Timur Kuran, Professor of Economics and Law and King Faisel Professor of
Islamic Thought and Culture at the University of Southern California: The Role
of Religion in the Economic Performance of Civilizations.

assistants communities

Kuran's project will advance ongoing research on the role of Islam, and
especially Islamic law, in the economic performance of the Middle East from
its rise in the 7th century to the present. Results will
be disseminated through scholarly and lay publications, conferences, speaking
engagements and websites.5
million in research funds .metanexus. Metanexus leads and
facilitates over 300 projects in 36 countries. http://www.org

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"Now seems an ideal time to understand and assess the public effects of
spiritual and religious action because there seems to be a growing openness in
the social sciences towards non -material factors," says Sargeant.
In addition to the three funded projects that are just beginning , the
Metanexus Institute has issued a new call for proposals for $150,000 research
grants for interdisciplinary studies on the economic and social consequences
of religion and spirituality.net or 215-789-2200.

religion organizations

http://www.

arche denominations

jean usa

com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050324/PHTH031LOGO )
The term "spiritual capital " refers to the economic and social
consequences of religion and spirituality. "It is no
longer unusual to consider that trust, behavioral norms and religion can
profoundly shape economic, political and social developments. Metanexus is
a leader in a growing network of individuals and groups exploring the dynamic
interface between cosmos, nature, and culture in communities and on campuses
throughout the world.

uk usa

Three Grants of $500 000 Each Awarded for Research on 'Spiritual Capital' by Metanexus Institute

Business Editors

CHICAGO----Organizations across
industries rely heavily on teams to help them compete in their
respective markets.

society denominations

D. It will also facilitate a broader
range of study by bringing together a network of scholars, to be
known as the Institute for Economic Research on Civilizations (IERC), to
promote comparative research and raise the level of discourse on the role of
various religions and forms of spiritual capital in the economic performance
of civilizations .
This project seeks to evaluate the influence of various religions on
health, education and the economy by measuring religious distinctions and the
resulting impact on national, community and individual levels in societies
around the world. The aim of the Spiritual Capital Research
Program is to catalyze the development of this interdisciplinary research
field, which may become a vital new field in the social sciences. Projects include the Local
Societies Initiative, the Templeton Research Lectures, and topical
interdisciplinary research projects such as the Spiritual Transformation
Scientific Research Program, Spiritual Capital Research Program, Foundational
Questions in Physics and Cosmology, as well as studies of religion and health,
religion and human flourishing, and other endeavors. A membership
organization, Metanexus hosts an online magazine and discussion forum with
over 140,000 monthly page views and 7000 regular subscribers in 57 different
countries.

denominations christianity

Only in recent years have leading scholars,
including Nobel laureate economists Gary Becker and Robert Fogel and political
scientists John DiIulio and Robert Putnam, called renewed attention to the
effects of spiritual and religious practices, beliefs and institutions on
economics, politics and societies .

spirituality help

While religion and spirituality
are rich with various sources of personal meaning, they also have profound
public significance. The Spiritual Capital Research Program will fund high-
level research that could lead to new understandings of religion's role in
economic, social and political life.

A case study on Smith + Nephew explores how a division of the
global medical device company rolled out effective e-learning in eight
countries.

catholicism assistants

how communities

PHILADELPHIA, Three distinguished scholars have
each received grants of $500,000 to lead teams of researchers in order to
create a new interdisciplinary field of "Spiritual Capital" research.
Winners of the invitation-only competition for the three founding grants
in the Spiritual Capital Research Program were announced by Kimon H.
This project includes the development of an international Consortium for
the Economic Study of Religion (CESR), bringing visiting scholars together at
George Mason University for interdisciplinary and collaborative workshops,
classes, research projects and conferences, instituting an economics-as -
religion concentration for doctoral students, and creating a global network of
scholars and institutes .
The Metanexus Institute is interested in supporting high-level, impartial
scholarship on the contribution of religion - both for good and for ill - to
economic and social developments.
In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith raised key questions for the economic
analysis of religion and looked at the effects of competition among religions
and the dangers of government of religion .

dependent christianity

Each project is 30 months in duration, beginning March 2005.net/spiritual_capital
or contact project manager Christopher Stawski at
SpiritualCapital@metanexus.net

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.templeton. This Human Capital feature in the March
issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine discusses why the right
combination of collaboration and personalized learning can create team
impact.

communities christianity

The
grants are awarded through a program of the Metanexus Institute on Religion
and Science, supported by generous funding from the John Templeton Foundation.
Since then, social scientists have vigorously debated the concept of
social capital, but spiritual capital - a sub-set of the field - remains
relatively understudied.

help catholicism

(Logo: http://www. One section will analyze the impact of 150 years of
missionary activity; a second section will analyze the economic consequences
of Pentecostal conversions in Brazil; a third section will focus on the
influence of revivalist Islam and Christianity in rural Malawi.metanexus. To read the article, visit www.CLOmedia.

people uk

, Director for Research and Programs in the Human Sciences at Metanexus.

Robert Woodberry, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of
Texas at Austin: Project on Religion and Economic Change. Just 100 years ago Max Weber
published his provocative work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism. A teams' ability to perform at a consistently high
level and adapt quickly to escalating business demands can help
determine shareholder returns.

assistants religion

Sargeant,
Ph ."
Principal investigators heading the award-winning teams and their projects
are:

Laurence Iannaccone, Koch Professor of Economics at George Mason
University: Creating an "Ecology " for the Study of Religion, Economics, and
Spiritual Capital.com

people canada

newscom.
For further information on the Spiritual Capital Research Program,
including submission guidelines for the new granting opportunities, or to
request a program brochure, visit http://www.

people organizations

Letters of intent are due no later than April
15, 2005.

help assistants

Full grant applications will then be invited for a total of $1 .

The Metanexus Institute advances scientific research, education and
outreach on the constructive engagement of science and religion. Metanexus sponsors dialogue groups, lectures,
workshops, research , courses, grants, and publications.