CSWR Director Francis Clooney Honored with the John Courtney Murray Award

June 12, 2017

This past weekend, at the Catholic Theological Society of America's annual convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, CSWR Director Frank Clooney was honored with the John Courtney Murray award for distinguished theological achievement. Read more about CSWR Director Francis Clooney Honored with the John Courtney Murray Award

Books on Repeat

May 22, 2017

As the year is winding down, and summer beckons, some Harvard faculty generously shared some books that they have read and re-read. Frank Clooney, our Director, contributed to this piece in the Harvard Gazette with a brief reflection on the Bible. You can read the piece in its entirety here.

The CSWR Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

May 4, 2017

Matthew Weinstein, a second-year master of divinity degree candidate, spoke to Professor Clooney, one of the world’s leading experts on comparative theology, about his tenure as director of the Center and the role it has had and can have within Harvard and the wider world. Read more about The CSWR Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

When We Walked: Pilgrimage Across Tradition, A Journey Reviewed

May 1, 2017

On April 11, 2017, a group of thirty students, faculty, and community members gathered in the Center for the Study of World Religion (CSWR) Common Room for When We Walked: Pilgrimage in Hinduism. Read more about When We Walked: Pilgrimage Across Tradition, A Journey Reviewed

CSWR SoundEscapes

April 24, 2017

"When I first visited CSWR in April 2015, I was invaded by its peaceful presence. Looking around me to find the source or the hidden traces of this serenity, I thought I was doing the wrong thing—which is looking. I should be hearing, listening. Listening to the water stream of the small fountain in the community garden. I thought that the peacefulness of this place is embodied in its acoustic environment as much as it is embedded in the interior architecture of the building and carried by the traces of the people who lived here before. I compare the sounds that surround us to the

Boston’s Hidden Sacred Spaces

April 20, 2017

Beginning on April 24 and running through the summer, the Center will host an exhibit of photographs showcasing the hidden sacred spaces of the Boston area. On May 9^th, from 9:30AM-11:00AM, the Center will host a reception featuring the organizers briefly speaking about this project. Read more about Boston’s Hidden Sacred Spaces

The Logic of Prayer in Contemporary China

April 19, 2017

Dr. Anna Sun, HDS Berggruen Fellow and Associate Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies at Kenyon College, gave a lecture based on her research project for the year, "The Logic of Prayer in Contemporary China."

Video: The Market As God

April 18, 2017

On April 18, Harvey Cox, HDS Hollis Professor of Divinity Emeritus, discussed his recent publication, The Market as God, at the Center for the Study of World Religions.

Resurfacing Religion in Contemporary China

April 18, 2017

Anna Sun, Associate Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies at Kenyon College, is Harvard Divinity School’s second Berggruen Fellow. Her research focuses on the revival of Confucianism as a religion in contemporary China. Read more about Resurfacing Religion in Contemporary China

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

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