History
Harvard Divinity Bulletin has existed in some form since 1936. Initially, the publication appeared just once a year and reprinted HDS lectures and addresses and book reviews, but by the 1950s it had become a more regular publication. In 1970, it was expanded into a newspaper combining HDS alumni news with thought pieces about religion, and was published three or four times per year. In 2005, the publication was transformed into a magazine aimed at a general audience interested in topics of religion. The current magazine aims to provide a nonsectarian review of religion, attentive to contemporary realities, that has appeal both within and beyond the academy. Since its redesign, the Bulletin has twice been honored by the Religion Newswriters Association in its “Magazine of the Year” category. The print Bulletin is received by 10,000 people around the world, including Harvard Divinity School alumni, staff, faculty, and students, university and seminary libraries, and members of the general public.
Our mission
Especially when conflict in public arenas so often involves religion, the editors of the Bulletin believe it is important to open out the way we interpret, and reflect, Harvard Divinity School’s mission—preparing future scholars, ministers, and leaders across the professions according to a common intellectual rigor and with an emphasis on religious pluralism. We believe that this publication should be a broadly accessible, and broadly participated in, forum on questions of worldwide concern, with the School as its bedrock. Our goal is not to temper opinions to reach agreement, but to nurture a place where critical reflection can take place and meaningful ideas can be exchanged. We also hope the Bulletin is a joy and inspiration to read.
