# A Letter from Director Charles M. Stang August 20, 2025 ![Charles Stang](/sites/g/files/omnuum4346/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/2025-02/ProfessorStang2_web.jpg?itok=pqlhKMB1) Charles M. Stang, Photo by Jeff Blackwell**Greetings, friends and colleagues,** As the summer slowly winds down in our quiet corner of Harvard’s campus, I am delighted to introduce you to what promises to be an extraordinary year at the Center for the Study of World Religions. The vitality and diversity of our scholarly community continue to inspire me, and I am eager to share with you the remarkable programming and research initiatives that await us in the months ahead. [**Welcoming Our Visiting Scholars and Affiliates**](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2025/08/24/cswr-welcomes-its-fall-2025-scholars-and-artists) We are thrilled to welcome an exceptional cohort of [visiting scholars and affiliates](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news/2025/08/24/cswr-welcomes-its-fall-2025-scholars-and-artists). This fall, we are honored to host Simon Cox, whose pioneering research on the genealogy of the concept of the subtle body and subtle energy bridges ancient traditions with contemporary science; Erik Davis, whose groundbreaking work on psychedelics, technology, and esotericism continues to reshape our understanding of spirituality in the modern age; Marco Pasi, a leading authority on Western esotericism and the complex relationships between magic, art, and politics; Jane Sheldon, an innovative soprano and composer whose work explores transformation and altered states through contemporary musical expression; Peter Skafish, whose anthropological investigations into mediumship and the implications of unidentified anomalous phenomena push the boundaries of conventional scholarship; and Donna Torres, whose artistic explorations of medicinal plants and shamanic traditions offer profound insights into the intersection of art, healing, and spiritual practice. Our visiting scholars will be actively engaged in our programming throughout the year, offering public research talks, workshops, and performances. Mark your calendars for Marco Pasi’s talk, “[A Magic Dwells: Occulture in Contemporary Art,](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news-events/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D189314167)” on December 1 and the biweekly reading group on [Western Esotericism](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news-events/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D186829229), [Peter Skafish’s lecture](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news-events/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D188900987) on September 29, Donna Torres’s [sacred plants art/painting workshop](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news-events/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D189319815) in November, and [Erik Davis’s dialogue](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/news-events/calendar?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D189323518) on October 20. **Transcendentalism Research Initiative** I am particularly excited to announce the launch of our Transcendentalism Research initiative, a new endeavor that lies at the core of the CSWR’s commitment to studying traditions of transcendence and transformation. This initiative will explore the complex legacy of American Transcendentalism, investigating not only its theological and literary dimensions but also its ongoing influence on contemporary spirituality and social movements. The initiative will feature a biweekly reading group led by CSWR Research Affiliate Russell Powell, examining important Transcendentalist figures and texts through fresh interpretive lenses. Russ will also be editing an online essay series from leading scholars and practitioners in this field. **Publications: The 4T Series** Our commitment to making important mystical and visionary texts accessible continues with significant developments in our Texts and Translations of Transcendence and Transformation (4T) book series. This summer marked the release of [The *Pearlsong*,](https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/publications/4t/pearlsong) a meticulously crafted edition and translation of an ancient poem originally composed in Syriac and later translated into Greek. We are delighted to celebrate this publication with a special release event on Monday, October 20, at 5:30 pm in Swartz Hall, featuring scholarly talks that discuss the poem within the broader traditions of ancient literature, followed by an original musical composition performed by our Artist-in-Residence, Jane Sheldon. The next book in our 4T series, *Porphyry of Tyre, On Theology and Theurgy,* will be available in November. Each book will be made freely available in an open-access digital format, and for purchase as a finely-crafted print edition with the highest quality paper and binding, published by Harvard’s Center for the Study of World Religions and distributed by Harvard University Press. **Looking Forward: The Mystical Experiences Platform** Later this year, we will be launching an online platform focused on ecstatic experiences—a digital resource of dozens of entries spanning time, place, and tradition. This platform is intended as a step along the way toward a fully searchable database that will serve as an unprecedented archive and analytical tool for understanding ecstatic experiences across cultures and historical periods under the direction of Matt Dillon. As always, I am grateful to work alongside the exceptional researchers and staff who make the CSWR’s mission possible. I hope you will join us for the many events, discussions, and discoveries that await us in the year ahead. Welcome to the 2025-26 academic year at the CSWR. With gratitude and anticipation, Charles M. Stang Director, Center for the Study of World Religions See also:- [ Community ](/topic-tags/community) - [ CSWR ](/media-topic/cswr)