Research Insights

This project addresses the Big Question: how can anthropologists and theologians responsibly navigate the extremes of relativism and unreflexive judgmentalism to support good human lives? While both disciplines have explored the concept of good human lives, a collaborative approach is urgently needed to tackle the analytical challenges posed by relativism, which can devolve into amoral nihilism, and judgmentalism, which risks becoming moralistic reproach. By combining theological insights with anthropological methodologies, this project seeks to establish a robust framework for assessing religious doctrines and practices in ways that meaningfully contribute to living good human lives. To this end, the project fosters active collaboration between theologians and anthropologists through a structured series of engagements, including monthly Zoom meetings, two in-person workshops and two master classes. These gatherings will bring together senior and emerging scholars from diverse backgrounds to engage in sustained dialogue and develop innovative approaches. A key objective is to explore definitional criteria for good human lives that remain attentive to cultural and theological particularities while resisting reductive universalism. Through these discussions, anthropologists will gain tools to critically navigate cultural relativism and judgmentalism, while theologians will be encouraged to bridge the gap between professed faith and lived experience, ensuring their contributions are both reflective and practical. By integrating theological and anthropological perspectives, the project aims to provide actionable insights that can positively influence good human living across diverse cultural and religious contexts. The project’s outputs will include an edited book, a special journal issue, podcasts, and conference presentations to share the resulting framework designed to inform both academic inquiry and practical applications.

Funder: Templeton Foundation

Amount: $259,255

PI: James Lemons, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Religion