How little we know,
What if we invested in the idea of infinite discovery?
How little we know,
Can science help us discover new spiritual realities?
How little we know,
Can we measure and nurture human imagination?
How little we know,
What if we took a more humble approach to discovering truths about the infinite?
How little we know,
how eager to learn.
Si r Joh n Templeton (191 2-2 0 0 8) Self-motivated and self-made, John Templeton saw
and seized opportunity where others did not, first taking risks in the investment world and later in life, in philanthropy, establishing the Templeton Prize in 1972 and the John Templeton Foundation in 1987. His “investment� goals now involved bringing together open-minded people, from across disciplines, in the pursuit of new understandings as they address the Big Questions facing mankind. Sir John’s stated aim was to liberate and empower the human mind, to encourage people to overcome their passivity, and to ask the difficult questions. This open-mindedness, coupled with humility, he believed, could provide the surest way to both spiritual and material progress.
We invite you to join us in our pursuit of infinite discovery.
The Vision
J
o h n Te m p l e to n b e li eve d t h a t h u m a n beings know less than one percent of
what is knowable about the “Unlimited Creative Spirit” people may call God, or the divine. Sir John encouraged the discover y of spiritual realities by supporting non-traditional “venture research.” His aim was to uncover new information from diverse perspectives that would enlighten us about human potential, divine power, virtue-based living, and our universe as a whole. Bold thinkers devoted to the scientific method—if their efforts were backed by substantial investments—might produce intellectual
Image: Jennifer Gottschalk/Shutterstock
breakthroughs capable of transforming the world.
What is futuremindedness and how might it enhance self-control?
How does humility contribute to strength?
Why should we care about human evolution today?
Science, Religion, And The Big Questions
Why should scientists care about religion?
Does belief in free will make us better people?
Can you learn to control your mind?
What is wisdom?
Let’s Ask Big Questions
How can we help exceptionally gifted students reach their full potential?
Character Virtue Development
What makes us generous?
Exceptional Cognitive Talent and Genius
How can we encourage and inculcate intellectual virtues?
Genetics
How can we ensure that a connected population continues to be empowered and prosperous?
Freedom And Free Enterprise
What effects do genomics research and discoveries have on religious and moral beliefs?
We aim to influence through altering the status quo and opening doors to new possibilities. The “Faith Matters” project yielded an important book by Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell—American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. It contains insight into how Americans defiantly remain both religiously engaged and deeply tolerant.
Martin Seligman’s innovative work at the University of Pennsylvania led to his codifying the field of Positive Psychology. His work examining healthy states such as well-being, strength of character, and optimism has led to further support of prizes for accomplishments in the field.
Support for non-traditional work at the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love and the Campaign for Forgiveness Research increased our understanding of human relationships.
In 1992, a Templeton Foundation grant encouraged U.S. medical schools to incorporate the study of spirituality into their curriculum. From an initial influence of 3 schools‌
‌there are now more than 100 schools teaching spirituality and the first textbook on Spirituality in Healthcare, was published by Oxford in 2013.
We hope to inspire others to expand their thoughts and actions beyond provincial borders and matters of self-interest.
Nautilus: Science Connected was begun in 2013. A quarterly magazine with weekly online chapters, it sets into motion a running exploration of the question, “What does or does not make humans special?”
The Templeton Press, founded in 1996, encourages publications that “promote a deeper understanding of spirituality, beliefs, and values on human health,” with all forms of media accepted. A strategic copublishing partnership with Yale University Press has yielded a new series, “Foundational Questions in Science” with prominent authors at the cutting edge of scholarship.
The Little Red Wagon is a Templeton-funded film whose inspiring account of the young Zach Bonner’s foundation work has led to greater public awareness and support of the work of foundations. The film—and it’s real-life hero—are inspiring a culture of generosity among youth.
Arête (meaning excellence), part of the Templeton Strategic Initiatives program, has created research teams designed to accelerate research through cross-disciplinary work. Psychologist John Cacioppo founded the program at the University of Chicago.
The World Science Festival, initiated in 2008 by Brian Greene and Tracy Day, with the Templeton Foundation as a founding benefactor of the “Big Ideas Series,” has been hailed by the New York Times as “a new cultural institution.” The Festival cultivates a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.
“And the winner is…” Capturing the promise of philanthropic prizes, this Templeton-supported report by McKinsey & Company’s Social Sector Office, is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the global prize industry. Today there are 219 prizes worth more than $100,000, with a total purse of some $375 million, with more than a quarter created since 2000, due to the rise of younger philanthropists.
The “Laws of Life” program awards cash prizes to teenage boys and girls from more than 27 states and 54 countries for writing 500-word essays on principles by which they plan to live. Several books have been published featuring student essays from all over the world on respect, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
Founded by the CEO of the San Francisco group Encore.org and co-launched by the Templeton Foundation and the Atlantic Philanthropies, The Purpose Prize awards up to $100,000 to social innovators over the age of 60 who are “changing the world.” An NPR blogger calls The Prize “a kind of MacArthur ‘genius award’ for retirees.”
The Templeton Prize honors “entrepreneurs of the spirit” who have devoted their talents to expanding our vision of human purpose and ultimate reality. The Prize celebrates no particular faith tradition or notion of God, but rather the quest for progress in humanity’s efforts to comprehend the many and diverse manifestations of the Divine.
Photo: Clifford Shirley/Templeton Prize
We provide incentive for the continuation and emulation of good works through recognition and tangible rewards.
Templeton Prize Laureates
1979 The Rev. Nikkyo Niwano
2001 The Rev. Canon Dr. Arthur Peacocke
2008 The Rev. Prof. Michael Heller
1973 Mother Teresa
1980 Prof. Ralph Wendell Burhoe
2002 The Rev. Dr. John C. Polkinghorne
2009 Prof. Bernard d’Espagnat
1974 Brother Roger
1981 Dame Cicely Saunders
1986 The Rev. Dr. James McCord
1991 The Rt. Hon. The Lord Jakobovits
1996 William R. “Bill” Bright
2003 Prof. Holmes Rolston III
2010 Prof. Francisco J. Ayala
1975 Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
1982 The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham
1987 The Rev. Prof. Stanley L. Jaki
1992 The Rev. Dr. Kyung-Chik Han
1997 Sri Pandurang Shastri Athavale
2004 Prof. George F. R. Ellis
2011 Prof. Martin Rees
1976 H.E. Leon Joseph Cardinal Suenens
1983 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1988 Dr. Inamullah Khan
1993 Charles W. Colson
1998 Sir Sigmund Sternberg
2005 Prof. Charles H. Townes
2012 The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso
1977 Chaira Lubich
1984 The Rev. Michael Bourdeaux
1989* The Very Rev. The Lord MacLeod & Prof. Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker
1994 Michael Novak
1999 Prof. Ian Graeme Barbour
2006 Prof. John D. Barrow
2013 Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
1985 Sir Alister Hardy
1990* Murlindhar Devidas Baba Amte & Prof. L. Charles Birch
1995 Prof. Paul Davies
2000 Prof. Freeman J. Dyson
2007 Prof. Charles Taylor
1978 The Very Rev. Prof. Thomas F. Torrance
* awarded jointly
Are you curious?
Par tnerships are critical to identif ying emerging needs and opportunities. Do you see a way that we might benef it humanity through a connection between yo u r id ea s a n d t h e v i s io n s o u t li n e d here? Together, where can we go next
To explore your philanthropic ideas with the John Templeton Foundation, contact us at outreach@ templeton.org
Photo: ŠHarold Davis
with enough curiosity and imagination?
“The one in a million who contributes a new idea to humanity can be a blessing to billions.” – Sir John Templeton
300 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 500 West Conshohocken, PA 19428 USA TEL 610.941.2828 outreach@templeton.org www.templeton.org Twitter: @Templeton_Fdn www.facebook.com/TempletonFoundation