Harvard Divinity School

Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's purpose is to train graduate students--either in the academic study of religion, or in the practice of a religious ministry. It also caters to students from other Harvard schools who are interested in the former field. The Divinity School's current dean, William A. Graham, is a scholar of Islamic history. Harvard Divinity School is one of five university-based, non-denominational divinity schools in the United States (the other four being at the University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University and Yale University).

History

Harvard was founded in 1636 as a Puritan/Congregationalist institution, and trained ministers for many years. The separate institution of the Divinity School, however, dates from 1816, when it was established as the first non-denominational divinity school in the United States (Princeton Theological Seminary, the nation's oldest graduate school of theology, having been founded as a Presbyterian institution in 1812). Nevertheless, for most of its early history, Harvard Divinity School was unofficially associated with the Unitarian church.

Today its students and faculty come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Its academic programs attempt to balance theology and religious studies, that is, the "believer's" perspective on religion with the "secular" perspective on religion. This is in contrast to many other divinity schools where one or the other is given primacy (Yale Divinity School, for example, emphasizes its ministry program, while the University of Chicago Divinity School sees the majority of students enroll in its "religious studies" Master of Arts program).

Peer Institutions

Though objective ranking systems for divinity schools are rare, due to the wide spectrum of approaches to the subject matter, Harvard Divinity School is considered to be among the best providers graduate programs for the study of religion and ministry. HDS frequently cites its primary peer institutions as the University of Chicago Divinity School and Yale Divinity School, followed closely by Princeton Theological Seminary, the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Union Theological Seminary, New York City, and Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Degrees

Harvard Divinity School grants the following degrees:

Master of Theological Studies (MTS, equivalent to a Master of Arts in religious studies)
Master of Divinity (MDiv, a degree usually taken in preparation for the ministry)
Master of Theology (ThM)
Doctor of Theology (ThD)

In addition to candidates for the above, many Harvard graduate students pursuing PhDs in the study of religion work closely with the Divinity School, though they are technically affiliated with the Committee on the Study of Religion in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Curriculum

The curriculum is organized into three Areas.

Area I, "Scripture and Interpretation," focuses on the nature and interpretation of sacred scriptures, especially the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Methods include intensive study of language and historical-critical analysis.
Area II, "Christianity and Culture," includes courses in theology, ethics, the history of Christianity, and the social sciences.
Area III, "Religions of the World," includes comparative religion, as well as the study of specific traditions. As of 2006, the Divinity School offers courses on Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, Confucianism, Shinto, some pre-Islamic Persian religious traditions, ancient Greek religion, Meso-American religions, and Celtic religion.

Special Programs

Women's Studies in Religion Program:

The Women's Studies in Religion Program promotes critical inquiry into the interaction between religion and gender. Every year the program offers fellowships to five scholars, offering them the opportunity to teach a class of their design and to take advantage of Harvard's resources, as well as to share their research and experiences with the fellows in an interdisciplinary environment.

Program in Religion and Secondary Education:

The Program in Religion and Secondary Education is a unique program which certifies students in the Masters of Theological Studies, and Masters of Divinity Programs, to teach academic disciplines in the context of religion at the middle and high school level.

Notable Professors

François Bovon, prolific scholar in New Testament and Christian Apocrypha.
Harvey Cox, author of "The Secular City."
Diana L. Eck, Asianist and founder of Pluralism Project.
Joseph Fletcher, founder of situational ethics.
Peter J. Gomes, Harvard preacher and writer.
David D. Hall, noted historian of Puritanism.
Amy Hollywood, medievalist and psychoanalytic/social theorist.
Karen King, author of "What is Gnosticism?" and "The Gospel of Mary Magdala."
Jon D. Levenson, professor of Hebrew Bible/Jewish Studies.
Ralph B. Potter, social ethicist.
Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, feminist New Testament scholar.
Robert William Scribner (1941 - 1998), noted reformation historian.

Notable alumni

Reza Aslan, author and scholar of Islam.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Robert P. George, author and Princeton professor.
Peter J. Gomes, preacher and writer.
Chris Hedges, author and journalist.
Theodore Parker
Edmund Sears

Student Religious Affiliation (from 2004-2005 Harvard Divinity School Catalog)

Divinity School buildings

External links

http://www.hds.harvard.edu/

Harvard University | Seminaries and theological colleges | United States seminaries | Educational institutions established in 1816

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