Expanding Resources for Ministry Studies Across Traditions

Established in 2012 with support from The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global, the Buddhist Ministry Initiative at HDS has become a flourishing model of this kind of learning and community. Drawing on the academic expertise of Janet Gyatso, Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies, and Charles Hallisey, Yehan Numata Senior Lecturer on Buddhist Literatures, the initiative has cultivated a growing network of faculty and other leaders from the Buddhist tradition—helping to build scholarly resources for teaching and curricular development.   

The initiative brings together international visiting fellows, including monastics, who enrich the community as scholar practitioners while they study at HDS. The success of the initiative has inspired additional curriculum, research, and programs to further the local, national, and global reach of Buddhist ministry studies.   

Under the direction of Dean Marla F. Frederick, the School has prioritized expanding training and resources for spiritual care and leadership to better reflect the full beauty of all the world’s religions and wisdom traditions. HDS has hosted visiting Hindu monastics and is currently generating interest in developing new initiatives dedicated to Hindu, Islamic, and Jewish approaches to spiritual care.   

As a multireligious academic community, HDS is uniquely positioned to expand and deepen ministry studies to add to knowledge and resources in more religious traditions. Ministry studies at HDS currently offers students an academically rigorous education including coursework and guided learning experiences to reflect and integrate theory and practice in their future work. Student interest in chaplaincy and ministry across religious traditions continues to grow.  

HDS is a place where the study of spiritual care can cultivate growing networks of scholars and practitioners here in Cambridge and across the globe. Dedicated initiatives help to develop curricular resources, deepen the impact of ministry studies across different traditions, and provide opportunities for visiting scholars to enrich HDS as a vibrant, pluralistic environment. Bolstering these efforts is a strategic priority for HDS in the years ahead. HDS welcomes conversations about expanding multireligious ministry initiatives. 

Banner photo: Sacred texts, religious symbols, and scenes from the 2024 Seasons of Light gathering at HDS. / Credit: Evgenia Eliseeva & courtesy of Relish Design Boston