The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Civic Initiative

Civic life includes all the places in the “public square” where people encounter one another as citizens. It is the visible space of our identity, whether in cities and towns, or at the state and national level. The basis of civic life is not one or many religious traditions, but the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the range of ways in which citizens cooperate in civil society. In the Civic Initiative, we focus on the ways in which various religious communities, especially the newer minority communities participate in the civic life of American society. How is the public square changing with new voices and perspectives? What are the biggest challenges, whether in education, zoning, health care, or civil rights? Here our goal is to provide, through research, a more complex picture of American civic life at the beginning of the 21st century.

Research on Civic and Public Issues

• Election 2008: Candidate Endorsements by Religious Groups and Leaders
• Minority Faith Involvement in the 2006 Immigration Debates
• America's National Day of Prayer
• Getting the Balance Right: a Diversity of Responses to the 10 Commandments Debate (2005)
• The Debate Over Evolution in Kansas Public Schools (2005)
• Air Force Academy Addresses “Challenges to Pluralism” (2005)
• Religious Diversity and the Workplace (2004)

The City Hall Project

In the work of the Pluralism Project, “City Hall” is shorthand for the local public square:  the city councils, town meetings, zoning boards, civic associations, and school committees where we, as citizens, conduct our civic business. Mayors, city councils, and other civic leaders have key roles in shaping the climate of pluralism in America’s cities and towns. This civic space is, increasingly, a space where the voices of people of many religious traditions are heard. The City Hall Initiative  represents a vital stream of our work at the Pluralism Project. We  track, and highlight, issues of civic importance through Religious Diversity News and  we have three case studies now in development; each of which will provide a much needed “thick description” of the complex and contested public space.

Research of the City Hall Project

• America's National Day of Prayer
• Diversity Training Series: Educating Chicago's Law Enforcement on the City's Many Religions
• Boston Ten Civic Practices

Case Studies

Our work on local issues has led to case studies that exemplify some of the critical issues that citizens face in the civic arena. The case study approach, we believe, is uniquely suited to the study of religious diversity: through “thick description” we are able to unpack some of the complexities of religious diversity on the ground, as rich, ongoing narratives with multiple perspectives and competing interpretations. Three case studies in development include:

• Simpson v. Chesterfield County. A Wiccan priestess in Chesterfield County, Virginia filed a lawsuit to obtain the right, as a religious leader, to offer invocations at her local County Board of Supervisors meetings. While a District Court Judge ruled in her favor, the Board appealed and the decision was reversed. This case offers a striking example of the conflict over definitions of civil religion and governmental establishment of the Judeo-Christian tradition and illustrates how First Amendment non-establishment concerns are negotiated on a local level.  While the Supreme Court declined this case, it is clear that the issue of religious pluralism and public invocations is far from finished: in Wynne v. Great Falls, SC, the court ruled against the exclusive use of the term Jesus Christ in civic invocations, barring the term entirely.  How this ruling and similar rulings across the nation play out remains to be seen. These case studies are being researched and written by Managing Director Grove Harris.
  • Wiccan Invocation: 2005 Update
  • Wiccan Invocation: A Canary in the Mineshaft of the United States’ Non-Establishment of Religion (2004)
  • Wynne v. Great Falls, SC (2005)
• The Palos Heights Mosque Dispute. In 2000, the City Hall of Palos Heights, Illinois filled with concerned citizens: “word on the street” was that Muslims were coming to town. The Reformed Church of Palos Heights had entered into a real estate contract with Al Salam Mosque Foundation, and many citizens in Palos Heights wanted the city to intervene. One Alderman compared the Muslims to Nazis; a neighbor declared Islam to be a “false religion”; some argued that the building was needed for recreation. Ultimately, the City Council voted to offer the Muslims $200,000 to “walk away” from their offer. The city became known as “Palos Hates,” but amidst the bigotry, new bridges were being built: Mayor Dean Koldenhoven vetoed the buyout offer and wrote a letter of apology to the Muslims; local ministers worked tirelessly to educate their parishioners about “loving your neighbor”; and a local dialogue group, still active in 2006, was born out of the conflict.  This case study is being researched and written by Senior Researcher Elinor Pierce.

Religious Diversity News

Through Religious Diversity News (RDN), the Pluralism Project tracks coverage of issues of civic importance: we include coverage by progressive and ethnic media outlets and highlight the perspectives of religious and ethnic advocacy groups. We identify critical stories and follow them across their full trajectory, for months and even years, linked through key themes and ongoing stories. Examples of key themes include: Advocacy, Workplace, Universities, Education, Health & Hospitals, Military, Prisons, First Amendment, Violence/Vandalism, and Zoning.

Selected Links

At the Pluralism Project, we are often asked about the contributions of minority religions to our common welfare, and these links offer a broad overview of such contributions.

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