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HarvardX: HDS3221.1x Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures

FACULTY

Diane Moore

Diane L. Moore is the director of the Religious Literacy Project, coordinator for the Religious Studies and Education Certificate, and serves on the editorial boards of the journals Religion and Education and the British Journal of Religious Education. Moore served as the chair of the American Academy of Religion's Task Force on Religion in the Schools, which conducted a three-year initiative to establish guidelines for teaching about religion in K-12 public schools. Her book Overcoming Religious Illiteracy: A Cultural Studies Approach to the Study of Religion in Secondary Education was published by Palgrave in 2007.

PROJECT TEAM

ZACHARY DAVIS

Zachary Davis works at HarvardX where he focuses on building open online courses in the humanities. Previously at the metaLAB (at) Harvard and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Zachary is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where he majored in International Relations and Philosophy.

Ryann Tagle

Ryann Tagle is the video editor for World Religions Through Their Scriptures, and has been a part of the HarvardX media team for roughly two and a half years. He recently graduated from Emerson College, where he studied Visual and Media Arts and was able to gain experience working in various roles both in on-set production to post-production. While Ryann is devoted to editing, he is deeply interested in exploring new methods of creating video for educational purposes and loves being able to learn more about the world in the process.

RACHEL RUECKERT

Rachel Rueckert is a recent graduate of Boston University where she received a Master’s degree in curriculum development. She is passionate about online learning tools and technological advances that allow individuals across the globe better access to a quality education, such as HarvardX. Rachel worked as a teacher and founding Academic Support Director at an urban high school as a 2012 Teach For America Corps member and has also taught and conducted field research in Ghana, India, Peru, and Thailand. 

ANNA MUDD

Anna received her B.A. in Religion from Haverford College and earned a Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School. Anna has taught 5th–8th-grade social studies and comparative religion in Dorchester, MA, and completed her student teaching in 8th-grade social studies in Arlington, MA, while at Harvard. For four years, she served as the Curriculum Coordinator at Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Anna currently develops digital curricular projects for the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. She is also a graphic artist.

ROBERTA ROBISON

Roberta is a second year Masters student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on American Religion, Ethics and Politics. Their current research looks at the religious and ethical practices that inform the punk and pagan community in the United States. Roberta graduated from the University of Rochester with a BA in Religion and History, and is currently the Social Media Director for the Religious Literacy Project.

MUSHFIQUR CHOWDHURY

Mushfiqur Chowdhury is a Masters of Theological Studies candidate at the Harvard Divinity School within the Religion, Ethics and Politics track. His motivation for involvement with the course stemmed from his childhood experience of violence. He grew up in a neighborhood within Queens, NY, where he was randomly stopped, frisked and robbed by gang members. The reason for his torment was based on the difference of his Muslim identity. However, it was his Muslim identity and the Islam preached by his Bangladeshi-immigrant parents that advocated for peace over violence. He attributes these formative experiences during his childhood as reason for his commitment to social justice and to the exploration of religious peace building through religious literacy.

ALINE LINDEMANN

Aline Lindemann is a Faculty Associate of Religion and Culture in the Master of Liberal Studies program at Arizona State University, and a Teaching Assistant in the Religious Literacy Project at Harvard Divinity School. Her independent research focuses on altruism and charitable giving across religious traditions. She is a published health and food writer, former art educator and visual artist.

DANELLE MARQUI BROWN

Danelle received her B.F.A. in Interior Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. While building her design and communications career, she simultaneously became a certified birth doula through DONA International, as well as an advocate for reproductive health and human rights. She is both a member of the New York Academy of Medicine and the New York Academy of Sciences. Her research investigates the intersections between science, health, religion and education and their relationship to the arts. Danelle holds a certificate in Religious Studies and Education from the Harvard Divinity School in conjunction with the Harvard Extension School. She will be receiving a master of liberal arts (ALM) degree, with a concentration in the history of science, technology and medicine, from the Harvard Extension School in May 2016.

ERIC STEPHEN

Eric Stephen is a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, studying toward a Masters of Theological Studies degree in Religion, Ethics, and Politics. His primary research interests surround the politics and theory of the First Amendment, with a particular emphasis on examining the ways in which contemporary systems of theology and social ethics inform religious freedom discourse in the United States. Prior to HDS, Eric received his BA from Wesleyan University in Religious Studies and Psychology, as well as an MA there in Psychology, where he helped lead a research team in analyzing data on indigenous religious revival movements in post-Soviet Russia.

KRISTOFER RHUDE

Kristofer Rhude is a graduate student at Harvard Divinity School pursuing a Master of Divinity degree focused on religious literacy and education. He is passionate about teaching, particularly empowering children and young adults, and has taught religious education as well as coached swimming and Nordic skiing teams for many years. Kristofer is originally from Cross Plains, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of British Columbia with a double major in Religious Studies and Near Eastern Studies in 2015.

ELI BAGNAROL

Eli has a background in Education and Child Psychology:Specialization Early Childhood development. She currently works as a counsellor for Third Culture Kids (TCK) and Expat families in Lima, Peru. Eli completed her certificate in Religious Education at Harvard Extension School last year and is currently a second year Master’s student (concentration religion) at Harvard University Extension School. She is also an active chapter leader for DFW in Lima, Peru and works with Nutre Hogar in Panama.

MELISSA BIEGERT

Melissa Langley Biegert holds a Bachelor's degree from Harvard College, Master's degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and Ph.D. from the University of Texas. She is currently completing her certificate in Religious Studies and Education from the Harvard Extension and Divinity School and has served as a teaching fellow for other courses with Dr. Moore. Dr. Biegert lives in Austin, Texas, where she directs a community college program for at-risk high school students.

ELOISE BLONDIAU

Eloise is a writer and editor from London, whose study of religion concerns social justice, critical theory, and literature.

LISA MILLER

Lisa Miller is a professor of health sciences with 20 years of research, teaching, and service focused on altruistic leadership. Her ultimate goal with altruistic leadership is to improve the optimal balance of health, wellness, and goal achievement for students in higher education. She has an expertise in teaching and designing online courses with a passion for collaboration on innovative education projects, such as the HarvardX initiative. She received her Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Management with a Specialization in Counseling and Sport Psychology from The Ohio State University, a Master of Labor and Human Resources degree from The Fisher College of Business with a Specialization in Training and Development, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wright State University, a Certification in Positive Psychology Coaching from Martin Seligman at The University of Pennsylvania, and a graduate Concentration in Religious Studies and Education from Harvard. She is always happy to consult with students to help achieve their goals.