The Harvard Religion Beat

Sixty years ago on Good Friday, a famous experiment took place at Boston University's Marsh Chapel conducted by Harvard Divinity School student Walter Pahnke, where he tried to answer the question: Do psychedelic drugs occasioned mystical experiences? In 2022, conversations about the connections between psychedelics, science and medicine, and spirituality are again top of mind, fro

Vladimir Putin's invasion and war on Ukraine is a crisis. It's a crisis that is unfolding before our very eyes across social media and cable and online news, and it's more than just a political crisis, though that's likely what most of us are hearing about. Putin's war is crisis of humanity. It's a crisis of conscience … and it's a crisis with deep religious ties. I'm Jonathan Be

Did you know that Christmas was illegal in Massachusetts from 1659 to 1681, and anyone caught celebrating the holiday would be subject to a fine of 5 shillings? And who was responsible for canceling Christmas? Was it pagans, or liberal policymakers, or the anti-religious? Nope, it was one of the most pious groups of people at the time: the Puritans. "Puritans abided by what's somet

Dune. The Matrix. Blade Runner. Star Wars. We know that fantasy and sci-fi use religion, but do they change actual religion in the process? Do they impact how we believe, what we believe, and even the nature of belief itself? Today we're speaking with HDS Professor Charles Stang, who teaches the binge-worthy course, “Aliens, Artificial Intelligence, and Apocalypse: Ancient Mythol

For Earth Day 2021, we speak with author and climate activist Terry Tempest Williams about the spiritual implications of climate change and how we can still find beauty despite the chaos and destruction that surrounds us.

Examining religion's role in past pandemics, the responsibility faith leaders have during a health crisis, and how religious practice has been changed by the Coronavirus.

A conversation with pastor, professor, and policy influencer Quardricos Driskell about whether Black History Month has taken on new significance in 2021. We also chat about avoiding complacency around racial justice issues now that the Trump presidency is over, how the Black Lives Matter movement can continue its momentum by working across generational divides, and why Democrats ru

In this special pop-up episode of Harvard Religion Beat, we speak with journalist, author, and political commentator E. J. Dionne to get his insight into how Joe Biden’s Catholicism will shape the way he governs as president, and how his faith will serve as a road map for how his administration will tackle economic injustices, equal rights, religious freedom, and racial justice�

Today, mindfulness meditation courses can be found everywhere from schools to prisons to sports teams. So why has mindfulness meditation suddenly become so popular? For starters, recent studies show benefits against an array of conditions both physical and mental, including helping to counter stress, chronic pain, and other ailments such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic s

Hate crimes committed on the basis of religious identity have surged 23 percent, the biggest annual increase since 9/11. In this episode of the Harvard Religion Beat, we examine the rise of hate crimes in the U.S., taking a closer look at white nationalism, the rhetoric of President Trump, and the role of the FBI.