Templeton Prize

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The Templeton Prize
Awarded for Outstanding contributions in affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.
Country United States
Presented by Templeton Foundation
First awarded 1973
Official website The Templeton Prize

The Templeton Prize is an annual award presented by the Templeton Foundation. Established in 1972, it is awarded to a living person who, in the estimation of the judges, "has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works".[1] The prize is named after Sir John Templeton (1912–2008), an American-born British entrepreneur and businessman, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987 for his philanthropic efforts.[2] Until 2001, the name of the prize was "Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion", and from 2002 to 2008 it was called the "Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities".[3][4] It has typically been presented by Prince Philip in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.[5][6][7]

The monetary value of the prize is adjusted so that it exceeds that of the Nobel Prizes, as Templeton felt "spirituality was ignored" in the Nobel Prizes.[8] At £1,200,000, as of 2015,[9] it is the second largest single annual financial prize award (behind the Fundamental Physics Prize) given to an individual by a philanthropic organization.[10][11] The prize is awarded "based on the decision of a panel of distinguished judges from various academic disciplines and religious traditions".[12] Hindus, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and atheists have been on the panel of judges and have been recipients of the prize.[13]

The prize has been criticized: British biologist Richard Dawkins said in his book The God Delusion that the prize was given "usually to a scientist who is prepared to say something nice about religion".[14] Sean M. Carroll, a research associate in the Department of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, criticized his colleagues for taking Templeton research grants when they did not support Templeton's beliefs.[15] Martinus J. G. Veltman, the 1999 Nobel laureate in physics, suggested the prize "bridg[ed] the gap between sense and nonsense".[16]

The inaugural winner of the prize, in 1973, was Mother Teresa, six years before she received the Nobel Peace Prize. She was cited by the Templeton Foundation "for her extraordinary efforts to help the homeless and neglected children of Calcutta," work which "inspired millions of others around the world".[17]

Laureates

Year Laureate Notes Ref(s)
1973 Mother Teresa facing right Mother Teresa Founder, Missionaries of Charity; 1979 Nobel Peace Prize laureate [18]
1974 Frère Roger in a group of people Frère Roger Founder, Taizé Community [19]
1975 Radhakrishnan.jpg Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Former President of India, advocate of non-aggression with Pakistan [19]
1976 Cardinal L. Suenens.jpg Leo Josef Cardinal Suenens Pioneer in the Charismatic Renewal movement [20]
1977 Chiara Lubich, smiling, surrounded by other smiling people Chiara Lubich Founder, Focolare Movement [21]
1978 The Very Rev. Thomas Torrance Former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland [20]
1979 Statue of Niwano.JPG Nikkyō Niwano Cofounder, Risshō Kōsei Kai [20]
1980 Ralph Wendell Burhoe Founder, Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science [22]
1981 Dame Cicely Saunders Founder, hospice and palliative care movement [23]
1982 A black-and-white image of Billy Graham The Rev. Billy Graham Evangelist [24]
1983 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn with his mouth open and lower teeth on show Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Soviet dissident novelist; Nobel laureate [24]
1984 The Rev. Michael Bourdeaux Founder, Keston Institute [19]
1985 Sir Alister Hardy Founder, Religious Experience Research Centre [25]
1986 The Rev. James I. McCord Former president, Princeton Theological Seminary [26]
1987 Father Jaki June 2007.jpg The Rev. Stanley Jaki Benedictine priest; professor of astrophysics, Seton Hall University [24]
1988 Inamullah Khan Former secretary-general, Modern World Muslim Congress [27]
1989 Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker.jpg Carl Friedrich Freiherr von Weizsäcker Physicist and philosopher [20][A]
1989 The Very Rev. and Rt. Hon. The Lord MacLeod of Fuinary Founder, Iona Community [28][A]
1990 Baba Amte Developer of modern communities for people suffering from leprosy [29][B]
1990 Charles Birch Emeritus professor, University of Sydney [30][B]
1991 Rabbi The Rt. Hon. The Lord Jakobovits Former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the Commonwealth [20]
1992 The Rev. Kyung-Chik Han Evangelist and founder, Young Nak Presbyterian Church [31]
1993 Chuck Colson.jpg Charles Colson Founder, Prison Fellowship [19]
1994 Michael Novak behind a lectern, speaking at the Foreign Press Center in Washington Michael Novak Philosopher and diplomat [19]
1995 Paul Davies.jpg Paul Davies Theoretical physicist [32]
1996 Bill Bright Founder, Campus Crusade for Christ [33]
1997 Pandurang Shastri Athavale Social reformer; philosopher; and founder, Swadhyay Movement [33]
1998 Sir Sigmund Sternberg Philanthropist; founder, Three Faith Forum [19]
1999 Ian Barbour Professor emeritus of science, technology and society, Carleton College [34]
2000 Freeman Dyson.jpg Freeman Dyson Professor emeritus, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton [34]
2001 The Rev. Canon Arthur Peacocke Former dean, Clare College, Cambridge [5]
2002 Johnpolkinghorne.jpg The Rev. John Polkinghorne Physicist and theologian [19]
2003 Holmes Rolston III.jpg The Rev. Holmes Rolston III Philosopher [35]
2004 GeorgeEllis-Walking.jpg George F. R. Ellis Cosmologist and philosopher [36]
2005 Charles Townes Nobel.jpg Charles Hard Townes Nobel laureate and physicist [18]
2006 John D. Barrow Cosmologist and theoretical physicist [37]
2007 Charles Taylor giving a lecture at the New School in 2007 Charles Margrave Taylor Philosopher [14]
2008 MKHeller.jpg The Rev. Michał Heller Physicist and philosopher [6]
2009 Bernard d'Espagnat Physicist [7]
2010 Dr. Ayala.jpg Francisco J. Ayala Biologist [38]
2011 Martin Rees at Jodrell Bank in 2007.jpg The Rt. Hon. The Lord Rees of Ludlow Cosmologist and astrophysicist [39]
2012 Dalai Lama 1430 Luca Galuzzi 2007crop.jpg His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate [40]
2013 TutuCOP17.JPG The Most Rev. Desmond Tutu Nobel laureate, social rights activist and retired Anglican archbishop [41]
2014 100px Tomáš Halík Roman Catholic priest, theologian, sociologist http://halik.cz/en/ [42]
2015 702524260 txjiQ-O.jpg Jean Vanier Catholic theologian, humanitarian and founder of L'Arche and Faith and Light [43]

Footnotes

A. a Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker and Lord MacLeod of Fuinary were jointly awarded the prize in 1989.[17]
B. b Baba Amte and Charles Birch were jointly awarded the prize in 1990.[17]

References

General
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External links