| Recent reports reveal that being religious at Harvard is acceptable, and attendance at worship services is impressive compared with prior years. I interviewed forty-six Harvard College undergraduates, mostly associated with the Harvard-Radcliffe United Ministry, asking the ethnographic-type question, "What is it like being religious at Harvard College?" I discovered that being godly at an institution historically characterized as non-religious is more complex than the newspaper articles suggest. The religious students talked about their experiences in an environment they characterized as diverse, competitive, and intellectual. The extent to which they were comfortable was assessed on a "continuum of comfort" scale.;Most of the religious students in the study were uncomfortable with the competition which permeates the student culture. Some of them tended to feel that it was incompatible with their religious views, requiring them to succeed at someone else's expense, placing higher value on accomplishments than on relationships, and encouraging them to serve themselves rather than God.;In an environment in which the intellect is valued highly, about half of the religious students felt that they were not regarded by their peers as intellectuals simply because they were religious. They believed that their non-religious peers thought that they were "not bright" or "at a lower stage of intellectual development." Religious students responded either by arguing that religion is intellectual, that it is based on faith rather than reason, or that their detractors were irrational.;Ironically, the students discovered that although religion was often the source of their stress, it was as well the means for coping with stress--through rituals, prayers, and the camaraderie of like-minded individuals.;While most students professed to like the diversity (some were proud of it), a few students said that it created special problems for them. Since Harvard students are all academically superior, they are recognized for their differences. The religious students tended to feel insulted that their religion was their "unusual thing" and did not like being labeled "religious." At best, they tended to feel tolerated or patronized; at worst, "put down.". |
