By Mario Cader-Frech, MRPL ’24
Editor’s Note: Mario Cader-Frech reflects on his experience as an MRPL student working on his final project. Cader-Frech tells us what brought him here, how his experience at HDS has been, and what he hopes to do with his divinity school education after graduation.
Mario Cader-Frech, MRPL ’24, is a co-Founder of KC Social Impact Lab, a global social impact consulting business specializing in social responsibility strategy development, behavioral change communications and campaigns, and building strategic partnerships. He is responsible for overseeing DeeperDive.org, a project ideated at Harvard Divinity School promoting just peace through the advancement of religious literacy in Hollywood, offering trainings to media executives and screenwriters, as well as research studies on the intersection of faith and media.
What was your career path prior to HDS? What brought you here?
During my 20-year tenure at ViacomCBS, as Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility, I spearheaded over 60 impactful initiatives addressing pressing social issues such as HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, bullying, teen pregnancy, gender and race equity, and LGBTQ+ rights. During my tenure I developed a financially sustainable business model for social impact media that is now in use by many companies around the world.
Driven by a deep curiosity about the intersection of religion and media, in the Fall of 2015 I embarked on a new path and transitioned to study (part-time) at Harvard Divinity School, seeking a profound understanding of the relationship between these spheres. In 2018 I obtained a Graduate Certificate in Religion and Education which informed me how religion and media intersect, and can create a positive influence on society by examining religious representation in media and its potential for shaping cultural narratives. From 2018 to 2022, I served as a Religion & Media Fellow at HDS, were I was informed to help the ideation of the DeeperDive.org project.
In 2022, I applied to become a full-time student and pursue the Master of Religion in Public Life, to further develop a program that advocates embracing religion as part of diversity, equity, and inclusion at media companies.
What is your MRPL project? How has your time here pursuing it here been so far?
My MRPL project is to develop a religious literacy course for Hollywood screenwriters—and to create a network that brings together media professionals and scholars of media, religion, and business to foster critical reflection and collaborative relationships to improve religious literacy of the American public. Film and television are often the main sources through which people learn about different religions, yet this area remains inadequately studied. Despite significant research and progress in this field, portrayals of religious beliefs, affiliations, and practices in these mediums are frequently oversimplified and reinforce stereotypes—often, wrong or outdated stereotypes. Hollywood’s decision-making process is often influenced by a select group of individuals who tend to have a uniform view of audience preferences. As a result, the content produced often presents a simplistic and one-dimensional perspective on faith and religion. The project is tackling the structural inequity of inadequate and biased religious representation in media. This misrepresentation has far-reaching implications in addition to reinforcing stereotypes. It influences public perceptions and contributes to a societal misunderstanding of religion’s role and prevalence. Ultimately, this project is aimed at advancing religious literacy in ways that will address the structural inequities that the lack of sophisticated, complex, and nuanced understanding of religion promotes.
My MRPL cohort, academic advisor, and HDS Religion and Public Life faculty and staff have all been pivotal in helping me “re-think” the project (as it was on my initial application).
What do you hope to do after HDS/how do you plan on bringing what you do, and learn, at HDS with you?
In addition to the development of the religious literacy course for Hollywood screenwriters, I plan to continue developing the DeeperDive.org project by offering in-person workshops and trainings to media companies to help integrate religion in their DEI efforts. I will continue to do research on the top films that are released each year and demonstrate how religion plays a vital role in screenwriting (whether implicitly or explicitly). I will also be a part of the Aspen Institute Religion & Society cohort, the Faith and Media Initiative Coalition, and the Impact-Guild Network—a network for media executives who create, or distribute, media, arts, or entertainment for social good.
What are some of your favorite parts of HDS so far?
The mix of student backgrounds, the camaraderie that a “small” school can offer, the range of events we can participate in, and Wednesday’s Noon Service.
Anything else you’d like to share with us? Any advice for prospective MRPL students? (Or HDS prospective students in general?)
For those interested in the MRPL program, it does not matter if the prospect student has an idea, a pilot program, or an existing project. The MRPL is designed for individuals interested in exploring the intersection of religion and public life—at any stage and for all ages. Our cohort is composed of ages in the 20s to the 60s.
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