Templeton Foundation Vice President to Speak at Inaugural CRIAD Lecture

Arthur Schwartz, executive vice president of the John Templeton Foundation, will deliver at Baylor University's inaugural CRIAD (Center for Religious Inquiry Across Disciplines) lecture Nov. 14.
Schwartz' lecture, "From Biology to Beliefs to Behavior: Exploring the Nature and Benefits of Religious Experience," will begin at 7 p.m. in the SBC Theater at the Sue and Frank Mayborn Museum. The lecture is free and open to the public.
"Arthur Schwartz is one of the brightest and most knowledgeable scholars I know when it comes to the interface of science and religion," said Dr. Byron Johnson, professor of sociology and director of CRIAD. "He's equally at home among psychologists, sociologists, theologians, economists, ethicists, and even those in the hard sciences. He has helped lead many path-breaking initiatives for the John M. Templeton Foundation and is always thinking up the next innovative program for bringing scientific methodologies to bear on the study of religion."
Schwartz has served the Templeton Foundation for 10 years, previously serving as senior program officer and vice president for programs and research in the human sciences. He directed the "What Works in Enterprise-based Solutions to Poverty" prize program, a grants competition to promote public understanding of how entrepreneurship and market reforms are alleviating poverty and accelerating its disappearance in areas of the world where poverty has been most oppressive.
Schwartz also designed and launched "Spirituality in Higher Education," a landmark national study that examines the search for meaning and purpose among college students. Additionally, he has directed the Foundation's recent funding initiatives within the fields of gifted education and character development. He continues to serve as executive editor for "In Character: A Journal of Everyday Virtues."
Prior to joining the Foundation, Schwartz taught at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and served for several years as a director of dropout prevention programs for the School District of Philadelphia. In 1990, he was recognized for successful efforts to reduce school dropouts at a White House ceremony hosted by President George H.W. Bush. He has delivered papers at numerous national conferences and published articles in the "Harvard Educational Review," "Journal of Moral Education," "Educational Record," "Liberal Education" and "The Chronicle of Higher Education," among others. He recently authored the lead chapter in the Hoover Institution volume "Bringing in a New Era in Character Education."
For more information on his lecture, call 710-7555.