Gomes Speaks at Hillel

The Revered Peter J. Gomes, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Minister in Memorial Church, delivered a speech last night on religious vitality and diversity at the Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel.

Gomes spoke of arriving here in 1970, at a time when "Harvard had been known for over a century as Godless Harvard."

"I've seen an extremely remarkable institution in the context of a fairly remarkable field," Gomes said.

Gomes said he has seen a change in Harvard's attitude religion during his tenure.

"I would argue that in 1999 there is probably more regular religious action going on than at any point since the 17th century."

Another outcome of observing Harvard's religious life, according to Gomes, it that he has been able to develop "a set of categories regarding religion."

According to Gomes, there are five ways in which Harvard students deal with religion. The first, he said, is "people who practice religion."

"There was always a certain inhibition regarding the spiritual life," he said. "I've watched that inhibition recede remarkably."

Gomes said St. Paul's Catholic Church is one example of this change.

"The place is jumping and bumping at the seams," he said.

Gomes characterized the second area of involvement as "the study of religion."

"I never thought I'd live long enough to see "The Bible and its Interpreters' grow larger than Ec 10," said Gomes with a smile on his face.

Gomes pointed third to a group of people who are "curious about the other two."

"The practice of religion and the study of religion is not necessarily an intimidating process anymore. Sometimes it is an object of curiosity," Gomes said.

The fourth group, which Gomes called "in many ways the most interesting," is made up of "people who discover religion once they're here."

"There is something about this environment which allows people to either discover for the first time or rediscover their religious identity," Gomes explained.

The fifth group of religious identity, which Gomes said has always been here, is "those for whom religion is, in some sense, a threat, for whom religion is a cultural liability."

"Historically, Harvard has always had [a] coexistence of religious and secular ideas," Gomes said.

Towards the end of his remarks, Gomes gave a few personal impressions of what it means to be religious at Harvard.

The Puritans who founded Harvard, he said, "could not have imagined the religious diversity and vitality of their little college on the Charles 375 years later."

"God has an imagination and a sense of humor and a divine purpose which we are yet to fulfill," Gomes said.