Templeton Religion Trust

Religion is a dominant force around the world. Journalists often overlook or misconstrue religion as one of the most powerful forces in society. Since 1999, Faith Angle has been helping elite U.S. journalists make more room for religion in their work. The program hosts regular…

When you picture a scientist, who do you see? New research from C.A. Sharp and colleagues reveals how our mental image of “a scientist” can quietly exclude. In five studies, they found: - Religious people often accept the idea that scientists can be religious, too. - But…

What if misunderstandings of laïcité went away?

Can faith make us more morally consistent? Grantees Onurcan Yilmaz and Ozan Isler are leading a new kind of investigation. Through carefully designed experiments with real-world stakes, not just surveys or hypotheticals, they’re testing whether religious belief shapes moral…

Many evangelical Christians view science as an opponent or a handmaiden to faith rather than an ally and interlocutor. Unfortunately, this leads some Christians to think that orthodox Christian theology, and, more specifically, the belief that the Bible is definitive and…

What if how we see art depends more on our brains than our eyes? Watch the full video: bit.ly/3OPdjlU

Can religion make us more morally consistent? This project highlights not only how belief systems shape individual choices but also how they might be leveraged to strengthen cooperation, respect, and societal cohesion in a pluralistic world. Learn more about this project…

What if faith had a place in public life? In France, where laïcité, a strict form of secularism, shapes public policy and culture, religious expression is often seen as private at best, and unwelcome at worst. But what happens when a new generation of evangelical leaders is…

We’ve redesigned how you browse grantee projects on our website, making it easier to explore how religions intersect with everything from technology and science to art and society. See what questions are being asked and answered: bit.ly/4ljOuMU

Does living longer mean living more faithfully? New research suggests the answer depends on who you ask. Sociologists analyzed survey data from over 3,400 Americans to explore how religion and race shape attitudes toward life extension technologies. What they found challenges…

Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF), is seeking its next President to carry forward Sir John Templeton’s legacy. TWCF (@TempletonWorld) is a global philanthropic organization based in Nassau, Bahamas, dedicated to funding interdisciplinary research and scientific…

What if religions knew the power of their architecture?

It’s easy to take the interplay of words and images for granted. We see instances of it almost every day – in advertisements, political cartoons, and graffiti, for instance. Usually, it’s obvious why the words are there – even though it’s said that images speak louder than a…

Can spiritual practices change how we feel? Not just about life, but about ourselves? According grantee Patty Van Cappellen's article in @PsychToday, the answer is yes. Spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, gratitude, and rituals don’t just offer comfort, they actively…

Being religious doesn’t mean rejecting science. In a global study led by Joshua Jackson and colleagues, religious participants reported drawing on both religion and science to make sense of the world—valuing each as useful, though distinct, ways of understanding. Key insights:…

What if art helped us see the world more clearly? What if religions were a way of seeing the depth and significance of the world? What if religions made the world a work of art?

What does it take to build trust where there’s been so much loss? In a country scarred by coups, conflict, and deep divisions, a group of Sudanese clerics, pastors and imams, came together for something rare: three days of honest dialogue. The retreat, led by Pastor Bob…

Across cultures, religions and time, it seems that people have been constantly searching, seeking, and longing for something more. Is this restlessness that we all feel, but cannot quite define, universal? Is it human nature to long for something more, something bigger than…

The Global Flourishing Study is the most ambitious effort yet to map the contours of human well-being across cultures, faiths, and life circumstances. Spanning five years, 22 countries, and over 200,000 participants, it explores how factors like purpose, relationships, health,…

Today we're announcing that after twelve years of trusted leadership, Christopher Stewart will be retiring from his position as Chief Grants Officer of Templeton Religion Trust at the end of June. During his tenure at Templeton Religion Trust, Dr. Stewart faithfully executed…