New project announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2024
Spiritual Innovators Advancing Civic Engagement
[Waltham, Mass.] – The Henry Luce Foundation has made a major grant to support a project led by Chaplaincy Innovation Lab & Glean Network, in partnership with Faith Matters Network & Innofaith. With this support “Spiritual Innovations: Advancing Civic Engagement” will chart a course for a new generation of supporting spirituality in the United States.
With the spiritually unaffiliated (sometimes called “nones”) as the fastest growing religious demographic and an increasing number of religious congregations closing every year, spiritual innovators are poised to reimagine the historic role of religious leadership in civic engagement and demographic participation. This is especially true in communities of color.
Spiritual innovators are those who disrupt the status quo by delivering spiritual and religious content in new, creative, and effective ways. Leading examples include Maurice Winley, who co-founded the Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub; Rev. Jen Bailey’s The People’s Supper; Yoshi Silverstein’s Mitsui Collective; and Rev. Dr. Danielle Buhuro’s Movement Chaplaincy.
“This project will help us better understand how spiritual innovators are facilitating democratic and civic engagement,” said Wendy Cadge, Director of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. “The Lab is excited to partner with Glean and Faith Matters to help bring these new ways of thinking about spiritual care and work to a broader audience.”
This project will map the work of spiritual innovators engaged in the work of civic and democratic transformation across the country, and then bring those innovators together in spaces intended to drive intentional relationship and field building. The project will also partner with theological schools to support innovators in teaching about their work, as well as platforming these innovations through third spaces like the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, Glean Network, and Faith Matters Network. Finally, the project will build a “network of networks” to engage in coordinated efforts and greater collective impact.
This work is also generously supported by the John Templeton Foundation, Hemera Foundation, Wesleyan Impact Partners, Fetzer Institute, and Unitarian Universalist Association.
About Chaplaincy Innovation Lab
The Chaplaincy Innovation Lab (CIL) brings chaplains, theological educators, clinical educators and social scientists into conversation about the work of chaplaincy and spiritual care.
As religious and spiritual life continues to change, the CIL sparks practical innovations that enable chaplains to nurture the spirits of those they serve and reduce human suffering. Our work is shaped by four central commitments maintained by all who are connected to CIL: all are welcome; we respect differences; we value learning together; and we are research-driven.
About Glean Network
Glean Network is a growing community of faith-rooted leaders who find themselves at the crossroads of tradition and innovation. We seek to reimagine the role of faith in an ever-changing world that yearns for meaning, belonging, and justice. Learn more at GleanNetwork.org.
About the Henry Luce Foundation
The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Luce Foundation advances its mission by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development. Learn more at HLuce.org.
Media Contact:
Michael Skaggs
Director of Programs
Chaplaincy Innovation Lab
Phone: (812) 269-2370
Email: michael@chaplaincyinnovation.org
Website: ChaplaincyInnovation.org