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The Search for God at Harvard
In 1985 Ari L. Goldman took a year’s leave from his job as a religion reporter for The New York Times and enrolled in Harvard Divinity School. What began as a project to deepen his knowledge of the world’s sacred beliefs turned out to be an extraordinary journey of spiritual illumination, one in which Goldman reexamined his own faith as an Orthodox Jew and opened his mind to the great religions of the world.
In his year at Harvard, Goldman found to his surprise that his fellow students were not straitlaced, somber clerics, but a diverse, vibrant, and sometimes embattled group from every major religion, united by their deep spiritual commitment. Even more surprising was the spiritual climate of the Divinity School itself: Far from being an ivory tower or a bastion of old-time Christian piety, the school was a forum for passionate debate on the relationships between religion and politics, social mores and sexuality.
Written with warmth, humor, and penetrating clarity, The Search for God at Harvard is a book for anyone who has wrestled with the question of what it means to take religion seriously today.
In his year at Harvard, Goldman found to his surprise that his fellow students were not straitlaced, somber clerics, but a diverse, vibrant, and sometimes embattled group from every major religion, united by their deep spiritual commitment. Even more surprising was the spiritual climate of the Divinity School itself: Far from being an ivory tower or a bastion of old-time Christian piety, the school was a forum for passionate debate on the relationships between religion and politics, social mores and sexuality.
Written with warmth, humor, and penetrating clarity, The Search for God at Harvard is a book for anyone who has wrestled with the question of what it means to take religion seriously today.
283 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 10, 2016
Ari Goldman, a New York Times Religion reporter, proposes a sabbatical leave to his editors. He wants to study at Harvard Divinity School for one year to improve his perspective on world religions, and add depth and knowledge to his articles concerning religion for the newspaper. When he arrives at Harvard, in the mid-1980s, he is surprised to find an eclectic mix of students, from all the major religions, debating about major issues of the day. His view of Harvard's Divinity school as uppity, straight-laced ministers is challenged with every new student he meets.
Goldman discusses his own religious life and spiritual memoirs. A yeshiva-educated Orthodox Jew, Goldman struggled in college with his career interests and his religious training. How could one keep kosher in a foreign country? How could one keep Sabbath when a huge news story breaks?
There are chapters in the book describing the major religions and the courses that Goldman took at the Divinity School to help him understand each. There are also chapters discussing Women in Religion, Orthodoxy, and other issues that modern religions encounter.
Goldman's writing style is very readable (no doubt because of his journalism background) and he writes with spirit. He does not hesitate to discuss trials and struggles that the people at the Divinity School have, or things that he struggles with himself.
Goldman discusses his own religious life and spiritual memoirs. A yeshiva-educated Orthodox Jew, Goldman struggled in college with his career interests and his religious training. How could one keep kosher in a foreign country? How could one keep Sabbath when a huge news story breaks?
There are chapters in the book describing the major religions and the courses that Goldman took at the Divinity School to help him understand each. There are also chapters discussing Women in Religion, Orthodoxy, and other issues that modern religions encounter.
Goldman's writing style is very readable (no doubt because of his journalism background) and he writes with spirit. He does not hesitate to discuss trials and struggles that the people at the Divinity School have, or things that he struggles with himself.
March 7, 2020
Loved Ari Goldman’s religious and personal journey. It’s an interesting account of his life and takes the reader through his family life, his Jewish school experiences, working at the NYT and his sabbatical year at Harvard learning about world religions.
As a women and new to the Jewish faith, I found his personal struggles between living in the secular world (as a reporter and then grad student) and trying to adhere to the strict Jewish traditions he learned by studying the Talmud in Yeshiva the most compelling. In the end, it’s a personal story and I am thankful to Mr. Goldman for sharing it with the world.
As a women and new to the Jewish faith, I found his personal struggles between living in the secular world (as a reporter and then grad student) and trying to adhere to the strict Jewish traditions he learned by studying the Talmud in Yeshiva the most compelling. In the end, it’s a personal story and I am thankful to Mr. Goldman for sharing it with the world.
September 23, 2015
Sometimes you pick up a book at random and sometimes you seek one out. After reading another book by Goldman, I saw this mentioned in his bio and decided to order it. I was married when my husband went to seminary, and I've been thinking a great deal about faith lately. This was a perfect book to read and ruminate.
Although Goldman is an orthodox Jew, he writes about his education about different religions. Sometimes I found it fascinating, and sometimes I think it meandered away more into his own journey with Judaism. That said, it was written at a time at Harvard when seminaries were changing, more women were attending, and before people came out of the closet. It was an interesting read and take on the seminary culture and the wide variety of people who were his fellow students.
Although Goldman is an orthodox Jew, he writes about his education about different religions. Sometimes I found it fascinating, and sometimes I think it meandered away more into his own journey with Judaism. That said, it was written at a time at Harvard when seminaries were changing, more women were attending, and before people came out of the closet. It was an interesting read and take on the seminary culture and the wide variety of people who were his fellow students.
August 9, 2024
a very thought-provoking memoir. there are a lot of parallels between the author and myself, which i think made it a more compelling read for me than maybe the average reader, so take that how you will.
unlike the author, i'm not an orthodox jew (although that is one of the religions/cultures i have been most fascinated by), but we are alike in that we're both largely shaped by being children of divorce, we have a background in writing/journalism, we devoted parts of ourselves to the academic study of religion and, in doing so, our personal relationship with religion was altered. for him, judaism was strengthened. for me, christianity crumbled. so it was really interesting to see how he and I differed in that aspect. i think part of it is that he was raised on a more solid foundation of faith whereas my faith came later and was never truly strong enough to withstand biblical exegesis, but it's still cool that it allowed both of us to approach the study of religion from a more objective lens and stay open-minded.
one shortcoming, the book did stray from the title quite a bit lol, the author covers several periods of his life in non-chronological order so instead of spending the whole time with him at harvard divinity school, we spend a lot of time just learning about the intersection between orthodox judaism and modern american living and his role as a journalist, which is super fascinating in its own right but i guess i was expecting more about his academic journey and the questions of exegesis/hermeneutics that we wrestle with on that front
unlike the author, i'm not an orthodox jew (although that is one of the religions/cultures i have been most fascinated by), but we are alike in that we're both largely shaped by being children of divorce, we have a background in writing/journalism, we devoted parts of ourselves to the academic study of religion and, in doing so, our personal relationship with religion was altered. for him, judaism was strengthened. for me, christianity crumbled. so it was really interesting to see how he and I differed in that aspect. i think part of it is that he was raised on a more solid foundation of faith whereas my faith came later and was never truly strong enough to withstand biblical exegesis, but it's still cool that it allowed both of us to approach the study of religion from a more objective lens and stay open-minded.
one shortcoming, the book did stray from the title quite a bit lol, the author covers several periods of his life in non-chronological order so instead of spending the whole time with him at harvard divinity school, we spend a lot of time just learning about the intersection between orthodox judaism and modern american living and his role as a journalist, which is super fascinating in its own right but i guess i was expecting more about his academic journey and the questions of exegesis/hermeneutics that we wrestle with on that front
August 26, 2009
A promising but ultimately disappointing book. The author was a New York Times religion writer who requested & received a year's leave of absence to attend Harvard Divinity School classes. The premise of the book was established in Diane Eck's World Religions class: if you only know one religion, you don't know any. That's one of those bits of common wisdom that's patently absurd. Those who spout it would never say that those who espouse so-called primitive religions don't know their own religion. Anyway, the author was disappointed that he was never able to get a sense of the Christian spirituality of Christians at the Div School. But he did come to a greater understanding of his own Orthodox Judaism.
April 27, 2020
In such a pluralistic society like America, one better be open to other religions. But how can one be "genuinely" open? Is being willing to hear a recent Muslim convert's testimony "open" enough? But it's not genuine unless one is tacitly willing to change his mind based on ... something he doesn't know, yet.
Faith is a commitment. For some, it looks like only the beginning of missed opportunities. For some, it is only the beginning of real opportunities. But by necessity almost, one must decapitate his mental limb that can genuinely sympathize with people of other faiths, since that is what faith requires, a partial death of oneself, a particular cutting-off from the external world. But this is rather a grim picture. We are nostalgic of the feeling of being alive in the open with no commitments—even if we were less secure.
Ari Goldman tells a story not so much about his specific year at the Harvard Div. school as much as his life experience with God in general. General life experience with a specific God, one could say. He was a New York Times reporter writing about religion, and he acquired a one-year leave to study at the Harvard Div. school in order to study comparative religion. An orthodox Jew who is a reporter for America's most-read fast-paced newspaper company. It's an autobiographical comment on the battle between desires and traditions, orthodoxy and modernity, faiths and deeds. It's a thriller. You fully understand where the author stands in regard to his religious convictions, yet you fully understand his passion which he simply cannot give up. While reading, you know at the end is some sort of a happy ending, yet you might be tempted to say, "well, that's Hollywood for 'ya. No, this is not only a story of Ari Goldman. This is an exposition on faith, believe me.
"Four went down to the orchard. One fell gravely ill and died, one became a heretic, one went mad and one, Rabbi Akiba, emerged whole."
- from the introduction.
Faith is a commitment. For some, it looks like only the beginning of missed opportunities. For some, it is only the beginning of real opportunities. But by necessity almost, one must decapitate his mental limb that can genuinely sympathize with people of other faiths, since that is what faith requires, a partial death of oneself, a particular cutting-off from the external world. But this is rather a grim picture. We are nostalgic of the feeling of being alive in the open with no commitments—even if we were less secure.
Ari Goldman tells a story not so much about his specific year at the Harvard Div. school as much as his life experience with God in general. General life experience with a specific God, one could say. He was a New York Times reporter writing about religion, and he acquired a one-year leave to study at the Harvard Div. school in order to study comparative religion. An orthodox Jew who is a reporter for America's most-read fast-paced newspaper company. It's an autobiographical comment on the battle between desires and traditions, orthodoxy and modernity, faiths and deeds. It's a thriller. You fully understand where the author stands in regard to his religious convictions, yet you fully understand his passion which he simply cannot give up. While reading, you know at the end is some sort of a happy ending, yet you might be tempted to say, "well, that's Hollywood for 'ya. No, this is not only a story of Ari Goldman. This is an exposition on faith, believe me.
"Four went down to the orchard. One fell gravely ill and died, one became a heretic, one went mad and one, Rabbi Akiba, emerged whole."
- from the introduction.
September 8, 2017
3.5 stars.
This was an odd book, clearly influenced by Goldman's journalistic style. Different sections of the book sometimes made sense together and sometimes made huge leaps in content. Overall, I thought that Goldman spent too much time on a career memoir line that disregarded the titular degree, and only tied in to fleshing out his own religious life in limited and repetitive ways. However, I did really enjoy the sections that were concerned with comparative religion and the program at Harvard, even if the issues and perspectives presented are impressively dated (and not necessarily in a more conservative direction).
This was an odd book, clearly influenced by Goldman's journalistic style. Different sections of the book sometimes made sense together and sometimes made huge leaps in content. Overall, I thought that Goldman spent too much time on a career memoir line that disregarded the titular degree, and only tied in to fleshing out his own religious life in limited and repetitive ways. However, I did really enjoy the sections that were concerned with comparative religion and the program at Harvard, even if the issues and perspectives presented are impressively dated (and not necessarily in a more conservative direction).
May 1, 2022
Goldman writes a readable and brisk account of his time at Harvard, coupled with some autobiographical accounts about his Jewish upbringing. Harvard is a heterodox place with respect to Christianity. Goldman cannot find anyone willing to express in an affirmative way what it means to be a Christian. He does learn a lot about African religions, Islam, and gets to know some of his quirky colleagues.
January 2, 2021
The story of a journalist's own search for God, meaning in religion, and in his own orthodox Judaism is a compelling one. Ari uses his experiences and words to paint sturdy, honest pictures of his life and his quest in religions. I enjoyed the story immensely, but his simple way with words kept me with the telling.
December 16, 2021
Oh, I loved this book. In particular his description of how the observing the sabbath helped him during his parents' divorce. I read it a long time ago . . . Interested in it partly because John Cogley, one of my father's best friends, was also a religion reporter for the New York Times.
Maybe I'll read it again.
Maybe I'll read it again.
June 10, 2020
I've had this on my shelves since college. It took a quarantine to get me to finish it!
August 4, 2023
Was so interesting. Talked about religion, being a Jewish reporter, etc. Highly recommend.
August 17, 2023
A New York Times religion reporter describes a year he spent at Harvard Divinity School.
May 20, 2024
Read for Sociology of Religion Course
Pretty engagingly written
Pretty engagingly written
July 13, 2024
Jewish man, raised Orthodox, who becomes a religion reporter for the NYT, goes to Harvard Div school for a year. Interesting.
July 15, 2018
I read this book years ago, around the time it came out, & really enjoyed it. Now re-reading.
A fascinating & still-timely memoir of the author's experience the year he took a leave of absence from the NY Times to study at Harvard Divinity School. He learned new aspects of his own faith, modern Orthodoxy, as well as a great deal about other religions, which he then brought back to his job as religion reporter for the Times.
A fascinating & still-timely memoir of the author's experience the year he took a leave of absence from the NY Times to study at Harvard Divinity School. He learned new aspects of his own faith, modern Orthodoxy, as well as a great deal about other religions, which he then brought back to his job as religion reporter for the Times.
December 1, 2011
I thought this was a wonderful book and that Ari Goldman is/was a fantastic writer. Today he is the Chair of the Journalism progam at Columbia University. Back when he wrote this book, he was the Religion writer for "The New York Times". Being raised a Modern Orthodox Jew, and an Orthodox Jew for many generations in his family, Goldman felt that he could not do an adequate job covering all of the writing on different religions at The Times without more of a background in them than his yeshiva training had offered, so he convinced The Times to send him for one year (all expenses paid) to Harvard Divinity School where he would take classes on different religions and this book is the result of that.
Harvard Divinity has traditionally been a training ground for Unitarian Ministers (but not exclusively). It is a liberal thinking divinity school (I had one friend who trained as a Unitarian Minister theree). Starr King at Berkeley is the traditional training ground for Unitarian Ministers and there is another school in Chicago that is almost strictly Unitarian in orientation. Still Harvard is among those that attract those going into Unitarian Ministry because of its orientation. The book is a compilation and distillation, if you will of the classes that Goldman took at the school replete with images of his teachers, classmates, coursework, discussions, of the different religions covered. There is almost one religion covered in each chapter.
It is a very thorough work and well written and well organized. Throughout it all, Goldman was able to understand the intrinsic nature of the other religions presented to him, without losing his own identity as an Orthodox Jew.
Kudos to Goldman for such a thorough, well-presented work. It made me want to attend Harvard Divinity. It was interesting that when he finished his own year (which was all The Times would pay for( tht Goldman was a bit sad, because if he was able to stay for another year, he'd have actually been able to earn a Master of Divinity Degree (something feww (very few (like no) Orthodox Jews possess...
A very captivating and thought provoking work.
Harvard Divinity has traditionally been a training ground for Unitarian Ministers (but not exclusively). It is a liberal thinking divinity school (I had one friend who trained as a Unitarian Minister theree). Starr King at Berkeley is the traditional training ground for Unitarian Ministers and there is another school in Chicago that is almost strictly Unitarian in orientation. Still Harvard is among those that attract those going into Unitarian Ministry because of its orientation. The book is a compilation and distillation, if you will of the classes that Goldman took at the school replete with images of his teachers, classmates, coursework, discussions, of the different religions covered. There is almost one religion covered in each chapter.
It is a very thorough work and well written and well organized. Throughout it all, Goldman was able to understand the intrinsic nature of the other religions presented to him, without losing his own identity as an Orthodox Jew.
Kudos to Goldman for such a thorough, well-presented work. It made me want to attend Harvard Divinity. It was interesting that when he finished his own year (which was all The Times would pay for( tht Goldman was a bit sad, because if he was able to stay for another year, he'd have actually been able to earn a Master of Divinity Degree (something feww (very few (like no) Orthodox Jews possess...
A very captivating and thought provoking work.
April 1, 2014
What brilliant writing and an amazing exploration by the author, who is a journalist and who practices Orthodox Judaism. I appreciated how he wove together his examination and analysis of what he technically found while attending Harvard Divinity School, with his personal journey as a practicing Jew. Like all good journalism, he took a critical (meaning questioning for answers, rather than criticizing) view of the educational entity and its environs. He attempted and succeeded I thought, in presenting a thorough and compelling picture of the people and the educational institution. What stands out is that he didn't really *find* God ... at Harvard *Divinity* School. Whoo, was that ever interesting. The author is spiritually open as he moves there and begins classes, and yet doesn't really find anyone talking about God, per se, or the christian experience. Think about that for a second. Instead there is a concerted effort to examine many faiths and offend none. These examinations readers get to experience, as he shares about his classes in Hinduism, Buddhism, Women in Religion, African Religions, Islam and more. No one can truly, openly study religion and not be on a spiritual journey herself or himself. We get to experience a part of this man's spiritual journey; and that, along with his astute and tremendously informative observations about the study of, and aspects of different religions made this book a stunner, for me.
June 9, 2025
This is my second read of Goldman's memoir. I enjoyed and appreciated it fully as much in this second reading--maybe twenty years later. Coming from a conservative religious background (although not Jewish nor as conservative as his!), I could appreciate his concerns about being a part of Harvard Divinity School. In fact, 40 years ago, when my husband entered HDS as a graduate student, a collection was taken for us at the rural church he served on a summer assignment and was given to us with a warning about staying faithful.
HDS has changed since the late 80s when Goldman was there. I know of two evangelical Christians and prominent church historians who taught there as visiting scholars more recently. Another former member of our church is teaching there now. It would be very interesting to read an update from someone who is a part of that academic community now.
June 2025. I’m reading this book for the third time and enjoying it again. I also read The Late Starter’s Orchestra and emailed Mr. Goldman to tell him of my pleasure in reading it. He emailed me in return immediately. Once again, I think it is worth telling an author when one enjoys a book!
HDS has changed since the late 80s when Goldman was there. I know of two evangelical Christians and prominent church historians who taught there as visiting scholars more recently. Another former member of our church is teaching there now. It would be very interesting to read an update from someone who is a part of that academic community now.
June 2025. I’m reading this book for the third time and enjoying it again. I also read The Late Starter’s Orchestra and emailed Mr. Goldman to tell him of my pleasure in reading it. He emailed me in return immediately. Once again, I think it is worth telling an author when one enjoys a book!
March 20, 2009
This is an intriguing book - at turns banal, at others compelling, but, on the whole a worthwhile exploration of the author's life, spiritual development and his experience at the Harvard Divinity School. The journey may ebb and flow a bit, but is ultimately illuminating in unexpected ways. You will not, for instance, get a definitive answer to the question implied by the title but you will get a fascinating sense of the Div School and its unique culture. Another unexpected impression that I got is that his recounting of his spiritual development before grad school is more compelling than at it, as if the institution had a minor and not too significant impact. So, if you're interested in learning from others' spiritual journeys, this book is worth reading with one caveat: your learnings and/or the parts that move you most may be different from what you expect.
January 26, 2010
An excellent, intelligent, wonderful book! Ari Goldman, an Orthodox Jew, enrolls in the Harvard Divinity School as a project for his job at New York Times where he is a religion reporter. He enters as a Jew and leaves the same way. But the difference is he has become more enriched by all he learns about other religions and by the diversity of his classmates. I felt like I was sitting in the classroom with him. His writing is so clear and his absolute enthusiasm for learning is a joy! I just can't say enough about this book. If you have an interest in learning about the religous experience of others in a warm and totally non-threatening way, then I would ask you to enroll in this fascinating book. You will receive quite an education.
October 12, 2014
An extremely well written but ultimately shallow memoir of an Orthodox Jew's year spent exploring world religions at Harvard Div School. The author complains that his instructor in Christianity was too pc to discuss its real meaning, but he does the same throughout in his discussion of what he learned. A shallow review of religious practices without any understanding of the heart behind them. Is this because Orthodox Judaism is all practice and no heart? He gives us evidence that is so in several places, including when he places sabbath rules above an old woman who desperately needs his help.
November 1, 2015
this was a light, easy read, and i mostly enjoyed it. ari goldman is an engaging writer, and although the book often veered toward personal memoir that had nothing to do with his time at harvard divinity school, i didn't mind, and the book still made me want to enroll in harvard divinity school. :) the language in this book is a bit dated (it was written in the 80s), and i wasn't a fan of ari's framing of feminism as "man-hating," but i loved reading about ari's quest to balance faith and daily life. (also, it was pretty nice to read about intersectional feminism in the harvard div school in the 80s, even if ari didn't seem too thrilled about it.)
June 12, 2009
Roth's account of Harvard from the early 80s and the observations of his fellow religious students is right in line with some of what is happening in today's culture. Great insight to the struggles of the gay and lesbian students who were trying to find their religious identity in a world that doesn't necessarily know where to put them. Also his telling of his own faith and finding his identity in his career while still keeping that religious identity was quite fascinating. Anyone interested in religion would find this book interesting.
August 20, 2015
Expected the author to give some interesting insights and opinions on the different religions that he encountered, all the more as he named his chapters like 'Buddhism', 'African religions' etc. However, the chapters petered out to his own past spiritual experiences, religious dilemmas he faced as a reporter and people he came across at school. Felt the themes became rather repetitive, though could have been a case of me expecting something from the book and the book talking about something else.
Did not complete.
Did not complete.
February 9, 2008
Ari Goldman is an Orthodox Jewish reporter (religion beat for the NYT) who goes to Harvard Divinity School for a year sabbatical. While there he meets a motley crew of interesting personalities. He also relates his family's cultural and religious history and the traditions he grew up with. It was a welcome insight into Orthodox Judaism which I knew practically nothing about before reading this book. His writing style is engaging--definitely a good read.
September 5, 2010
This book is a fascinating account of life at HDS. I loved reading his accounts of his fellow students. Although he didn't always agree with their politics, he still showed much respect towards them. I loved that he made all his subjects human and easy to relate. What was really wonderful was to read how he grew personally and spiritually during his year there. This is a quick read that I highly recommend.
September 14, 2011
An amazing and fascinating look at a Jewish man's thoughts on other religions and coming through his own spiritual journey. I loved every word of this very short book that challenged so much of what I believed it, but confirmed it at the same time. Ari is brutally honest but also pushed you to look deeper at your convictions and find your truth. A bit on the intellectual and deep side.
Everyone should read this book!
Everyone should read this book!
November 9, 2012
Ari Goldman gives intimate insight into Orthodox Jewish Culture in this well-written biography/account of Harvard Divinity School. Successfully melding academia and spirituality together is difficult, especially at Harvard. Goldman's sensitivity to other religions strengthens his own Jewish roots and writing skills as a New York Times reporter. He learns to approach other religions with out fear: "If you know one religion ...You don't know any."
December 3, 2008
Ari shares his perspective (he is Jewish) on different religions. It opened his mind to other beliefs, and found the good in everyone. It was a bit of just a historical journal and a bit boring, but I really liked the quote from the muslim "You can understand the science behind how the acorn becomes a tree, but it shouldn't preclude you from enjoying the tree"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews