Fuller faculty member to lead $1.8 million grant from Templeton Religion Trust for Pioneering Global Research on Spiritual Maturity and Flourishing
Fuller Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that Dr. David C. Wang will be the principal investigator on a research grant of $1,813,487 from the Templeton Religion Trust. This five-year grant, awarded to the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity at Calvin University, will support the jointly-led project titled “Forming Religious Education and Leadership towards a Global, Ecumenical, Culturally Decentered Vision of Spiritual Maturity and Flourishing.”
Fuller President Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley said, “This grant enables a crucial exploration into the diversity of spiritual maturity across global Christian contexts. It’s a pioneering step towards understanding and fostering spiritual growth that resonates within varied cultural landscapes.”
The project aligns with Fuller’s longstanding commitment to integrating rigorous academic research with deep spiritual insights. It will involve key partnerships with major theological and ecclesiastical institutions worldwide, including the World Council of Churches, The Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology (DePaul University), the All Africa Council of Churches, the Asia Theological Association, and many others.
Wang expressed his enthusiasm: “We are deeply grateful for this partnership with Templeton Religion Trust, which will allow us to expand our research onto a global scale. Our current understanding of Christian maturity does not largely reflect the contexts, perspectives, and realities of where Christianity is growing and flourishing the most globally. This project will aim to help change that.”
The research aims to address key questions about the nature of spiritual maturity and its development across different cultural contexts, enhancing the global church’s capacity to foster deeper spiritual and community life.
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