The New Wave HDS SAILS INTO THE FUTURE OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
H
arvard Divinity School has long been at
Three hires in particular illustrate the breadth and
the forefront of the study of religion. From
depth of HDS’s new faculty. The theologian Myra
the New Testament scholarship of Helmut
Rivera brings philosophy, literature, and politics
Koester and Krister Stendahl to the
together to explore modernity, the Latina/o experience,
founding of the Center for the Study of World Religions
and the postcolonial world. Andrew Teeter continues
and the Women’s Studies in Religion Program, HDS
HDS’s tradition of excellence in the study of the
faculty have transformed existing areas of research and
Hebrew Bible and was named Outstanding Teacher
pioneered entirely new fields of knowledge. Now, as
by students in 2013 for his mastery in the classroom.
the School celebrates its bicentennial, HDS is acting
Ousmane Kane came to the School from Columbia
aggressively to ensure that its preeminence in critical
University in 2012, bringing expertise in Islam, Africa,
scholarship not only continues, but also expands.
and political science. Together, this troika represents
“For 200 years, HDS has been a leader in the study
the “new wave” of scholarship shaping religious
of religion,” says Dean David N. Hempton. “Today,
knowledge for the twenty-first century.
the School’s faculty is one of the few in the world world’s major faiths. As we look to our third century,
PROFESSOR MAYRA RIVERA: THE WORD MADE FLESH
HDS will increasingly draw scholars from Africa, Asia,
Professor of Religion and Latina/o Studies Mayra
and Latin America—as well as Europe and the United
Rivera cares about bodies: bodies sent to war, where
States—to reflect the multireligious and complex
they are harmed; bodies relegated to slums that are
reality of the twenty-first century.”
unhealthy or workplaces that are unsafe; bodies that
Since his appointment as dean in 2012, Hempton has
are the place where flesh and blood meet spirit.
overseen the hiring of some of the country’s leaders
“My research looks at the way that seemingly abstract
in the study of religion. In 2014, for instance, HDS
concepts like transcendence, flesh, and glory shape our
lured the distinguished historian of American religion
perceptions of the world—and how those perceptions
Catherine Brekus away from rival University of
in turn shape our morals, our values, and our behavior.”
Chicago Divinity School. That same year, Mark Jordan,
Rivera approaches theology in a way that integrates
that can boast some of the top experts in many of the
a pioneer in the study of sexual ethics, gender, and theology, rejoined HDS from Washington University in St. Louis.
the poetic nature of the Christian texts she studies not only conveys information, but also enables the
The School has also acted to retain promising young
reader to have an experience that goes beyond words.
scholars as they rise to the top of their fields. In the
“Religious texts entice readers to see and feel
last two years alone, five junior faculty have received tenure, including Giovanni Bazzana, whose work focuses on the synoptic Gospels and Apocalyptic literature; Charles Stang, recipient of the 2013 Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise; and David F. Holland, an expert on American religious and intellectual history. 10 10
both the philosophical and the literary. She says that
differently,” she says. “They use stories, parables, poetry, and metaphors in a way that’s often startling. That’s why I find it essential to incorporate literary approaches in my examination of religious texts—and to consider the ways that the strategies of religious writings enrich literary analysis.”
