Harvard prides itself on its liberal arts education model, which, according to its mission statement, “begin[s] in the classroom with exposure to new ideas” and “new ways of understanding.” Harvard executes this mission through the College Curriculum—up to 12 required courses that encourage students to engage with topics relevant to the human experience, such as ethics, civics, arts, language, and technology. Why, then, does Harvard fail to encourage students to try a religion course?
Understanding religion is central to understanding the world. As an aspect of all known human societies, religion has been a keystone of people’s relation to, or misunderstanding of, one another across human history. Before entering the real world, Harvard students must come to appreciate how faith impacts it. The ability to grasp the complexities of religion and how they apply to cultural, civic, and daily life should be a superpower that Harvard students bring into their various career paths.
Given Harvard’s mission to “educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for society,” the College is doing its students a disservice by failing to emphasize the study of religion, which could be done through an incorporation into the College Curriculum, regularly informing students about opportunities within the department, or promoting discussions about the study of religion on campus.
More important than furthering Harvard’s mission, studying religion combats religious illiteracy. Religious illiterates lack basic understanding of the world’s faith-based traditions, fail to grasp how religious traditions evolve and are influenced by their sociocultural contexts, and are ignorant of the vital and indisputable role that religion plays in society. It is a dangerous quality that is all too common in our national and global communities.
Diane Moore of Harvard Divinity School made the argument that religious illiteracy is ubiquitous because, typically, the primary sources of information about religious traditions are one’s personal experiences—or lack thereof—with faith, as well as the media. Widespread religious illiteracy is exacerbating existing divisions. Between 2020 and 2021 in America, hate crimes against Sikhs more than doubled, and as of 2022, antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high. In India, Hindutva—a political ideology advocating for Hindu supremacy—is on the rise.
In the worst cases, religious illiteracy threatens democracy, which cannot function properly while citizens distrust one another and harmful stereotypes run rampant. While we remain widely religiously illiterate, respect for pluralism and diversity cannot blossom—a dangerous truth in a diverse society. However, as college students, we have the opportunity to engage with religion in a unique way, becoming better-informed, positive contributors to democracy in the process.
Professionals in religious literacy make this point best. Moore says that teaching about religion is “an important dimension of educating for democratic citizenship in the context of our own multicultural, multi-religious pluralism.” In his course “Understanding Islam and Contemporary Muslim Society” last semester, Professor Ali Asani expressed that taking a religion course “fulfills a moral and civic responsibility” that students have to become educated citizens.
According to Moore, one manifestation of religious illiteracy is the belief that religion should be a “‘private’ affair distinct from the secular ‘public’ sphere of political, economic, and cultural life.” This misconception fails to differentiate personal devotional practice from the academic study of religion. It currently plagues Harvard students, reducing the likelihood that most students will consider studying or openly talking about religion’s impact on society.
Interfaith interaction between religious student groups is low, and the few organizations that are dedicated to pluralism, such as the Harvard College Interfaith Forum and Harvard QUIRC, are relatively small, not receiving much buy-in from larger religions organizations. For the non-religious, many students experience a profound estrangement from religion that can make discussions about faith—whether in academic or personal settings—uncomfortable.
It is crucial for us as college students to challenge the misunderstandings caused by religious illiteracy. Religious instruction impacts our community, deepening peer-to-peer interaction—students will be encouraged to reckon with on-campus religious diversity and engage in interfaith collaboration. Importantly, emphasizing the study of religion would help to dispel the hesitancy or discomfort that often accompanies discussions of religion in everyday life.
Harvard might not emphasize the study of religion to the extent it deserves, but this does not mean that students should follow suit. While there has not been indication that religion will be added to Harvard College’s course requirements, I urge students to consider enrolling in a religion course. If not for your own interest in global religion, I encourage you to do so to further your commitment to democracy, deepen your understanding of the world, enhance our campus culture, or increase your capacity as a leader in whatever career you intend to pursue. Don’t miss the opportunity to establish an understanding of the world around you unlike any other, facilitating the betterment of your life and lives of those you impact.
Endnote:
Religion is only one among many elements that profoundly shape the human experience; sexuality, ability status, racial identity, and many other pervasive pieces of life are also vital for students to understand. I did not choose to advocate for the increased development of religious literacy to deny the importance of these other topics.Amiya Tiwari ’26 (amiyatiwari@college.harvard.edu) took a religion course last semester that inspired this piece, and she sincerely hopes that each reader will consider doing the same.