About

Christianity & The Common Good (CCG) is a joint initiative of the Human Flourishing Program and the Program on Biblical Law & Christian Legal Studies at Harvard University.

The initiative is a distinctive research and scholarly project for the study of biblical Christianity in contemporary society. CCG establishes intellectual space at Harvard University for sustained academic and scholarly engagement with Biblical and traditional Christian theological literature in an effort to illuminate what constitutes a just society and related conditions for the good life.

Exploring historical, theoretical, and theological debates within and across Christian traditions, CCG encourages broad integration and study of biblical texts, theological analyses, and empirical studies of pathways to human flourishing.

CCG’s research, teaching, and scholarly engagement activities aim to produce fresh analysis and critical debate on the role and impact of Christianity on the governance, social, and technological problems of our time.

CCG offers courses and mentorship to students. It also provides guidance across Harvard to students, faculty, and research scholars who are interested in Christianity’s understandings of justice and of human flourishing.

CCG faculty, visiting researchers, and affiliates offer courses, seminars, and reading groups for training in theological, sociological, historical, and legal literature about the Bible, Christianity, and modern society. CCG also provides guidance for students and scholars in the social sciences and humanities seeking to gain basic familiarity with Christianity’s core claims.

CCG’s affiliated faculty mentor students and supervise research on subjects relating to Christianity and: (i) law, (ii) government, (iii) religion in the public square, (iv) environmental stewardship, (v) artificial intelligence, and (vi) justice systems. Inquiries related to supervision for research proposals on other topics are also welcome.

CCG encourages broad integration and study of biblical texts, theological analyses, and empirical studies of pathways to human flourishing.

Our People

Faculty Leadership

Team Member Headshot

Ruth Okediji

Jeremiah Smith, Jr., Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
Faculty Director, Harvard Law School Program on Biblical Law and Christian Legal Studies

Ruth Okediji is the Jeremiah Smith, Jr., Professor of Law at Harvard Law School (HLS), Co-Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, and Faculty Director of the HLS Program on Biblical Law and Christian Legal Studies. A renowned scholar in international intellectual property (IP) law and a foremost authority on the role of IP in social and economic development, Professor Okediji has advised inter-governmental organizations, regional economic communities, and national governments on a range of matters related to technology, innovation policy, and development. Her widely cited scholarship on IP and development has influenced government policies in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and South America. Her ideas have helped shape national strategies for the implementation of the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). She works closely with several United Nations agencies, research centers, and international organizations on the human development effects of international IP policy, including access to knowledge, access to essential medicines and issues related to indigenous innovation systems. She is a graduate of the University of Jos (LLB) and Harvard Law School (LLM, SJD).

Faculty Affiliates

Team Member Headshot

Tracy Balboni

Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School
Program Director, Harvard Radiation Oncology Program

Tracy Balboni, M.D., M.P.H., serves as Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. She is a radiation oncologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is dually boarded in radiation oncology and palliative care. She is Vice Chair of Education for the Mass General Brigham Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program. Dr. Balboni also co-directs the Initiative on Health, Spirituality and Religion at Harvard University. She developed and led the Supportive and Palliative Radiation Oncology Service at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center – a service dedicated to the needs of advanced cancer patients. Her primary research interests address the intersection of spirituality and the practice of medicine, including the role of spirituality in illness. Her work also includes optimizing the quality of life of patients living with cancer, including advancing the management of bone metastases. She is a graduate of Stanford University, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Team Member Headshot

Jack Goldsmith

Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Jack Goldsmith is the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is the author, most recently, of After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency and In Hoffa’s Shadow: A Stepfather, A Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth, as well as of other books and articles on many topics related to presidential power, terrorism, national security, international law, and internet law. Before coming to Harvard, Professor Goldsmith served as Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, from October 2003 through July 2004, and as Special Counsel to the General Counsel to the Department of Defense from September 2002 through June 2003. He taught at the University of Chicago Law School from 1997 to 2002, and at the University of Virginia Law School from 1994 to 1997. He holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University, and a B.A. from Washington & Lee University. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Court of Appeals Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, and Judge George Aldrich on the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal.

Team Member Headshot

Nancy Hill

Charles Bigelow Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Nancy Hill is the Charles Bigelow Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a developmental psychologist whose research focuses on two broader areas. First, she studies the ways race, socioeconomic status, and community context interact and impact youths’ opportunities for upward mobility. Second, she analyzes the relational supports and mechanisms associated with adolescents’ emerging sense of purpose and views of the economy as they influence post-secondary transitions to college and career. Professor Hill’s research has been published in leading journals in the fields of developmental psychology and education, including Child Development, Developmental Psychology, and Journal of Educational Psychology. She has edited five books in the areas of parenting and academic achievement during adolescence and among ethnic minority populations. Professor Hill was named to the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM) Board on Children Youth and Families, and she is the President-elect of the Society for Research in Child Development. She is the recipient of the Ernest Hilgard Award for Lifetime contributions to psychology from Division 1 of the American Psychological Association. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Ohio State University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University.

Team Member Headshot

Karin Öberg

Professor of Astronomy and Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences, Harvard University

Professor Öberg obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry from Caltech and her Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Leiden. She has taught at Harvard in the Astronomy department since 2013, where she is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of the Natural Sciences. Her scholarship aims to uncover how chemical processes impact the outcome of planet formation, with special attention to what makes planets habitable. She pursues these goals through astrophysical observations of planet-forming disks, experimental simulations of astrochemical reactions, and theory. Her current course offering is a first-year seminar on "Catholic Thought for Contemporary Challenges” (FYSEMR 65S), an upper-level undergraduate/graduate course on “Astrochemistry” (ASTRON 115/215), and a graduate course on the "Interstellar Medium and Star Formation" (ASTRON 203). Professor Öberg has been awarded the Barry Prize by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters (2024), the Harnack Lectureship by the Max Planck Society (2022), a Simons Investigator Award (2019), the American Astronomical Society's Newton Lacy Pierce Prize (2016), a Packard Fellowship (2014), and an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2014). She is the Vice President of the Board of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a Board Member of the Society of Catholic Scientists, a member of the American Academy of Catholic Scholars and Artists, and a frequent public speaker on questions of science and faith. At Harvard, she co-organizes the Aletheia Lectures on Catholic and Eastern Christianity.

Staff

Team Member Headshot

Glen Comiso

Director of Development

Glen Comiso is the Executive Director of the Harvard Human Flourishing Program (HHFP) and the CCG Initiative's Director of Development. In the former role, Mr. Comiso oversees all aspects of HHFP's strategic vision, donor relations, external partnerships, day-to-day operations, and program leadership. As the CCG's Director of Development, he designs and implements strategies to ensure the Initiative's long-term growth and sustainability. Prior to joining Harvard, Mr. Comiso worked in the president's office at MIT in various roles, including Chief of Staff and Senior Director for Institute Affairs. His background also includes strategy consulting at the Boston Consulting Group, leadership of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Collaborative, and oversight of the Mayor's Economic Initiatives group and Life Tech Boston initiative for the City of Boston. Mr. Comiso began his career as an electrical engineer at Motorola. He received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Team Member Headshot

Julie Hunt

Administrative Director

Julie Hunt is the Director of Administration of the HLS Program on Biblical Law and Christian Legal Studies (PBLCLS) and the Administrative Director of the CCG Initiative. Previously, she served as the Founding Executive Director of PBLCLS. Before joining Harvard University in 2019, Mrs. Hunt was the Program Manager of the Intellectual Property and Development Program (IPDP) at the University of Minnesota Law School. While at IPDP, she executed a diverse range of development assistance and training projects in emerging countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Mrs. Hunt contributes to CCG decades of critical experience in planning, coordination, and day-to-day operations to ensure the Initiative's strategic goals are fully achieved. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Northern Illinois University and a Graduate Certificate in Technical Communication from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.  

Team Member Headshot

Annelise St. Clair

Program Manager

Annelise St. Clair is the Event and Hospitality Manager of the Harvard Law School Program on Biblical Law and Christian Legal Studies and the Program Manager of the CCG Initiative. In the latter capacity, she manages CCG's daily operations and coordinates resources to ensure the Initiative meets its strategic objectives. Before joining Harvard University, Mrs. St. Clair was the Program Manager for Baylor University's "Baylor in Washington" Program, in which capacity she oversaw the implementation of three annual undergraduate programs and coordinated regular events in the Washington, DC, area. Prior to this, she worked in international communications and events as a Communications Associate at Qatar Foundation International (QFI), a DC-based organization that supports Arabic language education in the United States and Europe. Mrs. St. Clair holds an undergraduate degree in Arab Studies and Digital & Screen Media Studies from Davidson College.

Projects and Initiatives

The Salon

Historically, a salon was a gathering, often in a beautiful home with a skilled host, for conversation and the consideration of art and ideas. Like a tavern or café, it was where cultural, literary, philosophical, and political movements began and continued. It is an intimate place for discussion and the shaping of public values. With expressions in 16th century Italy, 17th century France and 19th century Britain, salons were gatherings around the exchange of ideas. They held, in common, respectful (though often heated and vigorous) conversation, careful consideration, an openness to something new and impactful in the public sphere.

Visiting Researchers and Scholars Program

About

CCG’s Visiting Researchers and Scholars Program welcomes distinguished academics, practitioners, and professionals from around the world to engage in research and scholarly exchange within our vibrant intellectual community. Designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and global engagement, the Program provides a dynamic environment for visitors to pursue independent or collaborative research projects aligned with CCG’s mission.

Objectives

Facilitate academic collaboration and cross-disciplinary research

Enrich the intellectual life of our community through guest lectures, workshops, and seminars

Support knowledge exchange between global scholars and Harvard University’s faculty

Eligibility

We invite applications from:

Established scholars and early-career researchers with a record of academic excellence

Practitioners with significant professional experience relevant to our focus areas

Doctoral candidates (with advanced standing) whose work aligns with our thematic
priorities

Program Features

Opportunities to present and discuss work-in-progress with Harvard faculty, researchers, and students

Access to campus resources, including libraries, research facilities, and office space

Engagement with ongoing research initiatives and academic programs

Duration

Appointments typically range from three months to one academic year, with flexible start dates depending on availability and mutual agreement.

Application Process

Interested individuals should submit:

A current CV

A statement of purpose outlining the proposed research project

Two academic or professional references

Preferred dates of residence

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Courses and Scholarship

Courses

EPI 230: Religion, Well-Being, and Public Health

Prof. Tyler VanderWeele

The course provides an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between religion, well-being, and public health. Over the past three decades, the research literature documenting these relationships has grown dramatically. Evidence has accumulated that religious participation has beneficial effects on all-cause mortality, mental health, cardiovascular disease survival, cancer survival, health behaviors, meaning and purpose, happiness and life satisfaction, social relationships, volunteering, and civic engagement. The course provides a basic introduction to well-being research and reviews the research studies that have been conducted in this area, with a focus on some of the measurement and methodological challenges faced in this research. The course explores future research directions in religion and well-being, as well as questions of relevance to the public health implications of the research. Specific topics include religious participation and longevity, religion and mental health, religion and spirituality in end of life care, religion and purpose, religion and character development, religion and social relationships, forgiveness, and partnerships between religious organizations and public health institutions, including the various tensions encountered in such partnerships. Attention is given throughout to questions of measurement, study design, and methodology, and the challenges in conducting rigorous research in this area.

FYSEMR 65S: Catholic Thought for Contemporary Challenges

Prof. Karin Öberg

Does God exist? If yes, what or who is God? Where does the Universe come from? Are we alone in the Universe? What is a good life? Are there universal human rights? Can wars be just? What makes a good leader? This seminar uses texts and art from the Catholic intellectual tradition to explore how Catholic thought can be applied to contemporary challenges, as well as areas where there may be tension between such thought and contemporary ideas. While the seminar addresses the thought from one particular religion, it does not assume any prior knowledge of Catholicism, much less religious belief. Rather, this seminar is for the curious, who are interested in engaging with the Catholic intellectual tradition, and exploring how its ideas interact with contemporary life. These ideas are presented through a combination of original texts, more recent essays, art, music, architecture, and movies. Due to the wide range of texts and subjects covered, this course relies on several guest lecturers that have expert knowledge in particular aspects of Catholic thought.

HDS 2014: The Flourishing Life: Perspectives from Christian Theology & the Social Sciences

Dr. Brendan Case

This course considers perspectives on human nature and the nature of human flourishing from the Christian theological tradition and from the social sciences. It also explores some important pathways to flourishing, including character and virtue in general and aspects of the virtues of love and religion in particular. The course brings theological (and in some cases philosophical) readings, most often classics, into conversation with recent publications from the social and behavioral sciences. It explores how these distinct disciplines might enrich, qualify, or challenge one another, and considers how their interaction leads to a deepened understanding of our shared pursuit of the good life. Finally, the course considers what practical implications our findings might have both for religious communities, public policy, and the individual pursuit of flourishing.

HLS 1LRG: Christianity in Contemporary Society

Prof. Ruth Okediji

For more than two thousand years there has been controversy and debate about the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and the Christian faith through which those teachings live on. In the centuries since Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection, the claims of Christianity (and opposition to them) have indelibly shaped Western civilization and continue to influence societies worldwide. A central and persistent dispute is whether there is a legitimate role for religion as a normative resource to inform political life and as a basis for a shared legal order in our plural, postmodern world. This course examines this debate considering how Christianity’s central claims – about the nature of humanity, the sanctity of life, justice, duty to one’s neighbors, relationship with God and government – continue to animate contemporary questions about rights, freedoms, equality, and the conditions for human flourishing. Those claims, though not always well lived out or fittingly articulated, are the background music to constitutional debates that define national and global politics, including ideas about church/state relations, care for the vulnerable, and the quality of justice systems. The course considers implications of different instructional genres of biblical text (Old and New Testaments) and competing scholarly accounts that outline moral and ethical insights in three areas vital to a healthy society: 1) equality and human dignity; 2) loving one’s enemies; 3) religion in the public square.

HLS 2169: Legal Profession

Prof. Ruth Okediji

This course examines the rules and standards of professional responsibility and legal ethics with a focus on how the study and practice of law shape the professional identity formation of law students and lawyers. As the Preamble to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct states, “Virtually all difficult ethical problems arise from conflict between a lawyer’s responsibilities to clients, to the legal system and to the lawyer’s own interest in remaining an ethical person while earning a satisfactory living.” The course explores how lawyers can develop practical judgment and good decision-making skills to navigate these conflicts. Using a problem-based approach, the course enhances students' ability to identify ethical issues and apply the professional responsibility standards to the variety of ethical situations lawyers face in daily law practice across different practice settings. Given that lawyers’ often divergent duties may impact their personal integrity, the course considers how faith and moral virtues derived through one’s personal faith inform our understanding of how best to approach ethical challenges. It also addresses how issues of professional responsibility affect lawyers’ well-being and how developing a personal philosophy of lawyering helps lawyers and the legal profession. Note: This course is primarily available to JD 3Ls and LLM students. Seats open to 2Ls if space provides.

HLS 2701: Christian Legal Perspectives

Prof. Ruth Okediji

This seminar explores the role of faith and Biblical Christianity in shaping contemporary legal approaches to a variety of subjects, including the regulation of technology (mainly Artificial Intelligence), criminal justice, feminist studies, race relations and human rights. Students are expected to read materials from cross-disciplinary and theological perspectives.

Scholarship

Balboni, M. J., and Balboni, T. A. (2018). Hostility to Hospitality: Spirituality and Professional Socialization within Medicine. Oxford University Press. 

Ho, M. Y., Worthington, E., Cowden, R., Bechara, A. O., Chen, Z. J., Gunatirin, E. Y., Joynt, S., Khalanskyi, V.V., Korzhov, H., Kurniati, N.M.T., Rodriguez, N., Salnykova, A., Shtanko, L., Tymchenko, S., Voytenko, V.L., Zulkaida, A., Mathur, M. and VanderWeele, T.J. (2024). International REACH Forgiveness Intervention: A Multi-site Randomised Controlled Trial. BMJ Public Health, 2:e000072.

Long, K.N.G., Nakamura, J.S., Long, P.M., Gregg, R.J., Abraham, F., Counted, V., Johnson, B.R., and VanderWeele, T.J. (2025). Flourishing Communities: The Role of Faith Communities in the Promotion of Flourishing and the Common Good. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 44:84-107.

Okediji, R.L. (2023). Christianity and the Law of Biotechnology. In: John Witte, Jr. & Rafael Domingo (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Christianity and Law, Oxford University Press.

Okediji, R. L. (2022). Is the Public Domain Just?: Biblical Stewardship and Legal Protection For Traditional Knowledge Assets. The Columbia Journal of Law & The Arts, 45(4):461-523.

VanderWeele, T.J. (2024). A Theology of Health: Wholeness and Human Flourishing. University of Notre Dame Press. Notre Dame, IN.

VanderWeele, T.J. (2018). Is Forgiveness a Public Health Issue? American Journal of Public Health, 108:189-190.

VanderWeele, T.J. (2024). Justice and Public Health. In: Halliday, T. and Yeo, K.K. Justice and Rights: Dialogues with Nicholas Wolterstorff. Encounters: Theology in Dialogue with the University Series. Langham Publishing, 153-164.

VanderWeele, T.J. and Lee, M.T. (2025). Love and Human Flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, in press.

VanderWeele, T. J., Padgett, R., Case, B., Cowden, R., Hanson, J., Hinton, C., Kurniati, N.M.T., Lomas, T., Long, K., Niemiec, R., Bechara, A.O., Rutledge, J.C., Teubner, J., Town, S., Wilkinson, R. and Lee, M.T. (2025). Love of Neighbor Assessment: Validity, Reliability, and a Template for Measurement. Frontiers in Psychology, in press.

About
Our People
Events
Please rotate phone 90 degrees.