About Us

About the Metanexus Institute

The Metanexus Institute administers the Templeton Research Lectures on behalf of the John Templeton Foundation. The Metanexus Institute advances research, education and outreach on the constructive engagement of science and religion. We seek to foster an enduring intellectual and social movement by collaborating with persons and communities from diverse religious traditions and scientific disciplines. In a spirit of humility and with a deep concern for intellectual rigor, the Metanexus Institute promotes a balanced and exploratory dialogue between science and religion. While mindful of the complexities of this endeavor, we work to develop integrative approaches that enrich the domains of both science and religion.

Metanexus Institute hosts an online magazine and discussion forum with over 180,000 monthly page views and 7000 regular subscribers in 57 different countries. Metanexus administers a number of other projects, including:

• the Local Societies Initiative, funding up to 200 organizations worldwide
• the Spiritual Transformation Scientific Research Project with over $2 million funding 23 social scientific research projects
• the Spiritual Capital Research Project, on the relationship between spiritual committments and economic/social circumstances
• the Templeton Advanced Research Program, fostering innovation in research design as well as the scientific scope and impact of religion and spirituality; and encouraging the development of creative insights into the forces that shape and expand world religions and the human conceptualization of God.

In addition, Metanexus Institute organizes a variety of conferences and events exploring the constructive engagement of science and religion. For more information on Metanexus Institute, go to www.metanexus.net.

About the John Templeton Foundation

The mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to pursue new insights at the boundary between theology and science through a rigorous, open-minded and empirically focused methodology, drawing together talented representatives from a wide spectrum of fields of expertise. Using "the humble approach," the Foundation typically seeks to focus the methods and resources of scientific inquiry on topical areas that have spiritual and theological significance ranging across the disciplines from cosmology to healthcare. For more information about the Templeton Foundation, go to www.templeton.org

About Sir John Templeton

Sir John Templeton graduated from Yale University in 1934 as president of Phi Beta Kappa and was a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford University. As a leader in both financial investments and spiritual endeavors, John Marks Templeton has spent a lifetime encouraging research discovery and open-mindedness. He is universally regarded as a pioneer in the development of high-yield globally diversified mutual funds, founding the highly successful Templeton Growth Fund and Templeton World Fund.

Born in Winchester, Tennessee, John Templeton once dreamed of a career in full time religious service. His first major philanthropic endeavor was in 1972 through the establishment of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. Today, the Templeton Prize is the world's largest monetary award for roughly $1 million.

In 1987, John Templeton was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his philanthropic efforts including his endowment of Templeton College, Oxford. After selling the Templeton Group of mutual funds in 1992, Sir John focused his talents on pioneering new ways of encouraging science methods toward discovering over 100 fold more about spiritual realities such as love and prayer and creativity. Since then, he has authored and edited a dozen books. One of his most recent books, Wisdom From World Religions - Pathways Toward Heaven on Earth is a collection of 200 eternal spiritual principles drawn from the works of essayists and philosophers ranging from Socrates to Benjamin Franklin. Another recent book is Why Are We Created? (with Rev. Rebekah Dunlap).