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Harvard Religion Beat

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Psychedelics, Spirituality, and a Culture of Seekership

May 12, 2022

You're listening to the Harvard Religion Beat, and my name is Paul Gillis-Smith, a correspondent for the Divinity School.

I'm standing here in Marsh Chapel at Boston University, where 60 years ago on Good Friday, a famous experiment took place conducted by a Harvard Divinity School student, where he tried to answer the simple question: Do psychedelic drugs occasioned mystical experiences?... Read more about Psychedelics, Spirituality, and a Culture of Seekership

The flag of Ukraine flying in Harvard Yard.

Putin's Unholy War

March 9, 2022

Vladimir Putin's invasion and war on Ukraine is a crisis. It's a crisis that is unfolding before our very eyes across social media and cable and online news, and it's more than just a political crisis, though that's likely what most of us are hearing about. Putin's war is crisis of humanity. It's a crisis of conscience … and it's a crisis with deep religious ties.... Read more about Putin's Unholy War

Podcast: How Joe Biden’s Faith Will Shape His Presidency

Podcast: How Joe Biden’s Faith Will Shape His Presidency

January 19, 2021

In an October 2020 op-ed for the Christian Post, Joe Biden wrote: “My Catholic faith drilled into me a core truth—that every person on earth is equal in rights and dignity, because we are all beloved children of God.” As president, he continued, “These are the principles that will shape all that I do, and my faith will continue to serve as my anchor, as it has my entire life.”... Read more about Podcast: How Joe Biden’s Faith Will Shape His Presidency

a group meditation in Emerson Chapel

Mainstream Meditation and the Million-Dollar Mindfulness Boom

August 13, 2019

Today, mindfulness meditation can be found everywhere from schools to prisons to sports teams.

The trendy fitness apparel company Lululemon is now advertising mindful clothing for men. There’s also Mindful Meats, Mindful Mints, and Sherwin-Williams sells a paint color they call Mindful Gray. There’s even Mindful Mayo, which you can buy at your local Whole Foods for $5.99.... Read more about Mainstream Meditation and the Million-Dollar Mindfulness Boom

Why Hate Crimes Are on the Rise

Why Hate Crimes Are on the Rise

April 23, 2019

Hate crimes committed on the basis of religious identity have surged 23 percent, the biggest annual increase since 9/11.

And while many have placed blame at the foot of political leaders and specifically President Trump for emboldening anti-Semites and white supremacists—very fine people, he’s called them—there’s another, equally troubling side to the story—one that calls into question the validity of the FBI’s own hate crime statistics and gives us more questions than answers.... Read more about Why Hate Crimes Are on the Rise