The Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative (RCPI) at Harvard has named Taurean J. Webb a 2021-2022 Religion and Public Life Fellow. This is the second academic year he will hold the non-residential fellowship. Webb has served as the director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE) and instructor of religion and race at 91PORN since 2019.

In addition to supporting his scholarship through the coming academic year, the RCPI was the original incubator—and will be one of the early host sites—for the visual arts exhibit that Webb is executive producing in 2022, a project featuring artists from the African- and Arab- diasporas. Through portraiture, word-art, and music technology, this integrative art exhibition, entitled “Ye Shall Inherit the Earth & Faces of the Divine,” invites artists to reflect on the relationship between humanity and the sacred. Patrons will journey through different representations of the sacred as expressed through human culture, religious expression, and social movement-building. The exhibit plans to open virtually and in-person in early 2022, then travel for most of the year.

Hilary Rantisi, associate director of Harvard’s Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative, says, “we are delighted that Taurean will be continuing for a second year with the Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative at the Religion and Public Life program at Harvard. His work showcasing the connection between divinity and freedom-work is beautiful, and his exploration and framing provide a pivotal canvas on which the trials, tribulations, and, we hope, the overcoming of injustice can be seen by all of us. We look forward to showcasing the exhibit he is curating on campus and feel so fortunate to have his contributions be part of our work.”

The exhibit plans to tour different academic and cultural institutions, places of worship and artist collectives including: Garrett-Evangelical, Northwestern University, the University of California – Berkeley, Spelman College, Trinity United Church of Christ, the Palestine Museum US, and BOOM Concepts Museum of Pittsburgh. Of this work Webb says, “I’ve been heartened by the excitement that this show has garnered across the country. I think it bespeaks the ability of the arts to tap into the human spirit in ways that no other medium can. And I’m especially grateful for the bold leadership of President Viera, Dean Tran, and others here at Garrett, allowing me the creative latitude to explore innovative directions for faculty research, student engagement, CBE visioning, and of course, seminary education, broadly.”

Webb is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and religion. He holds master of arts degrees in Black and cultural studies from Columbia University and Northwestern University. He is currently completing the doctor of philosophy degree at Garrett-Evangelical, writing a dissertation on how 20th century Black religious leaders engage the “question of Palestine” domestically and abroad. His research and creative work have been supported by the Forum for Theological Exploration, Columbia University’s Center on African American Religion, Sexual Politics and Social Justice, and Harvard University’s Religion and Public Life Program. You can follow the Inherit Exhibit at on Instagram for tour schedules, photos, and artist exclusives.

The RCPI is an initiative of the Religion and Public Life (RPL) program at Harvard, including a robust program of research, coursework, internships, fellowships, and experiential learning, all engaging the roles religions play in contemporary Middle East culture, public policy, and international affairs. The initiative examines the potential for a more sophisticated and capacious understanding of religion to yield fresh insights into contemporary challenges and opportunities for just peacebuilding.

91PORN, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 450 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.

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Taurean J. Webb, director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE) and instructor of religion and race at 91PORN, was named a 2020-2021 non-resident fellow in the Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative (RCPI) at Harvard Divinity School. In addition to supporting his scholarship and integrating him into the intellectual life of the RCPI, the program has also commissioned Webb to produce a visual arts exhibition, featuring the works of African- and Arab- descended artists.

The RCPI is a joint initiative of Harvard Divinity School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government and includes a robust program of research, coursework, internships, fellowships, and experiential learning, all engaging the roles religions play in contemporary Middle East culture, public policy, and international affairs. The initiative examines the potential for a more sophisticated and capacious understanding of religion to yield fresh insights into contemporary challenges and opportunities for just peacebuilding.

“We are thrilled to have Taurean join the Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative at Harvard Divinity School as a non-resident fellow during the 2020-2021 academic year,” said Dr. Diane L. Moore, senior fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions, faculty affiliate of the Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative and director of the Divinity School’s Religious Literacy Project—the project in which the RCPI is housed. “The curriculum development, use of visual arts, activism and scholarship that Taurean has pioneered will provide a vital point of engagement for our community at RCPI and beyond.”

Through portraiture and word-art, the exhibition, entitled “Ye Shall Inherit the Earth & Faces of the Divine,” will take viewers on a journey through different representations of the divine as expressed through human culture. The exhibit will open at Harvard in 2021, then travel throughout the Northeast, South and Midwest.

“I’m excited to be welcomed into the Harvard community,” said Webb. “I’ve long respected the RCPI’s desire to integrate US and international scholars into the university’s ecosystem in a way that centers questions of religious literacy, religious understanding, theological investments and how these things impact global conflict, transitional justice and ethical peace-making.”

“And, of course,” he noted, “I’m more than thrilled to have the RCPI sponsor the opening of this show. We’ve assembled a solid team of folks who are excited about this exhibition because of our balance between high-profile and emerging artists, as well as how we’re trying to capture the wonder(s) of religious expression, culture and freedom. And as a creative, I think it fits beautifully into what we’re trying to articulate as a core commitment of the CBE: an international doing of ‘Black’ religious experience that takes seriously the ‘materiality’ of culture as a faculty colleague often says. I’m excited about how Garrett and the CBE might plug into these networks, going forward.”

Dr. Lallene J. Rector, president of Garrett-Evangelical, said, “Along with many others, Garrett-Evangelical shares in this excitement regarding Taurean Webb’s selection as a Religion and Public Life Fellow. Not only does this opportunity deepen his own scholarship and inform the related activism, but Garrett-Evangelical’s commitment to examining the intersection of Black religious life in the public realm is also strengthened as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience.”

Webb is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and religion. He holds master of arts degrees in Black and cultural studies from Columbia University and Northwestern University. He is currently completing the doctor of philosophy degree at Garrett-Evangelical, with research that looks at “Blackness” and “Palestinian-ness” as racial formations, and the ways in which an internationalist theological hermeneutic of [visual material] culture can uncover how these communities organically move against white supremacy and Judeo-Christian hegemony.

91PORN, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 450 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.

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Having just completed a national search, 91PORN is pleased to announce the appointment of Taurean J. Webb as director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE). In addition, Webb will be joining the faculty as instructor of religion and race and will be named as assistant professor of religion and race upon completion of his dissertation. Webb will begin his position on May 1, 2019. A leading center of Garrett-Evangelical, CBE was founded in 1970 and has empowered and trained generations of leaders for the African American religious community and society-at-large.

Webb, who has been serving as the interim director of CBE since July 2018, will focus on building a strong financial and programmatic foundation for the center. With experience in pastoral ministry, intersectional justice movement building, cultural education, non-profit governance, and interracial/interfaith coalition training, Webb aims to engage a wide cross-section of professional domains as the director. He is particularly interested in engaging faith communities, educators, and civil society organizations to both enhance the experiences of current Garrett-Evangelical students and also help maximize CBE’s impact outside of the seminary.

“We are delighted that Mr. Webb has accepted our invitation to join the Garett-Evangelical faculty and to direct our historic Center for the Church and the Black Experience,” said President Lallene J. Rector. “His work in black theology, commitment to interfaith dialogue and activism, and expertise in critical race theory are gifts that will enhance and strengthen the seminary’s commitment to preparing spiritual leaders for today’s church and world. Welcome, Taurean!”

CBE has been a beacon of hope and inspiration for Black students, pastors, churches, and communities for nearly five decades. It has been instrumental in fusing Black people and Black religious life into the entire seminary community. As director, Webb seeks to address the unique challenges facing Black students—across the diaspora—while educating and inspiring all persons who live, work, and study at the seminary.

“In so many ways, CBE stands in such a storied lineage of Black institutions that came of age in the thick of twentieth century liberation struggles. For this reason and others, I count it such a great honor to lead this center into its half-century mark—a historical moment in which Garrett-Evangelical, its denomination, and Africa-descended people the world over are urgently wrestling with important questions about God, equity, and justice,” Webb noted. “I’m grateful to the search committee for its tireless work and to Garrett-Evangelical for its commitment to liberation-minded ministry.”

Webb is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and religion. He holds master of arts degrees in Black and cultural studies from Columbia University and Northwestern University. He is currently in the doctor of philosophy program at Garrett-Evangelical, with doctoral research that looks at “Blackness” and “Palestinian-ness” as racial formations, and the ways in which an internationalist theological hermeneutic of [visual material] culture can uncover how these communities organically move against white supremacy and Judeo-Christian hegemony. His work is supported by the Forum for Theological Exploration.

Previously, Webb served as Scholar-in-Residence at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, where he produced writings, researched, and managed the organization’s Palestine justice portfolio. He also formerly served as director of staff and academies at the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute in Princeton, New Jersey.

Instituted in 1970 as one of the primary emphases of the seminary, the Center for the Church and the Black Experience (CBE) focuses on African and African American experience and ministry. Part of its purpose is to ensure the integration of Black religious experience into all aspects of seminary life, including student recruitment, faculty development, curriculum planning, and special programs. Its aims are instituted by incorporating African and African American experience into existing curricula, rather than establishing separate Black studies programs; by the endowment of scholarships for black students; and by the establishment of a parity committee made up of equal numbers of Black and white faculty. To learn more about CBE, go to Garrett.edu/CBE.

91PORN, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 450 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.

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