The Mongolian Shrine of the Cult of Chinggis Khan: What Happened to Women’s Participation?
The Women’s Studies in Religion Program at Harvard Divinity School presents:
The Mongolian Shrine of the Cult of Chinggis Khan:
What Happened to Women’s Participation?
A lecture by Dotno D. Pount, Visiting Lecturer on Women’s Studies and Inner Asian Religions
(Lunch will be provided).
Contact: wsrp@hds.harvard.edu.
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Swartz Hall, Braun Room.
Reading Group: Transcendentalism—Mystics, Misfits, Rogues, and Dissidents
This group meets on Tuesdays, 12–2pm (9/16, 9/30, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 12/2)
American Transcendentalism emerged in the mid-1800s from New England Unitarianism and European Romanticism. It distinguished itself by rejecting convention, challenging traditional religious doctrines of authority and election, opposing dominant philosophies, discarding genteel literary styles, and defying political complacency regarding slavery, gender inequality, and disenfranchisement. At Harvard, Transcendentalists were seen as mystics, misfits, rogues, and dissidents. Their refusals, however, sparked a social movement based on friendship and collaboration, united by a radical spirituality promising personal renewal and social transformation. This reading group invites participants to explore both sides of that legacy. We'll focus on Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller in the fall, and on figures including Bronson Alcott, Theodore Parker, Orestes Brownson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and Caroline Dall in…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Reading Group: Esotericism and Alternative Spirituality
Registration is required.
This group meets on Tuesdays, Sept. 9 & 23, Oct. 14 & 21, Nov. 4 & 18, 1–3pm
Esotericism has long been associated with the ideas of mystery, secrecy, and conspiracy. This is connected to the very etymology of the word, which hints at the possibility of acquiring special, inner knowledge that is different from what ordinary people usually have access to. The elitism that goes with this assumption can take on a political dimension. Insofar as esotericism is identified with the practice of secrecy, fears of clandestine manipulation of society and history arise almost naturally, and questions about its compatibility with the principles of modern democracy are raised. However, strategies of secrecy have also been used to promote the values of progress and democracy, as has been the case during the Enlightenment with the emergence of modern Freemasonry. Despite the relevance of these aspects for the study of esotericism, scholars have been reluctant to include them in their theorizations…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Event Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM.
*Common Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Psychedelic Christianity? A Conversation with Erik Davis and Charles Stang
This event is free and open to the public.
No registration is required.
As the dialogue between contemporary religion and the psychedelic world deepens, the possibilities of a new “psychedelic Christianity” are emerging. But what exactly does such a surprising conjunction name? How does the reframing of psychedelic experience allow for contemporary Christians to “turn on,” and what sort of pushback is already emerging? What alternate histories does psychedelic Christianity require, whether it’s the reassessment of the hippie Jesus Movement, or the controversial but compelling possibility of psychedelic sacraments in the early Christian church? How might the Christian dimension of transcultural ayahuasca religions from Brazil inflect the question? Join Professor Charles Stang and Dr. Erik Davis for a dynamic discussion of the issues.
Programming Series: Spirituality and Psychedelics. Contact: Paul Gillis-Smith, pgillissmith@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
Room 113, Sever Hall.
Shamanism: The Timeless Religion – a Conversation Between Manvir Singh and Charles Stang
Registration required.
Please register to attend on Zoom.
Join anthropologist Manvir Singh, PhD, and Professor Charles Stang for a conversation about Singh’s new book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion (Knopf, 2025), which draws on immersive research with shamans in Indonesia and the Colombian Amazon. Singh explores how shamans use trance, music, and plant medicine to heal, prophesy, and confront life’s uncertainties—and how these ancient practices reveal deep insights into belief, transformation, and the human mind.
MANVIR SINGH is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis. He holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a PhD in Human Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University. A regular contributor to The New Yorker, his work has also appeared in Wired, Vice, Aeon, The Guardian, and academic journals including Science and Nature Human Behaviour. He has studied Indigenous psychedelic use in Colombia and, since 2014, has researched shamanism and justice among…
Programming Series: Psychedelics and the Future of Religion. Spirituality and Psychedelics. Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit cswr.hds.harvard.edu. Compassion and Moral Reason at the Core: Reimagining Religion, Liberalism, and Human Rights
Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin of George Mason University will give a talk based on his book Compassionate Reasoning: Changing the Mind to Change the World with Prof. Swayam Bagaria as the respondent. This is the opening lecture for RPL's year-long series on Religion, Liberalism, and Human Rights. The programming aims to bring together leading scholars to reflect on the promises and limitations of liberalism and the human rights tradition.
Contact: ratassi@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
James Room combined, Swartz Hall.
Authoritarianism, Antisemitism and the Future of America: Michelle Goldberg, NY Times Opinion Columnist in conversation with Prof Derek Penslar
Contact: cjs@fas.harvard.edu
maura_gould@fas.harvard.edu.
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
Center for European Studies, 27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA.
Public Research Talk: The Psychedelic Jesus of the American Counterculture, with Erik Davis
Registration is required.
Please register to attend in person.
Please register to attend on Zoom.
Behind today’s growing conversation about psychedelic Christianity lies a largely overlooked figure: Jesus Christ as imagined within the psychedelic counterculture. From recurring appearances in acid visions and underground comics to reinterpretations within esoteric “freak" circles, Jesus was deeply entangled in the era’s spiritual experimentation. For some young people immersed in drug culture, however, Christ became more than a symbol of countercultural spirituality—he opened a path toward the emerging Jesus Movement, a form of Christianity that rejected much (though by no means all) of the psychedelic ethos of intense spiritual experience. Among them was Rick Griffin, one of the most influential illustrators of California psychedelia, whose conversion to Christianity produced a remarkable body of visual work that continues to shape the intersection of faith, art, and underground culture.
ERIK DAVIS is an…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Monday, October 20, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
Common Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
For more info visit cswr.hds.harvard.edu. The Pearl, The Serpent, The Journey Home Celebrating The Pearlsong with Scholarship and Song
Registration is required.
Please register to attend in person.
Please register to attend on Zoom.
The Center for the Study of World Religions invites the Harvard community and beyond to the launch of The Pearlsong. This ancient, mystical poem tells the unforgettable story of a prince who journeys to Egypt, falls asleep, and forgets his mission, only to be awakened by a letter from home.
This launch event brings the ancient text to life through scholarly presentations exploring The Pearlsong within the broader traditions of ancient Mediterranean literature, followed by an original musical composition inspired by the poem, performed by CSWR Artist-in-Residence Jane Sheldon.
Whether you study ancient texts, love live music, or are simply drawn to stories of spiritual awakening, join us for this unique celebration.
Reception to follow.
CHARLES STANG joined the Faculty of Divinity in 2008. He specializes in Christianity in late antiquity and the intersection of philosophy and religion in the ancient…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM.
Williams Chapel, Swartz Hall, 45 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
For more info visit cswr.hds.harvard.edu. Reading Group: Esotericism and Alternative Spirituality
Registration is required.
This group meets on Tuesdays, Sept. 9 & 23, Oct. 14 & 21, Nov. 4 & 18, 1–3pm
Esotericism has long been associated with the ideas of mystery, secrecy, and conspiracy. This is connected to the very etymology of the word, which hints at the possibility of acquiring special, inner knowledge that is different from what ordinary people usually have access to. The elitism that goes with this assumption can take on a political dimension. Insofar as esotericism is identified with the practice of secrecy, fears of clandestine manipulation of society and history arise almost naturally, and questions about its compatibility with the principles of modern democracy are raised. However, strategies of secrecy have also been used to promote the values of progress and democracy, as has been the case during the Enlightenment with the emergence of modern Freemasonry. Despite the relevance of these aspects for the study of esotericism, scholars have been reluctant to include them in their theorizations…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Event Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Panel Discussion: How Social Values Inspire Climate Innovation
Please register to attend.
As climate change accelerates, innovative technologies offer hope for mitigation and adaptation. Panelists from Harvard Divinity School and industry leaders will share their own pathway to the work of addressing climate change and discuss the social, environmental, moral, and religious implications of their approaches. Join us in this conversation about equity, justice, and how we can ensure that climate technology fosters a more sustainable future for all. Please register to attend at the link below.
With welcoming remarks by Marla F. Frederick, Dean of Harvard Divinity School, John Lord O’Brian Professor of Divinity, Professor of Religion and Culture (HDS), and Professor of African and African American Studies (FAS), Panelists: Etosha Cave, Co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Twelve, Nikki Hoskins, MDiv ’12, Assistant Professor of Religion and Ecology, Kurt Keilhacker, MTS ’07, General Partner, Elementum Ventures, Moderated by Terrence L. Johnson, MDiv ’00, Charles G. Adams…
Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM.
Cader Room, Swartz Hall
45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA.
For more info visit harvard.az1.qualtrics.com. Reading Group: Psychedelics Beyond Psychedelics
Registration is required.
This group meets, Wednesdays 3-5, 9/10, 9/24, 10/8, 10/22, 11/5, and 11/19
The Psychedelics Beyond Psychedelics Reading Group invites participants to explore expansive understandings of transcendence, healing, consciousness, and connection that extend beyond the use of psychedelic substances. Through rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry engaging themes such as shamanism, ecological kinship, sound, and childbirth, we will interrogate and reimagine what constitutes the “psychedelic.” Rooted in queer, feminist, ecological, and decolonial efforts, this group offers a collaborative space for exploration and critical questioning. We aim to affirm multiple ways of knowing, deepen our ethical and relational practices, and collectively contribute to defining the evolving field of the Psychedelic Humanities.
Facilitators include:
LILA GLENN RIMALOVSKI is an MDiv candidate at Harvard Divinity School studying the relationship between eco-spiritual practice and movements for land justice. Her r…
Programming Series: Psychedelics and the Future of Religion. Transcendence and Transformation. Spirituality and Psychedelics. Psychedelics and Ethics. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Reading Group: Transcendentalism—Mystics, Misfits, Rogues, and Dissidents
This group meets on Tuesdays, 12–2pm (9/16, 9/30, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 12/2)
American Transcendentalism emerged in the mid-1800s from New England Unitarianism and European Romanticism. It distinguished itself by rejecting convention, challenging traditional religious doctrines of authority and election, opposing dominant philosophies, discarding genteel literary styles, and defying political complacency regarding slavery, gender inequality, and disenfranchisement. At Harvard, Transcendentalists were seen as mystics, misfits, rogues, and dissidents. Their refusals, however, sparked a social movement based on friendship and collaboration, united by a radical spirituality promising personal renewal and social transformation. This reading group invites participants to explore both sides of that legacy. We'll focus on Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller in the fall, and on figures including Bronson Alcott, Theodore Parker, Orestes Brownson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and Caroline Dall in…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Inner Work and Outer Change: Spiritual Foundations for Transformative Leadership
Professor Rebecca Henderson of Harvard Business School will give a talk on “Inner Work and Outer Change: Spiritual Foundations for Transformative Leadership” This hybrid event will launch a year-long series of conversations between HDS and Arizona State University built around the theme of Capital, Conscience, and Knowledge: Religion and the Common Good in a Market-Driven Society. Professor Henderson’s book, Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire will serve as a central touchstone for the discussion.
Contact: ratassi@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM.
Cader Room, Swartz Hall.
Inaugural Reception: In Memory of Gustavo Gutiérrez: 50 years of Liberation Theology
In Memory of Gustavo Gutiérrez: 50 years of Liberation Theology is a retrospective and prospective view of liberation theology, one of the most important theological and social movements of the 20th century. The exhibit focuses on the figure of Gustavo Gutiérrez, the most influential theologian of the movement, who passed away on October 22, 2024, at age 96.
The goal of the exhibit is to bring attention to a religious social movement whose work was crucial for the defense of human rights and democracy in times of upheaval in Latin America, but whose global influence reached well beyond, including the United States and even HDS.
The exhibit stands as an invitation to students, faculty, and staff to consider the role of religious communities today in times of moral uncertainty and erosion of democracy around the globe. The legacy of Gutiérrez represents a powerful source of inspiration for all those navigating the demands of faith, scholarly work, and responsible citizenship.
The Inaugural Reception
Date…
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 5:45 PM – 7:45 PM.
Beginning in the James Room at 5:45, then transition at 6:55pm to second floor of Harvard Divinity School Library for guided tour of the new exhibition.
For more info visit harvard.az1.qualtrics.com. Accomplished Buddhist Women: The Female Monastic Discipline of the Great Assembly
Amy Paris Langenberg, Visiting Professor of Women’s Studies and Buddhism, presents "Accomplished Buddhist Women: The Female Monastic Discipline of the Great Assembly".
Contact: wsrp@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Braun Room, Schwarts Hall, Harvard Divinity School.
Who Made American Judaism? A History of Ordinary Leaders by Professor Hasia Diner
Contact: Kevin Chimo (kchimo@hds.harvard.edu).
Thursday, October 30, 2025, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Cader Room, Swartz Hall 117, Harvard Divinity School.
Wickerwork: On Poetic Translation
This event is free and open to the public.
No registration is required.
Christian Lehnert, Head of Liturgical Studies at Leipzig and recipient of the 2018 German Prize for Nature Writing and the 2025 Friedrich-Hölderlin-Prize, will present his poems, in discussion with his acclaimed translator Richard Sieburth.
“Sieburth creates an intricate music for Lehnert’s crystalline poems. An incandescent experience.” – Rosanna Warren
“Sieburth’s latest translational revelation comes in the form of Lehnert’s Wickerwork, the supple, metaphysical weave of which seems to emerge from several lifetimes of looking and reflection” – Peter Cole.
Programming Series: Poetry.
Thursday, October 30, 2025, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Plimpton Room, Barker Center.
Reading Group: Esotericism and Alternative Spirituality
Registration is required.
This group meets on Tuesdays, Sept. 9 & 23, Oct. 14 & 21, Nov. 4 & 18, 1–3pm
Esotericism has long been associated with the ideas of mystery, secrecy, and conspiracy. This is connected to the very etymology of the word, which hints at the possibility of acquiring special, inner knowledge that is different from what ordinary people usually have access to. The elitism that goes with this assumption can take on a political dimension. Insofar as esotericism is identified with the practice of secrecy, fears of clandestine manipulation of society and history arise almost naturally, and questions about its compatibility with the principles of modern democracy are raised. However, strategies of secrecy have also been used to promote the values of progress and democracy, as has been the case during the Enlightenment with the emergence of modern Freemasonry. Despite the relevance of these aspects for the study of esotericism, scholars have been reluctant to include them in their theorizations…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Event Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
From the Heart to the Page and Back Again: HDS Alumnx Authors on the Spiritual Life
Mark Longhurst, MDiv ‘07, Writer and Publications Manager of the Center for Action and Contemplation, The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God (2024).
Contact: rsl@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM.
Multifunction Space, Divinity Hall 114.
Reading Group: Psychedelics Beyond Psychedelics
Registration is required.
This group meets, Wednesdays 3-5, 9/10, 9/24, 10/8, 10/22, 11/5, and 11/19
The Psychedelics Beyond Psychedelics Reading Group invites participants to explore expansive understandings of transcendence, healing, consciousness, and connection that extend beyond the use of psychedelic substances. Through rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry engaging themes such as shamanism, ecological kinship, sound, and childbirth, we will interrogate and reimagine what constitutes the “psychedelic.” Rooted in queer, feminist, ecological, and decolonial efforts, this group offers a collaborative space for exploration and critical questioning. We aim to affirm multiple ways of knowing, deepen our ethical and relational practices, and collectively contribute to defining the evolving field of the Psychedelic Humanities.
Facilitators include:
LILA GLENN RIMALOVSKI is an MDiv candidate at Harvard Divinity School studying the relationship between eco-spiritual practice and movements for land justice. Her r…
Programming Series: Psychedelics and the Future of Religion. Transcendence and Transformation. Spirituality and Psychedelics. Psychedelics and Ethics. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Reading Group: Transcendentalism—Mystics, Misfits, Rogues, and Dissidents
This group meets on Tuesdays, 12–2pm (9/16, 9/30, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 12/2)
American Transcendentalism emerged in the mid-1800s from New England Unitarianism and European Romanticism. It distinguished itself by rejecting convention, challenging traditional religious doctrines of authority and election, opposing dominant philosophies, discarding genteel literary styles, and defying political complacency regarding slavery, gender inequality, and disenfranchisement. At Harvard, Transcendentalists were seen as mystics, misfits, rogues, and dissidents. Their refusals, however, sparked a social movement based on friendship and collaboration, united by a radical spirituality promising personal renewal and social transformation. This reading group invites participants to explore both sides of that legacy. We'll focus on Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller in the fall, and on figures including Bronson Alcott, Theodore Parker, Orestes Brownson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and Caroline Dall in…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
The Ambiguity of the Vow: Law, Kinship, and Gender in Pathologizing the Jain Fast Until Death
Miki Chase, Visiting Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies and South Asian Religions, presents "The Ambiguity of the Vow: Law, Kinship, and Gender in Pathologizing the Jain Fast Until Death".
Contact: wsrp@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Braun Room, Swartz Hall, Harvard Divinity School.
Reading Group: Esotericism and Alternative Spirituality
Registration is required.
This group meets on Tuesdays, Sept. 9 & 23, Oct. 14 & 21, Nov. 4 & 18, 1–3pm
Esotericism has long been associated with the ideas of mystery, secrecy, and conspiracy. This is connected to the very etymology of the word, which hints at the possibility of acquiring special, inner knowledge that is different from what ordinary people usually have access to. The elitism that goes with this assumption can take on a political dimension. Insofar as esotericism is identified with the practice of secrecy, fears of clandestine manipulation of society and history arise almost naturally, and questions about its compatibility with the principles of modern democracy are raised. However, strategies of secrecy have also been used to promote the values of progress and democracy, as has been the case during the Enlightenment with the emergence of modern Freemasonry. Despite the relevance of these aspects for the study of esotericism, scholars have been reluctant to include them in their theorizations…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Event Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Reading Group: Psychedelics Beyond Psychedelics
Registration is required.
This group meets, Wednesdays 3-5, 9/10, 9/24, 10/8, 10/22, 11/5, and 11/19
The Psychedelics Beyond Psychedelics Reading Group invites participants to explore expansive understandings of transcendence, healing, consciousness, and connection that extend beyond the use of psychedelic substances. Through rigorous interdisciplinary inquiry engaging themes such as shamanism, ecological kinship, sound, and childbirth, we will interrogate and reimagine what constitutes the “psychedelic.” Rooted in queer, feminist, ecological, and decolonial efforts, this group offers a collaborative space for exploration and critical questioning. We aim to affirm multiple ways of knowing, deepen our ethical and relational practices, and collectively contribute to defining the evolving field of the Psychedelic Humanities.
Facilitators include:
LILA GLENN RIMALOVSKI is an MDiv candidate at Harvard Divinity School studying the relationship between eco-spiritual practice and movements for land justice. Her r…
Programming Series: Psychedelics and the Future of Religion. Transcendence and Transformation. Spirituality and Psychedelics. Psychedelics and Ethics. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Conference Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138.
Public Research Talk: A Magic Still Dwells: Occulture in Contemporary Art
Registration is required.
Please register to attend in person.
Please register to attend on Zoom.
Fifteen years ago, I began to notice the conspicuous presence of esoteric motifs in contemporary art. At first, I was intrigued but also surprised, assuming this was only a passing trend. Over time, however, I came to realize that the phenomenon was more significant and deserving of attention than I had initially thought.
The influence of esotericism on modern art—roughly up to the end of the Second World War—has been the subject of serious scholarly research since at least the 1960s. Yet it soon became clear to me that scholars of esotericism and art historians alike were paying insufficient attention to its role in contemporary art.
In this lecture, I will share my findings and reflections on this phenomenon, which I believe is essential to understanding the place of esotericism in our societies today. Contemporary art holds considerable cultural and social influence, and examining its relationship with…
Programming Series: Transcendence and Transformation. Contact: Laurie D. Sedgwick, CSWR, Events Coordinator
ldsedgwick@hds.harvard.edu.
Monday, December 1, 2025, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM.
Common Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Ave. Cambridge, MA.
For more info visit cswr.hds.harvard.edu. 100 Years of Rudolf Steiner
Harvard’s Program for the Evolution of Spirituality is delighted to announce that we will be hosting a special conference marking the centennial of the death of spiritual teacher Rudolf Steiner. This conference will take place at Harvard Divinity School on December 15 and 16. It will feature panels on many aspects of Steiner’s legacy, as well as keynotes by Boaz Huss, Martina Maria Sam, Aaron French, and Henry Holland. National and local anthroposophical organizations will hold related events nearby on December 14 and December 17. Conference registration will open soon at https://pes.hds.harvard.edu/steinerconference. For more information, please contact pes@hds.harvard.edu.
December 15, 9 am-8:45 pm, December 16, 9 am-6:45 pm.
Contact: pes@hds.harvard.edu.
Monday, December 15, 2025, 9:00 AM – Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 6:45 PM.
Swartz Hall.