fall 2010 volume 6 number 3 The Varieties of an HDS Experience Throughout the semester, members of the HDS community take advantage of numerous opportunities for enrichment. n a sweltering late August evening, array of experiences to its members and Peter Machinist, Hancock Profes- to the broader public. Osor of Hebrew and Other Oriental MDiv candidate Zack Guiliano started Languages, delivered HDS’s Convocation the Daily Office at HDS, a service from Address, marking the start of the School’s the Book of Common Prayer held each 187th year. And what a year it has already weekday morning and evening in Divinity been. The newest faculty members, Aisha Hall as a new opportunity for the commu- Beliso-De Jesús, Jonathan Walton, and nity to begin and end every day in prayer, rose lincoln/harvard staff photographer Mayra Rivera Rivera, are already making confession, meditation on scripture, and As part of the events surrounding HDS Convocation on August 31, faculty members gather on their mark on campus, and all faculty con- the singing of psalms and canticles. the steps of Andover Hall for the traditional faculty portrait. tinue to publish books and articles, deliver MTS candidates Tim Severyn and papers at national and international con- Grace Egbert, along with the rest of the versity Dining Services unveiled a pilot and features a collection of career-related ferences, receive awards and grants, and HDS Community Garden group, have program at the Rock Café called Commu- resources. contribute, more broadly, to theological been exceptionally active this past sum- nity Table, where people are encouraged The Office of Religious and Spiritual and religious studies around the globe. mer and into the semester, and on Octo- to sit together and share a family-style Life continues to provide religious and Read more about recent faculty activities ber 8, the group joined with Harvard’s meal. Community Table has garnered spiritual resources within and beyond and accomplishments in “Faculty and Food Literacy Project to host a harvest much attention around Harvard and is, as HDS, and this semester students have had Staff Notes,” beginning on page 4. party in the HDS garden. Members of the of now, offered twice weekly. the opportunity to volunteer in preparing Throughout this 2010 fall semester, community gathered crops, and Martin Student Services at HDS continues to and distributing a Saturday meal in Har- hardly a day passes without numerous Breslin, director for culinary operations host and sponsor activities to help stu- vard and Central squares on the fourth opportunities for the HDS community in Hospitality and Dining Services at Har- dents refine their professional skills and Saturday of each month as part of a collab- to be enriched—intellectually, physically, vard, used the vegetables for an outdoor to nourish their spiritual lives. The Offic- oration with the Outdoor Church. and spiritually. From large academic cooking demonstration. On October 18, es of Student Life and Career Services events like the annual William James best-selling author Molly Katzen gave provide writing and editing consultations Selected images of some of these events may Lecture, to intimate gatherings, such as another cooking demonstration in Rock and career planning workshops, and a be found on page 7. Also, you can stay on top Yoga Yog-aahhh, to the informal social Café using produce from the HDS Com- new Student Services Resource Center of what is happening at the School by visiting Community Tea, the School offers a vast munity Garden. And, this semester, Uni- opened this semester in Divinity Hall www.hds.harvard.edu/news. mailed from 01842 from mailed permit n0. 250 n0. permit p a i d Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138-1911 Massachusetts Cambridge, u . s . p o s t a g e e g a t . s s . u o p 45 Francis Avenue Francis 45 organization Harvard Divinity School Divinity Harvard i f t - o r p n o n What’s Inside message from the dean 2 andover journal News From Around the School 3 message from the dean Faculty and Staff Notes 4 Recent Faculty Books 4 arvard Divinity School’s greatest resource has always been its people, and our fac- Hulty, staff, students, and alumni have risen to the challenge posed by the recession Seminar on Debates Over Religion and Sexuality 6 of the last two years to maintain and improve one of the world’s greatest programs in religious and theological studies. research in action As we embark on yet another journey this academic year—one of scholarly and aca- demic rigor and of spiritual, religious, and ethical inquiry—it is important to remind Diving In Headfirst 8 ourselves of the overarching mission that guides our work. To help in building a world in which people can live and work together across religious and alumni journal cultural divides, we strive to be a primary resource in religious and theological studies for the academy, for religious communities, and in the public sphere. Getting Involved as Alumni 9 These words constitute a portion of the HDS Mission and Vision statement, which, Providing Safe Haven 10 in addition to five long-standing goals, can be found on the HDS website. Looking ahead, I want to lift up several other objectives of renewal at HDS. First, we wish to Alumni News Highlights 12 increase significantly both the number of contributors of any amount and the dollar results of fundraising—particularly in leadership gifts—as both are important to posi- Obituaries 13 tion HDS well for a coming University campaign. Second, we are looking to establish Recent Alumni Books 13 long-term space and program requirements in order to complete planning for the reno- vation of Andover Hall and to evaluate the need for a future new building in the long run. Third, HDS has maintained its commitment to a financial aid policy that ensures calendar 16 that no student is unable to attend the School purely because of the cost of attendance. We will continue monitoring the goals of the financial aid program and planning for its expansion as resources allow. Fourth, since the renovation in 2008 of Rockefeller Hall, editor’s note: In order to reduce print costs as well as our impact on which is now one of the University’s most energy-efficient buildings, HDS is recog- the environment, Harvard Divinity Today is mailed only to HDS alumni nized in the University as a leader in sustainability efforts. We will continue a high level and affiliates, and to members of the Harvard community. If you are not of effort to meet School and University sustainability goals and to model innovations in a member of any of these groups but would like to receive a print copy, support of these goals. Fifth, we are preparing for reaccreditation with the Association please write to [email protected]. All interested readers may also of Theological Schools, which should culminate in a 10-year renewal of accreditation. enjoy Harvard Divinity Today online, at www.hds.harvard.edu/news. Sixth, we will continue to address the longer-term implications of constrained revenue, meeting annual operating budgets, and making annual adjustments as required and as part of multiyear planning. Last, we wish to enhance our students’ experience by engaging faculty and staff in ways that cultivate the strengths and interests of all three Harvard Divinity Today constituencies. As we move forward, the foundation laid during the last several years should serve Fall 2010 Volume 6 Number 3 us well. Religion permeates the lives of so many people around the world. At HDS, we have brought together a wealth of resources and talents to help advance the scholarly Published three times a year by the Office of Communications at Harvard understanding of how this happens, and which can also help communities outside Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, for the Harvard better understand themselves and each other in pursuit of a better world. We alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of HDS. Letters to the editor are welcome at that address, as are requests to be added to the mailing list. continue to keep this vision clearly before us as we go about our work at HDS. Postmaster: Send address changes to Office of Communications, Harvard Divinity Today, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 Copyright © 2010 President and Fellows of Harvard College William A. Graham 2 andover journal Panel Discusses Religion audience inside Andover Hall on the News From Around the School HDS campus, explained how homophobic And Sexuality Christian discourses damage all queer youth, but they are especially damaging to queer youth in Christian homes and, Opening of CSWR Meditation Room arvard Divinity School hosted “Queer worse, for youth who believe. HYouth and Religious Debates Over “We have to get them better news about Sexuality,” a panel discussion held Octo- God,” he said. “We have to present them he Center for the Study ber 7 on queer youth in the United States with convincing pictures of their own Tof World Religions at and their relationship to religion and the queer futures as believers. We have to open Harvard Divinity School church. Cheryl A. Giles, Peabody Profes- for them actual spaces in which they can dedicated its new nonde- sor of the Practice in Pastoral Care and be queer and religious. Exile from religion nominational meditation Counseling at HDS, moderated the con- cannot be the cost of admission to queer room in a ceremony on versation, which featured prominent gay life, especially for the young.” Monday, October 4. New rights activists and leaders from across Fellow panelist Harry Knox, director CSWR director Francis X.