Fall 2024
World Religions
Aaron Spevack PhD, Senior Research Associate and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University and Associate of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University
This course seeks to introduce students to a variety of religious traditions, texts, and practices through the lenses provided by the academic study of religion. The traditions studied include Islam, Taoism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Rastafari(ism). Topics studied include liminal states and rites of passage, symbols and social belonging, the sacred and the profane, music and trance, and religion and politics. While this course exposes students to some of the most important figures, texts, beliefs, and practices of these traditions, students also develop analytical frameworks of inquiry through which to contemplate and experience religious concepts and practices provided by the various theorists of the academic study of religion along with comparative insider frameworks of analysis.
Spring 2025
Religion, the Arts, and Social Change
Diane L. Moore PhD, Lecturer on Religion, Conflict, and Peace, and Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life, Harvard Divinity School
Through historical and contemporary case studies, this course examines the intersection of religion and politics through the lens of the arts. What do particular artistic expressions reveal about religious influences and worldviews within specific social and historical contexts? How do political assumptions about religion and culture influence artistic expression? Genres may include literature, poetry, visual art, music, theater, and dance. The course is divided into roughly four segments. The first segment consists of an introduction of the tools of analysis and the methods that are employed for our exploration of the intersections among religion, the arts, and social change. The second segment focuses on two case studies in depth: the Christian Passion story in historic and contemporary representations, and contemporary Palestinian artists. The third segment consists of a series of shorter case studies chosen by the class from among several options. The fourth segment focuses on the construction and presentation of individual final projects that can take the form of either a personal artistic creation representing the themes of the course or a new case study.
Fall 2024
Enlightenment: Horizons of Human Potential and Flourishing
Chris Berlin MDiv, Instructor in Spiritual Counseling and Buddhist Ministry and Counselor to Buddhist Students, Harvard Divinity School
This course focuses on the concept of enlightenment in south and central Asian traditions, such as Buddhism and contemplative Hindu beliefs, as well as Western psychological views within transpersonal and humanistic approaches. Themes include theories of consciousness, the distinctions between terms associated with enlightened states, meditation practices, and horizons of ultimate human potential and personal resilience. We also explore these themes in the context of therapeutic well-being and how personal aspirations of transcendence may impact individuals in clinical contexts. Key questions include: how does the understanding of enlightenment provide a view of hope for human flourishing? What practices support such a state? How do the names we give such experiences and their correlate states serve to describe direct experiences of transcendence in meditation? And how might notions of self-realization and higher consciousness impact one's sense of well-being, flourishing, and ultimate purpose?
Spring 2025
Religious Nationalisms
Diane L. Moore PhD, Lecturer on Religion, Conflict, and Peace, and Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life, Harvard Divinity School
In this course, we examine how forms of religious nationalism are at play in explicit and implicit ways in diverse global contexts and in trans-global manifestations. In the first part of the course, students are introduced to a method for how to understand and analyze the distinctions between secular and religious nationalisms, and the ways that those representations often mask forces critical for interrogating the variety of influences that shape policies and practices in modern nation states. We then apply those methodological frameworks to a variety of case studies including the United States, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and either Myanmar or India (to be determined by student interest). Final projects can take one of three forms: a research paper employing the method focusing on a nation state case study that we did not cover in class; a research paper investigating a particular aspect of a case study that we did engage; or a project related to a student's profession focused on a relevant translation of their learning (for example, a journalism article, a policy brief for a government entity or nongovernmental organization [NGO], a unit plan for a secondary or higher education curriculum, or an adult education series for a religious organization). This course is open to all but especially relevant for professionals or pre-professionals in government, NGOs, international relations, education, journalism, or religious leadership.
Spring 2025
The Spanish Inquisition
Samuel J. Garcia PhD, Preceptor in Expository Writing, Harvard University
In this course, we consider the history and legacy of the Spanish Inquisition, which existed for some 356 years (1478-1834) and operated in both Spain and Spain's colonies overseas. To this end, we examine not only the historical record itself (for example, transcripts of actual trials and case studies), but also various depictions of the Inquisition found in imaginative media (art, literature, and film). Our subject, then, is the Spanish Inquisition both real and imagined. Why did this institution arise in the first place? How did it survive for as long as it did? And does the legend of the Spanish Inquisition match its history?
Fall 2024
Religion, Conflict, and Peace in Contemporary Global Affairs
Diane L. Moore PhD, Lecturer on Religion, Conflict, and Peace, and Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life, Harvard Divinity School
In this course, we explore a series of contemporary conflicts in different regions of the world with a special focus on identifying and analyzing the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence in each context. Students learn a method for recognizing and analyzing how religious ideologies are embedded in all arenas of human agency and not isolated from political, economic, and cultural life as is often assumed. In addition to examining the conflicts themselves, we also explore the religious dimensions of the impacts those conflicts have on civic life in areas such as public health, education, and commerce. What roles do religions play in fostering violence and what roles do they play in promoting peace? How do religious institutions and ideologies function to support and/or thwart public health initiatives? What are the ideological justifications for functional economic policies and how do they reflect and/or challenge diverse religious values? What roles do religions play in advancing or suppressing educational opportunities and for whom? Are media representations of the religious dimensions of conflict accurate? Countries of focus are drawn from Brazil, France, Israel and Palestine, Myanmar, Nigeria, Syria, and the United States, though new case studies are being developed and may be included. Final projects are individually shaped based on interest and (where relevant) professional focus. The course is open to all and especially relevant for aspiring or professional educators, journalists, public health workers, foreign service officers, and government officials who wish to better understand how religions function in contemporary world affairs.
Fall 2024
Narratives of Displacement and Belonging in Israel and Palestine
Diane L. Moore PhD, Lecturer on Religion, Conflict, and Peace, and Associate Dean of Religion and Public Life, Harvard Divinity School
In this course we examine a diversity of narratives regarding displacement and belonging in Israel and Palestine. Through engagement with history, film, memoir, literature, and the arts, students hear diverse examples of what sociologist Ariel Hochschild calls "deep stories" that frame how individuals and communities make sense of their worlds. In our investigation, we draw upon critical theory to analyze the confluence of factors that shape how some deep stories rise to social and political prominence, while others are obscured; explore the historic roots of current narratives; and examine how an understanding of conflicting deep stories can provide fresh avenues of insight for those working to foster just peace in the region. Special attention is given to the roles that religious ideologies and institutions play in shaping diverse narratives.
Fall 2024
Mindfulness, Meaning, and Resilience
Chris Berlin MDiv, Instructor in Spiritual Counseling and Buddhist Ministry and Counselor to Buddhist Students, Harvard Divinity School
Mindfulness is a way of attending to the experience of the present moment with full awareness and without judgment or reactivity. Studies show the benefits of mindfulness include stress reduction, emotional balance, greater mental focus, and increased physical well-being. This introductory course explores the origins of mindfulness in Buddhist philosophy and how it can promote these states, as well as foster greater resilience especially during challenging times. We also discuss its present-day interface with Western psychology, how mindfulness is being applied in clinical contexts, and the role that meaning plays in mindfulness practice and building resilience.
Spring 2025
Compassion, Science, and the Contemplative Arts
Chris Berlin MDiv, Instructor in Spiritual Counseling and Buddhist Ministry and Counselor to Buddhist Students, Harvard Divinity School
Recent research shows significant benefits from cultivating empathy and compassion, ranging from physiological changes and brain biology to psychological and emotional well-being. Mindfulness and contemplative practices in Buddhism that emphasize compassion are also increasingly being integrated into Western clinical approaches for mental health. Other studies document the obstacles to compassion that can arise from experiencing fear and prolonged adversity, making it a challenge for some to value empathy, altruistic behavior, and the desire to alleviate suffering for others. This course draws on trends in mindfulness and the Buddhist view of compassion in theory and practice, as well as on scientific research, to explore how compassion can be applied to clinical contexts as informed by contemplative approaches. We also consider notions of compassion fatigue, self-compassion, compassion training for trauma, and its impact on neuroplasticity.
Spring 2025
Mindfulness, AI, and Ethics: Cultivating the Heart of the Algorithm
Chris Berlin MDiv, Instructor in Spiritual Counseling and Buddhist Ministry and Counselor to Buddhist Students, Harvard Divinity School
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications have given rise to a myriad of questions about the nature and limits of intelligence, as well as the ethical implications of the evolution of technology for what it means to be human in the age of AI. Alongside these developments, the prevalence of mindfulness in secular society has grown to enhance well-being, flourishing, and insights into mind, suffering, and ultimate agency. This course explores the application of mindfulness to ethical, social, emotional, existential, and developmental frameworks for AI, as well as considers definitions of intelligence and theories of consciousness, agency, and meaning making to better understand human-to-machine interactions relative to human-to-human interactions. Inquiry also draws on the Buddhist roots behind mindfulness including its texts, theories, and practices for exploring the complex worlds of the nature of mind, consciousness, attention, memory, interconnectedness, and the mind-body connection. We also emphasize such themes as empathy, compassion, and creativity on machine learning, as well as practices and design algorithms prizing ultimate human flourishing for multiple settings. Fundamental questions explored include: how can mindfulness enhance our awareness of AI's impact on our inner lives and society? As our information systems increasingly become extensions of ourselves, how might we individually and collectively contribute to a more mindful, peaceful, and healthy world through these technologies? And as AI becomes an extension of our collective mind, how do we infuse it with empathy, compassion, and ethical responsibility?