Harvard’s religious past
“It all began when I wrote my dissertation on the history of religion at Harvard in the 19th century,” said Stephen Shoemaker, a lecturer on the study of religion at Harvard. “But specializing in the details of Harvard’s history is a career-limiting move. It prepares you to teach at one university,” he said with a laugh. “Yale doesn’t usually return my calls.” The winner of the 2016 Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award, Shoemaker holds a master’s in theology from Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. from Harvard. A noted lecturer on campus, his signature class is “Harvard’s History and Evolving Religious Identity,” which he created and co-taught with the Rev. Peter J. Gomes for many years before Gomes’ death in 2011. In spring, the course had a record 90 students. “The class was held in Holden Chapel in the Yard, and it was packed,” said Michael Ledecky ’16, a government concentrator. Ledecky...