Graduate Courses
Our courses introduce educators to the Cultural Studies Method for teaching about religion and provide specific frameworks that enable them to teach in pedagogically rich and constitutionally sound ways. We aim to assist educators and other professionals in recognizing the complex religious influences that are critical to understanding modern human affairs. Rather than learning about religion as an isolated set of beliefs and practices, we train teachers to discern and analyze the fundamental intersections of religion in other aspects of life through multiple disciplinary lenses.
Participants will engage with teaching resources developed by Harvard's Religion & Public Life Program and work in collaboration with peers throughout each course. Whenever possible, we focus on improving content already embedded in teachers' current curricula, including courses in history, literature, and world languages. Our team believes this work is critical for engaged and informed democratic citizenship.
Past Courses
Religious Literacy for Educators (Summer 2017, 2018, 2023)
Religious & Cultural Literacy (Spring 2018)
Religions of the East (Summer 2019)
Religions of the West (Summer 2019)
Introduction to Hindusim (Fall 2019)
Religious & Cultural Literacy (Fall 2019)
Introduction to Buddhism (Spring 2020 & Spring 2021)
Introduction to Christianity (Summer 2020 & Summer 2021)
Introduction to Islam (Summer 2020 & Spring 2021)
Introduction to Sikhism (Fall 2020)
Introduction to Judaism (Summer 2021)
Participant Reflections
I need to read, think, digest, reflect, and reconsider. This Cultural Studies Method has opened my mind to an alternative angle of perception, and
I have found this incredibly valuable with my teachings of literature, theory, and philosophy. Every time I think about what I teach now, I can find an angle to attach something from Dr. Moore's ideas to what and how I navigate the content.
John U.
I cannot tell you enough how much I love these courses and the Cultural Studies Method. It makes total sense to me philosophically, and there are so many takeaways in my professional and personal life. I seriously can't imagine life before our specialized schools started meeting up in your classes. The method has brought a common language to my classes that promote equity and an understanding to hold space for everyone.
Amy O.
Extremely impressed with the quality and pace of this course. It met my criteria when assessing if a class or workshop is effectively making a difference in my pedagogy and approach in the classroom with students. It was relevant to issues playing out in society today, challenging content, applicable to what I teach at the Newcomer Center, and powerfully transformative.
Mario P.
Using the Cultural Studies Method was a different way of studying religion than previous experiences that I've had. I liked using this method, particularly for the topics we explored in this class, since this guided me to a new understanding of the complexities and nuances in religion.
Katie B.
Through continued exposure to the Cultural Studies Method, I feel like I have a better understanding of the interplay of religion and culture and love the approach of allowing students to draw from their own interpretations. I've found more value in these courses than in any other coursework in my Masters and +30 programs.
The Cultural Studies approach continues to make me a better citizen of the world and can be applied in so many ways! Thank you for allowing us to further connect with our colleagues. I liked the small group time, especially since we rarely get to spend time together during the school year.
Katheleen R.
Steve L.
I really enjoyed the pedagogical approach. Religion can be a very sensitive issue. I think the class did a nice job of not imposing religion on anyone but helping people think about the role it has played in history. I cannot stress how enjoyable this experience has been.
Keith K.
I agree with the pedagogical approach, and now, I can't imagine learning religion without the Cultural Studies Method! Throughout the course, I reminded myself of internal diversity, cultural embeddedness, and change over time when I didn't understand something or felt my own bias creeping in.
The material was presented in a way I found easy to approach. There was so much I learned, and it left me exploring other questions that came up and inspired me to learn more.