On Beauty

April 12, 2017

On April 5th, ThD student and CSWR resident, Munjed M. Murad, delivered a presentation on the findings of his research at Harvard as they pertain to the topic of beauty and religion. A summary of which follows:

This lecture explored the concept of beauty as discussed in teachings of Islamic metaphysics in particular and exemplified by a variety of religions in general. It addressed notions of the objectivity of beauty as a necessary quality of the Divine, and particular aspects of the manifold manifestations of beauty in the world. Examples ranged from the beauty of virtue...

Self-Identity and the Divine in Rumi

April 10, 2017

On March 29th, CSWR resident Nariman Aavani presented his work on self-identity in the poetry of Rumi. A summary of his talk can be found below.

As human beings who live in the modern world, our identity is defined to a great extent through the particular roles that we play in society and the external tags that the socio-political context of our lived-experience places on us. In this way one is called a doctor, a student, a professor, mother, sister, American, Iranian, Muslim, etc. However, for Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī (d. 1273), a great Persian Sufi master, ...

Worlds of Religion at Harvard

November 18, 2016

By facilitating connections with the Harvard community and beyond, the CSWR convenes conversations about cutting-edge research.

Director’s Welcome to the 2016–17 Academic Year

August 29, 2016

September is once again upon us, and after a long hot and dry summer here in Cambridge, we are ready – or almost ready - for the new academic year.... Read more about Director’s Welcome to the 2016–17 Academic Year

'The Study Quran' and the Battle against Ignorance

December 8, 2015

Professor Francis X. Clooney, S.J., the director of the Center for the Study of World Religions, writes about the climate of ignorance surrounding Islam in today's politics, and the need for all of us to learn more of this religious tradition.... Read more about 'The Study Quran' and the Battle against Ignorance

Compassion and Dialogue Shall Embrace

December 1, 2015

Professor Francis X. Clooney, S.J., the director of the Center for the Study of World Religions, writes about the importance of interreligious dialogue in today’s world.

Photo of large crowd at the 2015 Parliament of World's Religions

HDS students participate in the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions

October 29, 2015

The 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions took place on October 15-19 in Salt Lake City. The first Parliament dates back to 1893, and 122 years later, the gathering drew approximately 9,500 people from over 50 different faiths from various parts of the world.... Read more about HDS students participate in the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions

Mokichi Okada and Nature Farming in Brazil

September 16, 2015

At this week's World Religions Café, Naohito Miura, a second-year master of divinity degree candidate and CSWR resident, recounted his summer field education experience in Brazil.... Read more about Mokichi Okada and Nature Farming in Brazil

Audio: Fellowship of the Spirit

November 21, 2013

The creation of a true "world community," wrote Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1960, demanded "goodwill and understanding of the basic principles which govern the lives of the different peoples."... Read more about Audio: Fellowship of the Spirit

Audio: Divination—Communicating with Divine Universal Energies

March 9, 2012

This conversation between CSWR Junior Fellow Funlayo Wood and Chief Babalawo Oluwole Ifakunle Adetutu Alagbede took place on February 21 at the CSWR.... Read more about Audio: Divination—Communicating with Divine Universal Energies

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World Religions