Henry Luce Foundation supports Indiana University Bloomington’s Center for Religion and the Human with $750,000 grant

The Center for Religion and the Human at Indiana University Bloomington has received a $750,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Religion and Theology Program, the same organization that funded the center’s establishment five years ago. The Center for Religion and the Human will use this newest Henry Luce Foundation grant to support ongoing projects, including a literary journal, a series of books, lectures, and a research project, among others.

According to an article on Indiana University Bloomington’s website, Jonathan VanAntwerpen, who serves as the Program Director for Religion and Theology at the Henry Luce Foundation, was quoted sharing his thoughts about what the Henry Luce Foundation does and about the Center for Religion and the Human and its work, saying, “Supporting scholars who are working together with a wide range of partners and communities to produce new knowledge about religion, the grantmaking of the Luce Foundation’s Religion and Theology Program is oriented by an appreciation of the extraordinary diversity of religion in American public life, by a recognition that the vast and complex story of religion in America is often overlooked or misunderstood, and by a dedication to investing in organizations, networks, and individuals who create, care for, and share knowledge for the benefit of their communities and the wider world. The Center for Religion and the Human at IU Bloomington has been, and continues to be, an important partner in these efforts. We are delighted to have the opportunity to provide support for the Center’s ongoing and innovative work.”

The mission of the Henry Luce Foundation, according to the organization’s website, is to “deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world.” The philanthropic organization aims to do this by “nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.”

This newest grant will support the Center for Religion and the Human for the next three years, and was awarded to four faculty members within the Religious Studies program at Indiana University Bloomington: Constance Furey, M. Cooper Harriss, Sarah Imhoff, and Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, who is the director of the Center for Religion and the Human.

Sullivan shared, “Religion specializes in what it means to be human. This is a collective project. Together with IU students and faculty participants from other universities, we’re excited to continue the Center’s research, creative activity, pedagogical innovation, and programming, building off of what we’ve developed in the first five years of our existence.”

As this most recent grant is focused on continuing the Center for Religion and the Human’s ongoing projects, it will fund the center’s Being Human Institute, Charles H. Long Memorial Lectures, the Iris Book Award, Teaching Religion in Public, Law and Religion, and Jewish Women Thinkers. Additionally, this grant will help fund a research project in the Yucatán Peninsula led by Alexus McLeod, a Religious Studies professor.

Sullivan said, “IU is an excellent place to do this work because of the very special culture here around teaching and research.”

For more information about Indiana University Bloomington, visit the school’s website.