On August 1, 2007, our summer interns presented their work on revising and updating World Religions in Boston: A Guide to Communities and Resources in a research symposium held at Harvard's Barker Center for the Humanities. Guests at the symposium included religious and lay leaders from the many religious communities and centers that were profiled, as well as Harvard faculty and friends of the Project. The symposium was covered in The... Read more about 2007 Summer Research Symposium

On March 5, 2009, the Pluralism Project cosponsored the premiere of its new documentary film, Fremont, U.S.A.: A City’s Encounter with Religious Diversity at Harvard University. Produced and directed by Rachel Antell and Elinor Pierce, this film explores the complex and challenging issues of religious diversity in small California city transformed by new immigration. Using the themes explored in Fremont, U.S.A. as a starting point, Dr. Diana L. Eck, Pluralism Project director, moderated a lively panel discussion on civic engagement and interfaith action in Greater Boston.... Read more about Fremont, U.S.A. Film Premiere and Panel

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...

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On April 9, 2008, Assistant Director Kathryn Lohre joined former interns Kate DeConinck and Nour Goda for an evening of sharing and discussion on Interfaith and Inter-religious Dialogue at Connecticut College. The event was sponsored by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at Connecticut College, and was hosted by the Dean of Religious and Spiritual Life, Claudia Highbaugh. Kathryn gave an introductory presentation about the Pluralism Project,... Read more about Interfaith and Inter-religious Dialogue at Connecticut College

    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

The Pluralism Project has partnered with StoryCorps, the "national project to instruct and inspire people to record each others' stories in sound," to include stories from diverse faith traditions in Boston. This massive oral history project now includes recordings of Research Associate Deonnie Moodie interviewing Affiliate Valarie Kaur on growing up Sikh in America, and Dr. Imam Talal Eid and his daughter Feda Eid on being Muslim in the U.S. You may listen to these and other stories from Bostonians online if you... Read more about StoryCorps in Boston

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.

On June 13, 2009, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored a screening and discussion of The Mosque in Morgantown at Harvard University. Directed by Boston-based filmmaker Brittany Huckabee, this documentary explores journalist Asra Nomani’s controversial campaign against what she believes are warning signs of Islamic extremism in her local mosque in Morgantown, West Virginia: the exclusion of women, an intolerance towards non-believers, and a growing suspicion of the West. After the screening, Dr. Diana L. Eck moderated a discussion on... Read more about The Mosque in Morgantown Screening and Discussion

On April 2, 2006, Jean Zaru, the presiding clerk of the Ramallah Friends meeting in Ramallah, visited Cambridge to speak at Memorial Church. She also met with a group convened by the Pluralism Project for a luncheon discussion. She is a founding member of Sabeel, an ecumenical liberation theology center in Jerusalem, and the author of A Christian Palestinian Life: Faith and Struggle. In 2003, she participated in the Pluralism Project's conference on “Women, Religion, and Social Change II” as part... Read more about Christian Palestinian Peacemaker Jean Zaru Visits Cambridge

On December 11, 2007, the Pluralism Project sponsored a rough cut screening of the film, The Mosque in Morgantown, for a select audience of students and scholars. This documentary chronicles the conflict that arises in small-town West Virginia when Asra Nomani, a Muslim feminist, challenges women’s roles at the local mosque. It captures the stories of Nomani and other mosque members as they struggle to shape the future of their community. The film is an entry for viewers into questions about Islam in America,... Read more about The Mosque in Morgantown Rough Cut Screening

The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

On April 11, 2007, the Pluralism Project co-sponsored an event with the Sikh Council on Religion and Education and The Dialogue Forum. “Sikh-ing Harmony: An Evening of Art, Music, Film and Dialogue Reflecting on the Experience of Sikh-Americans in a Post-9/11 Era” featured photography by Gabriel Brown, Sartaj Singh’s film, “Sikh on the Street,” and the children...

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On October 20, 2008, the Pluralism Project hosted members of the World Council of Churches - US Conference Decade to Overcome Violence Committee. “The Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace 2001 – 2010 (DOV) is an initiative of the World Council of Churches. It is a global movement that strives to strengthen existing efforts and networks for preventing and overcoming violence, as well as inspire the creation of new ones.” The US...

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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

The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

On April 17, 2006, the Pluralism Project sponsored an interfaculty luncheon discussion titled “Voices of Liberal Islam in Indonesia” with two young and prominent Islamic thinkers, Ulil Abshar Abdallah and Sukhidi Mulyadi. Abdallah is the founder of Liberal Islam Network, a leading Islamic organization which promotes the notion of a liberal Islam in Indonesia. In 2002 Abdallah and members of the organization were given a fatwa death sentence by Javanese clerics due to their writings on...

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