuminate how societal stressors, such as racism, influence brain function and behavior, thereby affecting mental health, while also exploring resilience mechanisms among Black religious communities. This project aligns with the Harvard Mind Brain Behavior Interfaculty Initiative’s mission of facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration to address complex issues, contributing to a broader understanding of the interplay between mind, brain, and behavior in the context of Black mental health. This event took place on February 29, 2024. For more information: https://hds.harvard.edu Full transcript: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/02/29/video-black-religion-and-mental-health-symposium-keynote-black-freedom-and-racialization

This event was sponsored by the Women's Studies in Religion Program at Harvard Divinity School. This lecture, "More Babies and More Birth Control: American Jews and the Politics of Reproduction," was given by Samira K. Mehta, who is the Visiting Associate Professor of North American Religions. This event took place on February 29, 2024. For more information, see: https://wsrp.hds.harvard.edu/ Full transcript: https://wsrp.hds.harvard.edu/news/2024/02/29/video-more-babies-and-more-birth-control-american-jews-and-politics-reproduction