What is Pluralism?
Pluralism is an ethic for living together in a diverse society: not mere tolerance or relativism, but the real encounter of commitments.
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Rivers of Faith
The religious traditions of humankind are shown here as circles, each containing a commonly used symbol of that tradition. But this visual image of separate boundaried circles—graphically convenient as it is—is highly misleading, for every religious tradition has grown through the ages in dialogue and historical interaction with others.
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Landscape
The religious landscape of America is changing. In the past fifty years, new immigrants have arrived from all over the world seeking political freedom and economic prosperity. They have come with their cultural and religious traditions, their Qur’ans and Bhagavad Gitas, their rituals, prayers, and forms of mediation, their songs, dances, and arts. They have put down roots in American soil and created community centers and sacred spaces.
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The Case Initiative
With the dilemmas and disputes of our multi-religious society as our primary texts, the Pluralism Project integrates the case method into teaching and learning about religion. How might this participant-centered, discussion-based pedagogy change the way we teach—and how students learn?
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Spotlight
Spotlight
Land Acknowledgement
Harvard University is located on the traditional and ancestral land of the Massachusett, the original inhabitants of what is now known as Boston and Cambridge. We pay respect to the people of the Massachusett Tribe, past, present, and future, and honor the land itself which remains sacred. This acknowledgment of land and people is only a starting point: our study of religion and migration in America must be understood within the context of settler-colonialism, and the displacement, dispossession, and dehumanization of indigenous people. The Pluralism Project’s place-based study of religion in America seeks to better acknowledge these complex intersections and ongoing consequences, while honoring the distinct, diverse, and vital traditions of Native Americans, including Native Traditions in Boston.
This acknowledgment of people and land is informed by statements from the Harvard University Native American Program, the Immigration History Research Center, and the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness.
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A vivid portrait of American religious diversity through images, videos, voices, and selected news articles