On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, the Pluralism Project participated in the annual meeting and awards dinner for a local interfaith social action organization, Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries. Over 200 people attended the evening event entitled, ‘Social Change and the Spirituality of Hope: Dialogue and Action in Multifaith America.” Pluralism Project Director Dr. Diana Eck offered remarks on the topic as part of a keynote panel that also included Salwa Abdullah of Masjid Al-Qur’an and Margie Klein of Moishe/Kavod House and Hebrew College Rabbinical... Read more about Diana Eck Participates in Panel at Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries' 43rd Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner

On Saturday, November 21, 2009, the Pluralism Project offered a workshop at the “Global Education, Human Rights and the Middle East Region Conference” organized by the Outreach Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. This workshop brought together educator-leaders from around the world in order to explore the “diversity of approaches taken to discussing human rights in the classroom.” It coincided with the annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Association in Boston. Assistant Director Kathryn Lohre taught the session entitled, “... Read more about Pluralism Project Participates in Human Rights Education Conference

On Saturday, July 11, 1009, the Pluralism Project hosted participants in the “Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Boston Immersion Course” sponsored by the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan in collaboration with Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM) and Episcopal Divinity School (EDS). The Sustaining Pastoral Excellence (SPE) program is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., and it “enables a broad spectrum of... Read more about Pluralism Project Hosts Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Boston Immersion Course Participants

On October 13, 2006, The Pluralism Project and the Women’s Studies in Religion Program co-sponsored “Jerusalem Women Speak: Three Women, Three Faiths, One Shared Vision.” This event, held at Harvard Divinity School, brought together three women from Israel/Palestine to share their stories, their struggles, and their hopes. Speakers included Ghada Ageel, a Muslim Palestinian from Khan Younis Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip; Shireen Khamis, a Christian Palestinian from Beit Jala in the West Bank; and Rela Mazali, a Jewish Israeli from Herzila on... Read more about Pluralism Project Co-Sponsors "Jerusalem Women Speak" Event at HDS

On October 16, 2008, the Pluralism Project hosted Father Nicholas Rundle, a Senior Chaplain with Mission Australia. Father Rundle was in the United States to learn more about how Mission Australia might provide a more “faith friendly” environment for staff through programs, policies, and practices. Father Rundle then went on to Detroit, Michigan to visit the leaders of the Ford Interfaith Network at the Ford Motor Company to learn about their model.

On March 1, 2007, the Pluralism Project hosted a State Department delegation of scholars from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria at Harvard University. Their visit was a continuation of a study-tour which began last year titled, “Islam: Scholarship and Practice in the United States.” Led by Father Nabil Haddad, executive director of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center in Amman, Jordan, and sponsored by WorldBoston, the tour also made stops in DC and Philadelphia. The tour aims to convey an understanding of the role of religion in... Read more about International Participants in "Islam: Scholarship and Practice in the United States" Visit the Pluralism Project

On February 27, 2009, the Pluralism Project participated in the 2009 Costas Consultation on Global Mission sponsored by the schools of the Boston Theological Institute and hosted by the Episcopal Divinity School. This year's theme was “Mission and Multiple Religious Belonging.” Assistant Director Kathryn Lohre offered a workshop with Dr. Timothy Tennent, Professor of World Missions and Indian Studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary on the topic of “Multiple Belonging in the Age of Pluralism.” Other workshop topics included mystical paths, inter-religious religiousity, and the politics... Read more about 2009 Costas Consultation: Mission and Multiple Religious Belonging

On March 2, 2006, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored an event with the Kennedy School of Government's Women in Public Policy Program and the Islam in the West Project entitled, “Emerging Forms of Muslim Women’s Leadership.” The featured speakers included Sarah Eltantawi, media commentator on American Muslim affairs and Middle East policy and doctoral student in religious studies at Harvard University and Raheel Raza, author of Their Jihad...Not My Jihad!: A Muslim Canadian Woman Speaks Out. Ms. Raza was also the first Muslim woman to lead... Read more about Pluralism Project Co-Sponsors "Emerging Forms of Muslim Women’s Leadership" Event

    On November 5, 2007, the Pluralism Project convened a case studies workshop at the Center for the Study of World Religions. Twenty Harvard faculty and doctoral candidates from Harvard Graduate School, Harvard Divinity School and the Kennedy School of Government participated in a workshop on the case study method. As an example, Dr. Eck utilized the case developed by our senior researcher, Ellie Pierce, entitled “A Mosque in Palos Heights.” This case explores the problems and promise of pluralism in Palos Heights, Illinois where a... Read more about Case Studies Workshop

On May 15, 2009, the Pluralism Project sponsored the U.S. premiere of the short documentary film, La Trappe. Directed by Harvard Divinity School student Lina Verchery (MDiv ’10), this film explores the surprising connection between the French-speaking Acadian lobster fishermen of Chéticamp and their neighbors: the Buddhist monks and nuns of Gampo Abbey, Shambhala's monastic headquarters. Although seemingly divided by language, culture and religion, these two communities nevertheless share more than meets the eye. The film was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Diana L.... Read more about La Trappe Film Premiere and Panel

On April 4, 2006, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored a talk by Chandra Muzaffar at Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions entitled, “Emergent Asia: Whither Religion?” Dr. Muzaffar is a leading human rights activist, author, and teacher. He is the president of the International Movement for a Just World, an NGO in Kuala Lumpur that addresses the challenges to social justice and human dignity in global politics. His latest book is Global Ethic or Global Hegemony? During his Cambridge visit, Dr. Muzaffar also... Read more about Chandra Muzaffar Lecture on “Emergent Asia: Whither Religion?”

On March 5, 2008, the Pluralism Project was one of ten cosponsors of an advanced screening of James Carroll's Constantine's Sword, a documentary film directed by Oren Jacoby. According to the film's website,"Constantine's Sword is a compelling personal narrative - a kind of detective story - as one man uncovers the dark areas of his own past, searching for a better future." Author and Boston Globe columnist James Carroll, who co-produced the film, was present to answer questions following the screening, which took place at... Read more about Advanced Screening of Constantine's Sword

On June 15-16, 2009, the Pluralism Project participated in a conference on “Educating Christian, Jewish, & Muslim Leaders in an Age of Religious Diversity,” which took place on the neighboring campuses of Andover Newton Theological School & Hebrew College. Organized by the Boston Theological Institute, Hartford Seminary, the Interreligious Center on Public Life... Read more about Pluralism Project Participates in Conference on Educating Religious Leaders

On August 15, 2006, the summer research of Pluralism Project student staff and summer interns culminated in a research symposium held at Harvard's Barker Center for the Humanities. An intense morning of presentations covered a wide range of topics including Muslim artists and activism, religious pluralism in Malaysia and Indonesia, faith bloggers, the role of the New York City Council regarding religious pluralism, women's interfaith initiatives and more. Reports on the ICNA-MAS, Kaur Voices, JAINA and Young Global Leaders conferences were also presented.

Summer Interns...

Read more about 2006 Summer Research Symposium

On September 23, 2008, the Pluralism Project participated in a one-day symposium sponsored by the Harvard chaplains called “On Faith at Harvard.” The symposium explored the question of the role of religion at Harvard, and in higher education in general. The Pluralism Project offered a presentation entitled “Engaging Religious Difference,” which included a sneak-peak of our new documentary film, Fremont, USA. Highlights of the day included an interfaith Iftaar sponsored by the Harvard Islamic Society and a keynote address by journalist Sally Quinn.