Spiritual Exemplars: A Global Project on Engaged Spirituality

Research on moral exemplars has tended to ignore the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of extraordinary individuals who are addressing challenging humanitarian issues. This project on spiritual exemplars profiles 100 individuals through journalistic articles, podcasts, video documentaries and scholarly case studies. The project is global in scope and includes individuals from multiple religious traditions. The focus of the project is on social entrepreneurs who are inspired by religious values and are sustained on a daily basis by their personal spiritual practices of prayer and meditation. The project has dual goals: To contribute to the public conversation about the role of religion in making a positive contribution to social change, and to develop a subfield within research on exemplars that addresses the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of extraordinary individuals whose passion and moral commitment are worthy of emulation. By the end of the three-year project, 60 journalistic articles will have been published in major newspapers and magazines, 9 podcast episodes will have been produced, 10 video profiles will have been developed, 25 academic case studies will have been written, three scholarly articles will have been drafted, and one book manuscript will have been completed, along with a website where all project materials will reside. This project on engaged spirituality offers an alternative narrative about the role of religion in contemporary society, focusing on living exemplars, profiling their heroic activities, spiritual struggles, and complex engagement with specific social issues.