Yes

Andrew Jacobs

The Vulnerable Bible in Fact and Fiction

February 27, 2024

In 2023 the Society of Biblical Literature released a print edition of the newest scholarly translation of the Bible: the “updated edition” of the New Revised Standard Version, or NRSVue. This new version introduced minor alterations to the NRSV, which was itself a revision of the Revised Standard Version first published in 1952. New translations and critical editions of the Bible are nothing new in biblical studies; the field is grounded in new discoveries and developments in textual...

Read more about The Vulnerable Bible in Fact and Fiction
Luis Eduardo Luna photo

The Science and Philosophy of Plant Intelligence: A Reflective Encounter with Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna

February 27, 2024
On February 16th, the Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR) at Harvard Divinity School became the meeting ground for an exploration into the realms of plant intelligence, consciousness, and the symbiosis between science and spirituality. The event offered attendees the opportunity to delve into the intricacies of human and non-human interaction, guided by the insights of Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna.... Read more about The Science and Philosophy of Plant Intelligence: A Reflective Encounter with Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna
Fabien Muller headshot

Is Religion True? Christians, Buddhists, and the Difficult Quest for Truth

February 27, 2024

The following "Researcher Reflection" from Dr. Fabien Muller is part of an ongoing series where we spotlight CSWR scholars and their research.

In the twentieth century, certain Christian theologians argued that religion cannot be true, for that would imply that it is coherent with other forms of truth, such as scientific or historical truth. Ancient and medieval Christian thinkers believed that the truth of religion and the truth of science were not only compatible but ultimately identical. The God of the Bible was also the primordial cosmic cause, and nature confirmed the supernatural. One overarching Christian truth encompassed all singular truths.... Read more about Is Religion True? Christians, Buddhists, and the Difficult Quest for Truth

Anne Harley

CSWR The Muscle of the Self Workshop: An Interview with Anne Harley

January 30, 2024

In four 2-hour sessions on Fridays from February 9 through March 8, 2024, Scholar-in-Residence Anne Dorothy Harley of Scripps College will lead “The Muscle of the Self: Using the Voice to Map Psyche: Special Voice Workshop” at the CSWR. In a small group setting, the workshop will investigate how the voice and the vibrating body can be employed to reveal to ourselves our constructions of inner self and external world. 

CSWR: Your scholarship and your creative practices reveal deep intersections between music, performance, and spirituality. I'm curious how...

Read more about CSWR The Muscle of the Self Workshop: An Interview with Anne Harley
Group of people singing holding arms

The Muscle of the Self: A Vocal Journey into Self-Discovery at CSWR

January 30, 2024

Starting in February 2024, Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR) will host the groundbreaking workshop "The Muscle of the Self: Using the Voice to Map Psyche." Led by Scholar in Residence Anne Dorothy Harley of Scripps College, this series of four sessions from February 9 to March 8 is set to be a transformative exploration into the power of voice and its connection to the inner self. 

Harley, known for her deep intersections between music, performance, and spirituality, has designed the workshop to accommodate a small group of...

Read more about The Muscle of the Self: A Vocal Journey into Self-Discovery at CSWR
Ayodeji smiling into the camera

CSWR Ifa Divination Workshop: An Interview with Ayodeji Ogunnaike 

January 30, 2024

In a six-part series from January 24 through February 28, 2024, Ayodeji Ogunnaike, Assistant Professor of Afro-Brazilian studies at the University of Virginia, will introduce the Yoruba wisdom tradition of Ifa divination in a workshop titled “Ifa Divination, Pedagogy, and the Cultivation of Wisdom in Modern Settings”. The workshop will explore Yoruba philosophical concepts and the training of Ifa devotees, with each session focusing on themes like embodied wisdom, sacred arts, narrative pedagogy, mnemonics, diversity, and poetic form. 

CSWR: So, the...

Read more about CSWR Ifa Divination Workshop: An Interview with Ayodeji Ogunnaike 
dry figs in flour

Ifa Divination Workshop: A Journey into Yoruba Wisdom

January 30, 2024

As part of its broader “Embodied Wisdom” programming, the Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR) is offering a unique workshop series in winter 2024, titled “Ifa Divination, Pedagogy, and the Cultivation of Wisdom in Modern Settings.” Led by Ayodeji Ogunnaike, Visiting Scholar at the CSWR and Assistant Professor of Afro-Brazilian studies at the University of Virginia, this six-part series will introduce participants to Ifa divination and Yoruba philosophical concepts. Sessions will focus on themes such as embodied wisdom, sacred arts, narrative pedagogy, mnemonics, diversity, and...

Read more about Ifa Divination Workshop: A Journey into Yoruba Wisdom
Ancient Greek Mask

Embodied Wisdom Workshop: Rolling into the Depths of Bakkhai

January 30, 2024

From January 16-19, 2024, the Multifaith Space of Swartz Hall at Harvard Divinity School turned around the dynamic corporeal axes, guided by William Robert, Professor of Religion at Syracuse University, through his “Embodied Wisdom Workshop”. Robert invited participants to explore uniquely relational entanglements with Euripides’ Bakkhai. 18 bodies, gathering in the round, formed a living tableau prefiguring their collective journey around the ancient Greek tragedy’s narrative. 

Each session of the workshop built upon the previous, creating an imbricated and...

Read more about Embodied Wisdom Workshop: Rolling into the Depths of Bakkhai
William Robert Smiling into the Camera

Embodied Wisdom Workshop: An Interview with William Robert

January 29, 2024

January 16 - 19, 2024, William Robert of Syracuse University lead the CSWR Embodied Wisdom Workshop: Studying Religion in Play. The workshop explored the study of religion through the embodied performance of Euripides’s Bakkhai, combining analytical and performative techniques to transform participants' understanding of religion.  

CSWR: What inspired the conception of the Embodied Wisdom Workshop?  

William: The workshop comes out of my long-standing commitment to bringing performance into the classroom...

Read more about Embodied Wisdom Workshop: An Interview with William Robert
Antique Glass letter wax seal

Video: Peripheries Launch Event 2023

January 16, 2024

On the evening of November 30, 2023, the much-anticipated event celebrating the launch of Peripheries, the Center for the Study of World Religions’s (CSWR) annual literary and arts journal, unfolded with a blend of poetry, music, and art, drawing over 140 attendees both in-person and virtually. The air buzzed with excitement as guests, including Chef Daniella Malfi, a MRPL candidate and musician deeply inspired by the journal, expressed their eagerness to delve into the 6th edition. 

...
Read more about Video: Peripheries Launch Event 2023