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Faculty & Research

Harvard University’s Faculty of Divinity are among the most distinguished scholars of religion and practitioners of ministry in the world. Experts in a wide range of disciplines and religious traditions, they teach and mentor students and perform vital, creative research to advance religious insight and scholarship.

Faculty

Directory

Research professors and emeriti, visiting faculty, and others offering instruction at HDS.

Faculty of Divinity

Meet our world-class teachers and scholars.
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Faculty Experts

These members of the Harvard Divinity School faculty welcome inquiries from reporters and editors concerning their fields of interest and areas of expertise.
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Faculty Openings

View current faculty searches.
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Faculty Focus

Matthew Potts Faculty Spotlight

Matthew PottsJoyful Responsibility

Matthew Ichihashi Potts, MDiv ’08, PhD ’13, didn’t plan on becoming Pusey Minister at Memorial Church, but service has always been at the heart of his work.

Potts, who also serves as Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, joined the faculty of divinity in 2013. He studies the thought and practice of contemporary Christian communities through attention to diverse literary, theological, and liturgical texts.

Potts believes that serving the multifaceted University community will involve a lot of listening and collaboration, and he is hopeful about working with other religious leaders and chaplains on campus to cultivate a religious space where people can celebrate each other’s differences in a real way.

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See also: Faculty Stories

Research Programs and Centers

Harvard Divinity School’s dedicated centers and programs advance critical subjects in religious literacy, international study, women and religion, and other areas. Events and campus speakers bring worldwide insight to Harvard.

Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR)

Examines the historical and contemporary interrelationships among religions, and the theological, philosophical, comparative, political, and ethical challenges facing religious communities and those who study them today.

More about the CSWR

Women’s Studies in Religion Program (WSRP)

Explores the fundamental role played by religious traditions in defining roles for women and men. Research on religion and gender sheds light on questions about the changing roles of women both inside religious communities and in broader public spheres.

More about the WSRP

Program for the Evolution of Spirituality (PES)

Supports the scholarly study of emerging spiritual movements, marginalized spiritualities, and the innovative edges of established religious traditions. It also prepares students for ministry in these movements.

More about the PES

Religion in Public Life (RPL)

Provides an umbrella for programs and scholarship across Harvard that explore the ways that religion is entwined with social, political, and economic dimensions of human experience and institutions.

More about RPL

Pluralism Project

Documents the contours of our multireligious society, exploring new forms of interfaith engagement, studying the impact of religious diversity in civic life, and contextualizing these findings within a global framework.

More about the Pluralism Project

Research Appointments and Affiliations

Several administrative units within Harvard Divinity School offer research appointments and affiliations, including the Office of Academic Affairs in cooperation with the associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, the HDS dean, and members of the Harvard Divinity School faculty; the Center for the Study of World Religions; HDS Religion and Public Life; and the Women's Studies in Religion Program. Learn more about research opportunities at HDS:

Publications

Harvard Divinity Bulletin aims to provide a nonsectarian review of religion, attentive to contemporary realities, that has appeal both within and beyond the academy. The magazine is received by 10,000 people around the world, including Harvard Divinity School alumni, staff, faculty, and students, and members of the general public. In 2013, it was recognized as the Religion Newswriters Association's magazine of the year.

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Harvard Theological Review, a quarterly published by Harvard Divinity School, began publication in 1908 and is one of the oldest scholarly theological journals in the United States. It publishes articles on the history and philosophy of religious thought in all traditions and periods, including Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Christianity, Jewish Studies, theology, ethics, archaeology, and comparative religious studies.

Learn more about HTR

Peripheries: A Journal of Word and Image is a collection of visual art, fiction, translation, and creative nonfiction, from both the Harvard community and writers and artists across the world. These artists contribute to a conversation that explores how creative practice relates to spiritual practice, in all religious and secular traditions.The journal also seeks to support new artists or those on the margins of traditional literary circles.

 

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