Institute for Spirituality, Religion & Public Life

The new Institute for Spirituality, Religion and Public Life is a research, teaching and training centre which focuses on three areas:

-  Health & Social Care, including the family
-  Professions & Business
-  Political & Civic Engagement

Research and scholarship around the area of spirituality, religion and public life has been increasing over the past two decades, leading to a greater confidence around the engagement of faith with public life. The Institute's objectives are therefore to further develop research and scholarship around the multiple interactions between religion, generic spirituality and public life, plus develop post-graduate courses in this area and training for professional and voluntary bodies. The Institute also aims to develop links and partnerships with business, professions, religious and spiritual communities and institutions.

With the term 'spirituality' being generic, focusing on metaphysical and existential meaning that is not exclusive to formal religion and the term 'religion' applying to institutional religion and related spirituality, it seeks to study how individuals and organisations relate to and develop this meaning in their public life. The Institute's work will therefore focus on how the major faiths relate to civil society and work, and how inter and intra-faith dialogue informs this.