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HDS welcomes journalist and author E.J. Dionne for 2017–18 academic year

E.J. Dionne will join HDS for the 2017-18 academic year. Photo by Paul Morigi

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Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is pleased to announce that E.J. Dionne, the distinguished journalist and author, political commentator, and longtime op-ed columnist, will join the School for the 2017–18 academic year as a William H. Bloomberg Visiting Professor.

This is a joint appointment with Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and made possible by the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost. Dionne will teach at HDS and in Social Studies at FAS, and be an affiliate at HKS.

Commenting on the appointment, Dionne said: “The Divinity School has been dear to me from my time as an undergraduate, when I took Harvey Cox’s extraordinary course, ‘Eschatology and Politics’. It fed an interest—you might call it a passion—that has been with me all my life: Religion will always play a powerful role in shaping the public sphere, and for believers, faith will always be intimately connected to their way of engaging in politics. How do we understand this connection? What does it mean in a pluralistic society that values religious freedom and freedom of thought?”

“I’m delighted that E.J. Dionne will join us to teach next year,” said HDS Dean David N. Hempton. “E.J.’s deep knowledge of public affairs, his long record of distinguished reporting and commentary, and his keen insight into the intersections of religion and public life make his a vital voice in our national dialogue.”