john gehman

“Nature is poetic because, without change, there is no change. Poetry is the chaos of change.” —john clayton gehman

john clayton gehman (he/him) is a graduate student candidate in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) course at the Harvard Divinity School. He concentrates in philosophy of religion and the “hard problem of consciousness.” john explores heart-based and consciousness-based spiritualities, non-dualist philosophies, and collective and strategic organization for liberation and justice. 

He is a 2023-2024 Student Grant recipient from the Office of Sustainability and oversees his original program, “The Heart of Nature,” a “presence group” convening upon questions on nature, race, and human consciousness in the contemporary time. john is a student affiliate with the Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs and is currently writing on “the man of light” (as in Henry Corbin) and “nature” to provide a consciousness-based perspective on collective and spiritual liberation, human flourishing, and justice and healing in race, climate, and colonial catastrophe.  

john is also a professional barista and coffee artist in the third-wave coffee industry. The current iteration of The Heart of Nature focuses on the cultivation of heart-based consciousness and principles of being and becoming.