Harvard Divinity School
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Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's purpose is to train graduate students—either in the academic study of religion, or in the practice of a religious ministry. It also caters to students from other Harvard schools who are interested in the former field. The Divinity School's current dean, William A. Graham, is a scholar of Islamic history. Harvard Divinity School is one of five university-based, non-denominational divinity schools in the United States (the other four being at the University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University and Yale Divinity School).
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[edit] History
Harvard was founded in 1636 as a Puritan/Congregationalist institution, and trained ministers for many years. The separate institution of the Divinity School, however, dates from 1816, when it was established as the first non-denominational divinity school in the United States (Princeton Theological Seminary, the nation's oldest graduate school of theology, having been founded as a Presbyterian institution in 1812). Nevertheless, for most of its history, Harvard Divinity School has been unofficially associated with the Unitarian church, at least since the early 19th century.
Today its students and faculty come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Its academic programs attempt to balance theology and religious studies, that is, the "believer's" perspective on religion with the "secular" perspective on religion. This is in contrast to many other divinity schools where one or the other is given primacy (Yale Divinity School, for example, emphasizes its ministry program, while the University of Chicago Divinity School sees the majority of students enroll in its "religious studies" Master of Arts program).
[edit] Degrees
Harvard Divinity School grants the following degrees:
- Master of Theological Studies (MTS, equivalent to a Master of Arts in religious studies)
- Master of Divinity (MDiv, a degree usually taken in preparation for the ministry)
- Master of Theology (ThM)
- Doctor of Theology (ThD)
In addition to candidates for the above, many Harvard graduate students pursuing PhDs in the study of religion work closely with the Divinity School, though they are technically affiliated with the Committee on the Study of Religion in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
[edit] Curriculum
The curriculum is organized into three Areas.
- Area I, "Scripture and Interpretation," focuses on the nature and interpretation of sacred scriptures, especially the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Methods include intensive study of language and historical-critical analysis.
- Area II, "Christianity and Culture," includes courses in theology, ethics, the history of Christianity, and the social sciences.
- Area III, "Religions of the World," includes comparative religion, as well as the study of specific traditions. As of 2006, the Divinity School offers courses on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Confucianism, Shinto, some pre-Islamic Persian religious traditions, ancient Greek religion, Meso-American religions, and Celtic religion.
[edit] Special programs
[edit] Women's Studies in Religion Program
The Women's Studies in Religion Program promotes critical inquiry into the interaction between religion and gender. Every year the program offers fellowships to five scholars, offering them the opportunity to teach a class of their design and to take advantage of Harvard's resources, as well as to share their research and experiences with the fellows in an interdisciplinary environment.
[edit] Program in Religion and Secondary Education
The Program in Religion and Secondary Education certifies students in the Masters of Theological Studies, and Masters of Divinity Programs, to teach academic disciplines in the context of religion at the middle and high school level.
[edit] Notable professors
- Leila Ahmed, professor of women's studies and Islamicist.
- François Bovon, prolific scholar in New Testament and Christian Apocrypha.
- Davíd Carrasco, editor, professor, and scholar of Latin American studies.
- Harvey Cox, author of "The Secular City."
- Demetrios, Archbishop of America, former visiting professor of New Testament and current primate of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
- Diana L. Eck, Asianist and founder of Pluralism Project.
- Joseph Fletcher, founder of situational ethics.
- Peter J. Gomes, Harvard preacher and writer.
- David D. Hall, noted historian of Puritanism.
- Amy Hollywood, medievalist and psychoanalytic/social theorist.
- Karen King, author of "What is Gnosticism?" and "The Gospel of Mary Magdala."
- Helmut Koester, New Testament scholar.
- Jon D. Levenson, professor of Hebrew Bible/Jewish Studies.
- Diane L. Moore, Harvard professor and writer.
- Ralph B. Potter, social ethicist.
- Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, feminist New Testament scholar.
- Robert William Scribner (1941 - 1998), noted reformation historian.
- Henry Ware, Jr. (1794-1843), Unitarian theologian.
- Henry Ware, Sr. (1764-1845), prominent early Unitarian theologian.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Reza Aslan, author and Islamicist.
- Charles Bennison, bishop in the Episcopal Church.
- Edward John Carnell, prominent neoevangelical theologian.
- Thomas Chappell, founder of Tom's of Maine, largest producer of natural personal care products
- Janet Cooper-Nelson, Chaplain, Brown University, first woman University Chaplain in the Ivy League.
- John Cranley, current congressional candidate in Ohio.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher, poet, essayist
- Robert P. George, author, constitutional law scholar, and Princeton professor.
- Peter J. Gomes, preacher and writer.
- Chris Hedges, author and journalist.
- Iakovos, Archbishop of America, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America from 1959 to 1996.
- Scotty McLennan, Dean for Religious Life at Stanford University.
- Joshua Neuman, editor and publisher of Heeb magazine; author of "The Big Book of Jewish Conspiracies".
- William B. Oden, bishop in the United Methodist Church.
- Theodore Parker, prominent Unitarian and transcendentalist thinker, scholar, and abolitionist.
- Rodney L. Petersen, scholar of history, ethics, and religious conflict, and executive director of the Boston Theological Institute.
- Edmund Sears, Unitarian theologian.
- Liz Walker, journalist and activist.
[edit] Student religious affiliation
(Figures taken from 2004-2005 Harvard Divinity School Catalog)
- African Methodist Episcopal: 3 (0.7%)
- Anglican/Episcopal: 51 (11.1%)
- Assemblies of God: 6 (1.3%)
- Baptist: 22 (4.8%)
- Buddhist: 12 (2.6%)
- Catholic: 63 (13.8%)
- Christian Reformed Church: 1 (0.2%)
- Church of Christ Scientist: 3 (0.7%)
- Church of God in Christ: 4 (0.4%)
- Church of the Brethren: 1 (0.2%)
- Congregationalist: 3 (0.7%)
- Disciples of Christ: 1 0.2%
- Foursquare Gospel Church: 1 (0.2%)
- Hindu: 2 (0.4%)
- Humanist: 1 (0.2%)
- Jewish: 19 (4.1%)
- LDS/Mormon: 3 (0.7%)
- Lutheran: 21 (4.6%)
- Mennonite: 2 (0.4%)
- Methodist: 23 (5.0%)
- Moravian Church in America: 1 (0.2%)
- Muslim: 13 (2.8%)
- Nondenominational: 66 (14.4%)
- Orthodox: 7 (1.5%)
- Other: 19 (4.1%)
- Pagan: 2 (0.4%)
- Pentecostal: 2 (0.4%)
- Polytheism: 1 (0.2%)
- Presbyterian: 27 (5.9%)
- Protestant: 2 (0.4%)
- Religious Society of Friends/Quaker: 3 (0.7%)
- Seventh-day Adventists: 3 (0.7%)
- Sikh: 1 (0.2%)
- Unitarian Universalist: 41 (9.0%)
- United Church of Christ: 27 (5.9%)
- Vineyard Christian Fellowship: 1 (0.2%)
Total Christian: 75.1%
[edit] Divinity School buildings
- Divinity Hall
- Andover Hall
- Center for the Study of World Religions
- Rockefeller Hall
- Jewett House (Dean's Residence)
- Carriage House (Women's Studies in Religion Program)
[edit] External links
| Schools of Harvard University |
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| Faculty of Arts and Sciences: College • Graduate School of Arts and Sciences • Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences • Continuing Education |
| Faculty of Medicine: Medical School • School of Dental Medicine |
| Divinity School • Law School • Business School • Graduate School of Design |
| Graduate School of Education • School of Public Health • Kennedy School of Government |
| Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (successor to Radcliffe College) |
