The Center for Process Studies (CPS) has been awarded a grant from the John Templeton Foundation to launch an innovative interdisciplinary project entitled Modern Meaning: Spiritual Yearning and the Quest for a Flourishing World. The initiative brings together scholars from philosophy, theology, psychology, and the natural sciences to investigate one of the defining questions of our time: How can contemporary understandings of the universe support lives of meaning, purpose, and hope?
Across many disciplines, researchers have noted growing concern about a modern “meaning crisis,” particularly among younger adults, alongside renewed philosophical and scientific interest in questions of consciousness, intelligence, and the nature of reality. The project will explore how different metaphysical frameworks—including panentheistic and panpsychic perspectives—may help illuminate these questions while remaining in constructive dialogue with contemporary science and philosophy.
“Our goal is not to advance a single worldview as the final answer,” said project lead Dr. Sheri D. Kling. “Rather, we want to create a rigorous interdisciplinary conversation that asks whether emerging understandings of mind, nature, and value can contribute to a more coherent and meaningful vision of reality—one that resonates both intellectually and existentially.”
The project will unfold through four interconnected phases:
- An interdisciplinary working symposium bringing together leading scholars, scientists, artists, and communicators to refine key conceptual questions and frameworks.
- An empirical research study led by psychologist of meaning Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren, examining how different metaphysical perspectives influence meaning-making and worldview coherence among college students.
- A collaborative integration phase in which symposium participants refine conceptual insights in light of empirical findings.
- A public education initiative featuring an online course and video series that translate the project’s findings into engaging and accessible resources for broader audiences.
Project Co-Lead Dr. Andrew M. Davis, Research and Academic Director of the Center for Process Studies, emphasized the project’s interdisciplinary character.
“This initiative brings philosophers, theologians, scientists, psychologists, and artists into genuine collaboration around questions that no single discipline can answer alone. It represents exactly the kind of integrative inquiry needed to address contemporary questions about consciousness, meaning, and human flourishing.”
By combining conceptual inquiry, empirical research, and public education within a single initiative, the project seeks to create an ongoing conversation that extends well beyond the academy.
Founded in 1973, the Center for Process Studies has spent more than five decades fostering interdisciplinary scholarship at the intersection of philosophy, theology, science, ecology, and culture. This new project continues that tradition by combining conceptual inquiry, empirical research, and public engagement in pursuit of a deeper understanding of how models of reality shape human experience.
The project is supported through a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.
About the Center for Process Studies
The Center for Process Studies is an independent research center dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary dialogue on philosophy, theology, science, ecology, and human flourishing. Through research, publications, educational initiatives, and global partnerships, CPS explores process-relational approaches to understanding reality and addressing the challenges of the contemporary world.
Wm. Andrew Schwartz
Dr. Wm. Andrew Schwartz is an American philosopher and activist. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Process Studies (CPS), Co-Founder & Vice President of the Institute for Ecological Civilization (EcoCiv), and Associate Professor of Process Studies and Comparative Philosophy at Claremont School of Theology (CST). His research and teaching covers a wide range of topics, such as environmental philosophy, philosophy of religion, Asian and comparative philosophies, metaphysics, economic philosophy, philosophy of mind, philosophy of education, and more. However, his current work mainly focuses the application of process philosophy in understanding reality, understanding humanity, and understanding how best to organize systems of society for ecological civilization. He is author/editor of 7 books, including What is Ecological Civilization (2019) and The Metaphysics of Paradox (2018). As Executive Director, Andrew has overall strategic and operational responsibility for CPS, including development and implementation of the CPS mission, programs, and strategic vision.
Sheri D. Kling
Sheri D. Kling, PhD is a theologian, songwriter, and spiritual teacher who draws from wisdom and mystical traditions, relational worldviews, depth psychology, and the intersection of spirituality and science to help people find meaning, belonging, and transformation. She serves as director of Process & Faith with the Center for Process Studies, interim minister of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Bradenton, Florida, and teaches regularly for the Haden Institute and Claremont School of Theology, from which she earned her doctorate. She is the author of A Process Spirituality: Christian and Transreligious Resources for Transformation, and editor of Renewing Faith: Reigniting Faith and Ministry through Process and Open & Relational Theologies. As a public speaker, Sheri delivers dynamic presentations to groups, and offers courses, concerts, and spiritual retreats. She can be found online at sherikling.com, at sherikling.substack.com and also on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@
Andrew M. Davis
Dr. Andrew M. Davis is an American process philosopher, theologian, and scholar of the cosmos. He is Research and Academic Director for the Center for Process Studies, where he researches, writes, teaches, and organizes conferences on various aspects of process-relational thought. An advocate of metaphysics and meaning in a hospitable universe, he approaches philosophy as the endeavor to systematically think through what reality must be like—because we are a part of it. He is author, editor, and co-editor of nearly a dozen books, including Mind, Value, and Cosmos: On the Relational Nature of Ultimacy (2020); Process Cosmology: New Integrations in Science and Philosophy (2022); Metaphysics of Exo-Life: Toward a Constructive Whiteheadian Cosmotheology (2023); and Whitehead and Teilhard: From Organism to Omega (2025). His forthcoming book is a comprehensive yet conversational introduction to Alfred North Whitehead titled Whitehead’s Universe: A Prismatic Introduction. Follow his work at andrewmdavis.info.