World Religions in Greater Boston: Home

On October 4, 2010 Harvard Divinity School celebrated the opening of a meditation space located in the Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR). The CSWR aims to bring together scholars and students who seek “to advance interdisciplinary, international, and interreligious exchange, learning, and research on the world's religions…” The Center, which first opened its doors in 1960, serves as a resource for all who endeavor to engage the topic of religion to meet the complex demands of a globalizing world. The CSWR meditation space is non-sectarian and aims to encourage reflection and spiritual nourishment on campus. It joins Andover and Divinity Chapels as places on the HDS campus set aside for meditation and reflection. All three spaces are open to members of the community during regular business hours.

More information about this event can be found in The Harvard Gazette article "Ceremony Marks Opening of CSWR Meditation Room".

On Friday, March 26, 2010, Pluralism Project Director Dr. Diana L. Eck and a panel of youth representatives from various religious traditions participated in Billerica Memorial High School’s E Pluribus Unum Day. After Dr. Eck’s keynote presentation on pluralism in America and the religious diversity of Greater Boston, panelists reflected on common misconceptions about their faith, the relationship between their faith and interreligious understanding in a pluralist society, and concluded by offering wisdom from each of their traditions for an audience of graduating high school seniors. Panelists included Alexis Gewertz (Jewish), former Pluralism Project research associate and current program associate at Combined Jewish Philanthropies; Harvard College Students Jessamin Birdsall (Christian) and Na’eel Cajee (Muslim); Inderpreet Singh, a member of the local Sikh community; Ajahn Mangkone Sananikone, a Buddhist monk from Wat Buddhabhavana in Westford, MA; Prof. Jason Giannetti from Regis College in Weston, MA representing Hinduism; and PJ Andrews (Baha’i), Pluralism Project research associate. This event was organized by the Billerica Public Schools and Billerica CARES. 

With 11 groups in the Greater Boston area, and several groups in other states, Daughters of Abraham is a growing organization. The majority of the Boston area groups have between 10 and 20 members, and meet monthly to discuss the books they have chosen.

On June 26, 2007, the Interfaith Action’s Youth Leadership Program co-sponsored a conference with the Pluralism Project called “T.I.D.E. (Teenage Interfaith Diversity Education): The Wave of Change.”

Interfaith space on university campuses is itself a test of America’s religious pluralism. Is religious space accommodating of all students? Do students feel a need to worship in separate places? Does worshipping "under one roof" lead to interfaith engagement, or do the facilities act more like time-shares? The slide show features five Boston-area colleges and universities, details of their campus spiritual life, and the sacred spaces where students of diverse backgrounds encounter the divine.

Click here to view the research report.