Podcast
Harvard Divinity School
Hosted by Harvard Divinity School · EN
Expand your understanding of the ways religion shapes the world with lectures, interviews, and reflections from Harvard Divinity School.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Faith at the Founding: Religion and the American Revolution
3w ago00:29:57Tap to summarizeWhat did religion actually look like in America in 1776? In this episode of Harvard Religion Beat, host Jonathan Beasley speaks with Harvard Divinity School professor Catherine Brekus about the role of faith in Revolutionary America—from Sunday worship and the influence of ministers to the experiences of women, enslaved people, and Indigenous communities. Brekus also explores how religion shaped the American Revolution, what life was like at Harvard during the founding era, and why this history continues to inform conversations about religion and public life today. Show Notes Produced and hosted by Jonathan Beasley Edited by Tyler Sprouse Logo art direction by Kristie Welsh Intro/Outro music: "Shape Of Hope"; Publishers: Abbey Road Masters; Universal Production Music Ad break music: "Atmospheres"; Publishers: Aurora; Universal Production Music Sign up for the HDS Current newsletter: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/connect Follow HDS on social media @HarvardDivinity
Transcribe →The Future of Faith: Is the World Becoming More or Less Religious?
Jun 1100:17:07Tap to summarizeIs the world becoming more religious or less religious? Gina Zurlo, Lecturer on World Christianity at Harvard Divinity School, talks about the demographic, cultural, and social forces reshaping religion around the globe. Drawing on a recent Pew Research Center report on religious diversity, Zurlo explores Christianity's shift toward the Global South, the impact of migration and demographics, and what researchers are learning about faith and spirituality among younger generations. Produced and hosted by Jonathan Beasley Edited by Tyler Sprouse Logo art direction by Kristie Welsh Pew Research Report on religious diversity around the world: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2026/02/12/religious-diversity-around-the-world/ Harvard Divinity Bulletin article: "Is the World Becoming More or Less Religious? Depends on China." https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/is-the-world-becoming-more-or-less-religious-depends-on-china/ Intro/Outro music: "Shape Of Hope"; Publishers: Abbey Road Masters; Universal Production Music Ad break music: "Atmospheres"; Publishers: Aurora; Universal Production Music Sign up for the HDS Current newsletter: www.hds.harvard.edu/news/connect Follow HDS on social media: IG, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn (@HarvardDivinity)
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Hope Podcast: Featuring Jordan Ahmed, MDiv Candidate
May 1300:33:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Hiatt and Jordan celebrate the end of their tenure as Hope Podcast hosts by interviewing each other about poetry, ministry, and how the two together make a kind of life.
Transcribe →Hope Podcast: Featuring Hiatt O’Connor, MDiv ‘26
May 1300:29:33Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Hiatt and Jordan celebrate the end of their tenure as Hope Podcast hosts by interviewing each other about poetry, ministry, and how the two together make a kind of life.
Transcribe →One Year of Pope Leo: Leadership, Legacy, and the Future of the Catholic Church
May 700:21:13Tap to summarizeOne year after his election, Pope Leo XIV’s leadership is beginning to take shape—blending continuity with change. How is he guiding the Catholic Church in a moment of global uncertainty, and what does it reveal about the future of the papacy? Raúl Zegarra, Assistant Professor of Roman Catholic Theological Studies, offers insights into Pope Leo's first year. Produced and hosted by Jonathan Beasley Edited by Tyler Sprouse Logo art direction by Kristie Welsh Intro/Outro music: "Shape Of Hope"; Publishers: Abbey Road Masters; Universal Production Music Ad break music: "Atmospheres"; Publishers: Aurora; Universal Production Music Sign up for the HDS Current newsletter: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/connect Harvard Divinity Bulletin: https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/ Follow HDS on social media: IG, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn (@HarvardDivinity)
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Meaning Makers of HDS: Inspiring Hopeful Climate Action
Apr 2900:24:00Tap to summarizeMeaning Makers of HDS is a podcast by the Harvard Divinity School Office of Communications that explores the many dimensions of human meaning making. In interviews with HDS alumni, faculty, and others, this podcast showcases how members of the HDS community create meaningful lives—through religion, spirituality, faith, and beyond. Each episode features conversations that highlight the deeply personal and diverse ways people wrestle with life’s biggest questions. In the second episode of Meaning Makers of HDS, airing in Earth Month, we spoke with Aliyah Collins, MDiv '23, an environmental activist and founder of the Eco-Healing Project. Throughout the conversation, Collins shared how her time at HDS inspired her to develop the Eco-Healing Project, how she finds meaning in her pursuit of climate justice, and how she helps HBCUs and their communities find hopeful paths forward after extreme weather events. Transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2026/04/29/meaning-makers-hds-inspiring-hopeful-climate-action. Intro and outro music: "Running On Home" by Joel Stewart, courtesy of Universal Production Music.
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Spirituality and The Elephant 6 Collective With Robert Schneider
Apr 2302:00:08Tap to summarizeIn episodes 21 and 22 of the Pop Apocalypse, host Matt Dillon welcomes musician and mathematician Robert Schneider. Schneider is the lead singer of the psychedelic pop band The Apples in Stereo, a producer for bands including Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Michigan Technological University. In part one, we discuss Robert’s religious upbringing in the American South before exploring the mystical dimensions of The Elephant 6 Recording Co. We touch on the Church of the Subgenius, meditative practices, Krishna Consciousness, church camps, Surrealism, and Sun Ra’s Arkestra, then take a deep dive into how the Beach Boys served as the spiritual and artistic north star for Elephant 6. Robert Schneider bio Robert Schneider is a musician, producer, and mathematician. He co-founded The Elephant 6 Recording Co. in the early 1990s, a collective of independent musicians and artists. Schneider is the lead singer and songwriter for The Apples in Stereo, a psychedelic pop band that has recorded seven studio albums. As a producer, Robert recorded and mixed some of the most celebrated albums of the 1990s, including Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and Olivia Tremor Control’s Dusk at Cubist Castle. He completed his PhD in Mathematics at Emory University in 2018, specializing in number theory and combinatorics. Robert is now Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Michigan Technological University, where he helps run the Mathematics and Music Lab.
Transcribe →The Role of Faith in Social Movements: A Conversation with Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas
Mar 1800:21:50Tap to summarizeWhat does it mean to live out faith in a moment when human dignity feels under pressure? In this episode of the Harvard Religion Beat, host Jonathan Beasley speaks with the Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas—Episcopal priest, author, and professor at Harvard Divinity School—about moral imagination, sacred dignity, and the role of faith in public life. Drawing on her scholarship and ministry, Douglas reflects on justice, hope, and why she believes "hope is not a noun—it’s a verb." Full transcript: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/news/2026/03/18/role-faith-social-movements-kelly-brown-douglas
Transcribe →Hope Podcast: Featuring Amy Brenneman, MRPL Candidate
Mar 1600:34:54Tap to summarizeThis week we sat down with MRPL candidate Amy Brenneman to talk about her coming back to Harvard, writing the unknowns in a creative life, and hope in action.
Transcribe →Hope Podcast: Featuring Leah Gawel, MDiv Candidate
Mar 1600:24:36Tap to summarizeThis week we spoke with MDiv candidate Leah Gawel about the intersections of the arts, religious trauma, and the healing and empowering transformations we can bear witness to.
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