“By [Wallis’] own lifetime work and the speakers he’s brought in, he’s given a lot of concrete examples of how it’s really faith that gives people hope,” she said.

Wallis taught a course called “Faith, Politics and Society” at the KSG four years ago.

Since then, he has remained involved in the University, giving a number of speeches on the role of faith in political action and social change at the KSG and Divinity School.

He said that during the student takeover of Massachusetts Hall in the spring of 2001, students inside the building called him to “chat strategy.”

Wallis said his main goal in the study groups—and, more broadly, his role at Harvard—is to involve as many students as possible in movements for social justice.

“I want to build social movements,” he said after the meeting, “it’s social movements with a spiritual focus that change things.”