Deep devotion, explored
Removed from the frenzy of move-in day, and the buzz of Freshman Convocation — a relatively new, but increasingly popular part of the undergraduate experience — is the longstanding Harvard Divinity School (HDS) convocation service. The ceremony seems an appropriate tradition for Harvard, founded in 1636 at the edge of a New England wilderness to educate Puritan ministers. (HDS was established in 1816 as the first nonsectarian theological institution in the United States.) On Thursday afternoon the solemn tradition unfolded for the 198th time. Under a white tent behind Andover Hall, members of the School gathered to welcome a new academic year and to explore a sometimes overlooked yet vital part of the HDS experience: devotion. Houghton Professor of the Practice of Ministry Studies Stephanie Paulsell delivered the ceremony’s keynote address, “Devotion in the Study of Religion.” She joked with the crowd that while some would immediately connect with her topic, others would...