Ryan Harrison

Ryan was raised in what he identifies as the Bible Belt. As such, he did not have his first real encounter with a culturally diverse city until he moved to Boston.  Having received his Master’s of Theological Studies from Boston University’s School of Theology, he was left wondering which step to take next.  After looking into the Religion and Conflict Transformation Program and witnessing the lack of knowledge and appreciation for the diverse world in the South and in the United States as a whole, he decided he wanted to study in the program. He writes, “Conflict was always something I grew up trying to avoid.  However, as I pursued studies in Christianity and other world religions, I realized that avoiding conflict only serves to foster cold wars and allow silent animosity to grow.  If our globalized world is to ever see the dawn of a peaceful era, the various cultures must learn to put aside differences and come together to aid each other, to learn from each other, and to maintain a unified humanity that celebrates diversity.”

Ryan believes that, religion is not meant to be violent, and it is not meant to be ignored. Ryan expresses how his father’s witness is an example he follows as he reaches out beyond the boundary of his own religion and seeks to bring people together with the common goal of building a world where we can each worship according to our own tradition in peace. When placed in a rural Church that was outgrowing its building, his father, a retired United Methodist Pastor, persuaded a divided and stubborn congregation to move forward in their plans to construct a new meeting place for them to worship in accordance with their tradition.  Ryan writes, “I am now three months into the RCT program, and I have found myself more aware of conflict.  I have also found myself eager to engage conflict in a positive way. Practicing conflict transformation has provided me with more than a simple list of guidelines.  It has given me a new sense of spirituality and purpose that connects me with the sacred.”