Christian Worship in Harvard Yard

The spire of Harvard’s Memorial Church rises above Harvard Yard in a photo I took yesterday afternoon.

“In grateful memory of the Harvard men who died in the World War we have built this Church.” —inscription over the South entrance to the Memorial Room.

From the Memorial Church’s website:

“The Memorial Church is the church for Harvard University, dedicated on Armistice Day 1932 in memory of those who died in World War I, a gift of the alumni to the University. Memorials have been added to remember those who have died in the wars since.

“This Church has long been regarded as the symbolic center of Harvard's spiritual life, and stands opposite Widener Library as a visible reminder of the historical and spiritual heritage that has sustained Harvard for nearly four centuries. The first separate building for worship at Harvard University was Holden Chapel, built in 1744. The college soon outgrew the building, which was replaced by a chapel inside Harvard Hall in 1766, then a chapel in University Hall in 1814, and finally by Appleton Chapel, a building dedicated solely to worship sited where The Memorial Church now stands.”

Samuel P. Huntington, Harvard professor and eminent political scientist, wrote in Who Are We? “Americans have been extremely religious and overwhelmingly Christian throughout their history.” “At the start of the twenty-first century, Americans were no less committed and and quite possibly more committed to their Christian identity than at any time in their history.”

Support of Christian worship to help keep America strong is one of the aims of America 2020. As a member of the Memorial Church congregation, I feel that Harvard's role in our nation's history and its potential contributions to its future are buttressed by its foundation in Christian faith.