On Containing Multitudes: Multifaith Ministry at HDS

"I don't know of any other school that has the multifaith and multivocational approach to ministry studies that we do at HDS. And my personal mission is to tend to this idea of becoming—to serve people who are interested in ethical leadership and help them along their journey to serve others." The Rev. Teddy Hickman-Maynard, AB '00, Associate Dean for Ministry Studies

Harvard Divinity School can be described in many different ways: multireligious, multifaith, pluralistic. Just as Swartz Hall features historical Gothic architecture and new light-filled rooms like the Multifaith Space, the School also shares a deep connection to both tradition and progressive thinking. While nearly impossible to summarize in one pithy phrase, the multifaceted nature of the School shines through the people and places of HDS. Students are as likely to be studying ancient languages in the library as they are creating art to decry the dangers of climate change. Ordained clergy in collars, visiting monastics in traditional robes, and community members quietly meditating on the campus green—Harvard Divinity School practices the ideals of pluralism espoused in the classroom.

While multifaceted, three pillars of HDS have emerged over time to correspond with the School's main degree programs: ministry (MDiv), academics (MTS), and religion and public life (MRPL). The education of learned ministers has been central to Harvard since its founding in 1636. Today, the members of the HDS community reflect an extraordinary diversity of backgrounds and ambitions, which has expanded the study of ministry from the nonsectarian (but largely Christian) beginnings of the Divinity School. Recognizing that the world is a religiously pluralistic place, students, faculty, and visiting scholars of many traditions (as well as those who are unaffiliated ) study side by side to foster a greater understanding of religion in the context of others. Interreligious engagement is essential to the HDS approach.

"There are plenty of religious studies programs out there, but they are essentially interested in producing professors. In addition to that academic focus, Harvard also trains leaders in ministry, chaplaincy, nonprofit leadership, advocacy, and all different spiritual vocations to support the entire range of the human condition." Monica Sanford, Assistant Dean for Multifaith Ministry

Defining Multifaith Ministry

When asked how to define multifaith ministry, Hickman­ Maynard offers both a lesson in linguistics and a capacious understanding of a word that carries a predominately Christian connotation: "The etymology of the word comes from the Latin ministre, which means to serve. So, on a fundamental linguistic level, "minister" does not have to be truncated into the American, Christian, clerical paradigm that has dominated the use of that word."

In fact, Hickman-Maynard cautions against a narrow definition: "I think it's wise that we expand our understanding of ministry beyond the bounds of one faith. The task of being a person who reckons with the significance and meaningful nature of life, in the face of all kinds of forces that seek to dehumanize our human experience, necessitates a connection to service and to each other regardless of our personal metaphors."

When asked about her perspective, Sanford adds: "I think of ministry as service to others grounded in how we understand our spiritual, religious, existential, and philosophical values­ values that are in some sense sacred or transcendent. And, for me, that definition leaves a lot of room for people of all backgrounds to come into the practice of ministry." And here is where Sanford offers a word of caution: "As Buddhists and as non-Christians, we do have to be on the lookout for colonization within the study and practice of religion. Sometimes it's accidental and linguistic, and sometimes it's intentional and destructive. Within the field, there can be a bit of vigilance around words like 'ministry,' 'chaplaincy,' and 'pastoral,' but the truth of the matter is, when you look at the roots of these concepts, you'll find similarities across many different traditions and cultures throughout history."

The term "ministry" may run the risk of being reductive, but Harvard Divinity School has been instrumental in challenging that reductionism and trying to reclaim the more multifaceted and expansive meaning—ministry defined as dedication to a life of service.

Integrating Theory and Practice

Another concept that has become increasingly important to the work of multifaith ministry is multivocational training. "The work of imbuing our lives with meaning and helping people think through the significance of their lives...that work is happening by way of leaders in all facets of life," Hickman­ Maynard says. "Whether they're training to be chaplains, doctors, politicians, educators, journalists, artists, activists­ I want the next generation of storytellers to have the kind of formation and groundedness that religious and theological education can provide."

The Office of Ministry Studies supports a range of students, fellows, and visiting scholars interested in a vast array of vocations, including traditional ordination, chaplaincy, nonprofit leadership, and academic careers. Moreover, each vocation can be approached from a number of traditions and ambitions. For example, the call to chaplaincy can be grounded in different beliefs (e.g., Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish, Muslim, or no specific affiliation) and shaped by different settings (such as hospitals, military bases, and universities).

One of the fundamental ways this multifaith and multi­ vocational approach comes to fruition is through the School's field education program. Through on-the-ground learning opportunities, students become reflective practitioners integrating the theoretical perspectives discussed in the classroom with the practical experience gained by working in ministry settings. This process is cyclical in that students bring their site experiences back into the classroom, as well. Under the guidance of Laura S. Tuach, the School now has connections to over 100 field ed sites in the Greater Boston area. Congregations, educational institutions, community­ based social justice agencies, hospitals, and other health care facilities all provide HDS students with ministry experience alongside their coursework. Additionally, students have the option to imagine and plan an independent placement to deepen specific areas of study.

"Our community partnerships are crucial to student learning. We work closely with the organizations who host HDS students in field education placements and train supervisors in a year-long, graduate-level course on supervision for ministry," Tuach explains. "Students are empowered by the leadership roles afforded them at their field education sites. They learn through intentional reflection with a skilled supervisor not only to do ministry but to become a reflective practitioner. This is a crucial component of the HDS field education program."

The Buddhist Ministry Initiative: A Retrospective

Ten years ago this fall, the first Buddhist Ministry Initiative International Fellows arrived on campus, and the work of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative started quite a bit earlier. As assistant dean for multireligious ministry, Sanford leads this effort today. When asked about the history, she observes: "In Buddhist traditions, we like to talk about causes, conditions, and the interactions needed for something to arise. The causes and conditions for the Buddhist Ministry Initiative really started to be put in place in the late 1950s with the founding of the Center for the Study of World Religions." Much like the evolution of the Women's Studies in Religion Program, the study of Buddhism at HDS was also largely driven by students pushing throughout the decades for a more inclusive divinity school. Another major milestone for the field was in the early 2000s when Janet Gyatso joined Harvard as the Divinity School's first Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies. "Through Professor Gyatso's unrelenting interest and work with Buddhist students who wanted more of the ministry aspect in their training," Sandford says, "she was able to make an important connection with the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation. With their generosity, we were able to formalize the Buddhist Ministry Initiative—the first of its kind at a divinity school within a research university in the United States."

Drawing on the strengths of Harvard's faculty resources in the academic study of religion, the initiative coordinates a range of courses for students and visiting scholars on the history, thought, languages, and practice of Buddhism, as well as Buddhist arts of ministry. As part of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative, the International Fellows program affords an opportunity for individuals who are deeply engaged in Asian Buddhist communities to do coursework focused on Buddhist ministry at Harvard Divinity School for one year. A major aim of the program is to increase the exchange of knowledge and understanding among students of Buddhist ministry in Asia and in the United States. Additionally, the Buddhist Ministry Initiative convenes international conferences to connect leaders in Buddhist organizations who are engaged in ministerial and educational initiatives relating to Buddhism in the modern world. Held at HDS (with opportunities to join virtually, as of 2020), the regular conferences invite Buddhist clergy and ministers from both Asia and the United States and serves to forge lasting relationships across geographical divides.

In the decade since establishing this pathbreaking effort, the field of Buddhist studies has expanded exponentially. Prior to 2013, news stories and publications about Buddhism from the HDS community were few and far between. In recent years, a number of influential publications have made their way into the world, including Poems of the First Buddhist Women, translated by Charles Hallisey, Black and Buddhist, a series of essays co-edited by Cheryl Giles, and a new e-book, Mapping Buddhist Chaplains in North America, co-authored by Cheryl Giles and Monica Sanford.

In addition to bringing 23 visiting fellows to Cambridge, another added benefit to the initiative is that roughly 50 percent of the visiting fellows who join the HDS community for a year apply to full degree programs, strengthening the field of Buddhist studies by way of student and alumni communities.

One such scholar is Ven. Mahayaye Vineetha, a Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka. He received his monastic education from the Sri Dhammananada Center in Naula, where he studied Pali language and Buddhist studies to pursue a bachelor's degree in his home country. "I was then fortunate enough to join the one-year Buddhist Ministry Initiative program at Harvard Divinity School in 2018. The following year, I started the master of Buddhist studies program at the University of Hong Kong, and later returned to Cambridge to complete a master of divinity degree at HDS." Trained in the Theravada tradition, Ven. Vineetha wanted to study other Buddhist traditions and religious beliefs to inform his own practices.

"Studying at Harvard Divinity School would have been just a dream without the Buddhist Ministry fellowship opportunity," he reflects. "In Pali Canon, it says 'Sabba danam dhamma danam jinati,' which means 'the gift of Dhamma (teachings) excels all other gifts.' Support for this program is to give the gift of Dhamma (teachings) to Buddhist monks like me so that I can share Dhamma with the world. That is the highest gift that one can offer, according to my understanding."

"It can be hard to forecast the future, but I can say that HDS is poised probably better than any other institution of religious education because of the commitment to fostering a dynamic, talented, and diverse student body, staff, and faculty. That alchemy is what's going to be important in preparing the religious, spiritual, and ethical community leaders that are going to build the world we'll be talking about 50 years from now." The Rev. Teddy Hickman-Maynard

A Strong Foundation for New Possibilities

With the success of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative, a natural question is: what's next?

Just three years ago, the Nagral Family helped establish a fund to begin to bring visiting Hindu monastics to campus, much like the Buddhist Ministry Initiative's International Fellows program. Despite the logistical challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the first few cohorts of visiting Hindu monastics made big changes on campus. The burgeoning program, led by Fr. Frank Clooney, S.J., Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology, captured the attention of audiences here in Cambridge and around the globe; event series with the visiting monastics (that shifted to online programs in the wake of the pandemic) garnered thousands
of views, journalist interest in the Divinity School has piqued, and students are clamoring for more connection with these spiritual leaders. Now we seek to continue and expand it.

Sanford observes: "I just sat in on the Hindu Spiritual Care class with Clooney and Swami Tyagananda (Harvard's Hindu chaplain). The room was filled with dozens of people, including students from Harvard College and Harvard's engineering school, one postdoc fellow, and two alums who wanted to take the class because it wasn't offered while they were here. Most of the students were not Hindu (several were) but had a connection to Hinduism (through family, a yoga practice, as a chaplain, etc.). This is just one example of the clear and growing interest in the topic of Hindu studies from diverse, multireligious perspectives."

As the Visiting Hindu Monastics program hopes to grow, there has also been a parallel interest in exploring other opportunities for more diverse ministry studies, including Islamic approaches to chaplaincy and more expansive thinking around interreligious care. Faculty and staff have been fostering the growing interest in this work, while seeking the support needed to ensure that new efforts are both effective and sustainable.

Centering a Culture of Care

Building on the earlier definition, Hickman-Maynard offers additional context as to why the study of ministry has become more pressing in recent years: "The work of telling the stories, of inhabiting the values, of leading the communities that help to build a kind of bulwark against the atomizing nature of society is more important now than ever—particularly in a period of time where a lot of our institutions that defined our lives, that told us who we were and why we were here, are either crumbling or are under significant reevaluation."

When asked about this shift in collective relationships to seemingly stalwart institutions, Hickman-Maynard explains: "We have a different relationship to the state than we used to. We have a different relationship to industry than we used to. We have a different relationship even to those social institutions that used to define who we are...institutions like school or even the family, right? All of these fundamental institutions that define who we are as humans are under significant reorientation, reevaluation, and reconstruction. In the midst of all of that, people are desperate for leaders who can help us better understand what it means to be thoroughly human...leaders who can help us think through big questions about how we can continue to be for one another within a context that so often trains us to be for ourselves. As such, I think a life of service—a life dedicated to mitigating suffering and centering a culture of care-is how ministry makes a difference in the world."

—by Amie Montemurro

Alumni Spotlight

 

One of HDS's many alums who exemplify ministry defined as dedication to a life of service is the Reverend Bernadette Hickman-Maynard, AB '02, EdM '03, MDiv '07, who is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Lynn, Massachusetts. Rev. Hickman­ Maynard is also an organizer for Essex County Community Organization (ECCO) and co-chair of the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition (of which ECCO is a member). You can read more about her work with ministry, coalition building, and social justice online.