Introducing the Discover Forgiveness Website

Introducing DiscoverForgiveness.org

Working with academics from around the world, the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF) and the John Templeton Foundation (JTF) have launched the first-ever digital space housing key research into the science of forgiveness.

The Discover Forgiveness website is a vibrant new home for forgiveness research — a digital hub filled with compelling and surprising science, carefully curated by an expert Forgiveness Scientific Advisory Council and brought to life by the award-winning design agency, Pentagram. 

Forgiveness is a universal tool for human flourishing and well-being. The study and practice of forgiveness is a central aspect of Templeton World Charity Foundation’s commitment to fund innovations for human flourishing. “After 20 years of fantastic research led by a group of world-class experts, the science is clear: forgiveness works,” says TWCF President, Andrew Serazin.

From Discover Forgiveness: “The science of forgiveness is an ever-evolving field. As with other areas of science, there are many applications of this knowledge. Educators, religious leaders, mental health professionals, business-leaders and employers, as well as neighbors, family members, parents, and spouses can all benefit from learning more about forgiveness — what it is and is not, and how it leads to healing.”

Forgiveness research has wide-ranging implications for many aspects of culture, society, and daily life including:

• Physical and Mental Health This research illustrates how forgiveness can help improve human health, psychology, longevity, and happiness.

• Policy This research shows the implications of forgiveness on government, law, societal structures, and workforces.

• Education This research relates to the use of forgiveness for schools, teaching, and pedagogical frameworks.

• Religion This research demonstrates how forgiveness intersects with faith communities, organized religion, spirituality, and a belief in the divine.

Learning about and applying forgiveness lessons in your own life can bring not only individual benefits, but also contribute to a more compassionate and peaceful world.

The unique, tapestry-inspired design of DiscoverForgiveness.org offers paths to explore:

• What Forgiveness Is 

• How Forgiveness Happens

• What Forgiveness Can Do

• How Forgiveness Is Measured

Information at the Discover Forgiveness website is visually organized as a digital data portrait, or “tapestry,” in which each piece of research is represented by one swatch of “fabric,” with colors and patterns based on the research paper’s theme and geographic focus. Follow the threads of this “tapestry” to learn how forgiveness research can be made accessible and actionable for people around the world. Each entry includes a description of the item as well as research details tags to indicate: if a paper is an Open Access source made available to readers free of charge; what type of methodology is utilized in the paper; and sample characteristics, such as size and manner of selection of the participants or participant groups in a study reporting data.

Discover Forgiveness features links to techniques and resources to help implement the practice of forgiveness in our daily lives and communities.

Forgiveness is a continuous process of the head and the heart. Discover Forgiveness will continue to enhance and expand its library of content over time, so please check in at the website often for the latest information, and subscribe to the newsletter.

Discover Forgiveness is a joint initiative of the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF) and the John Templeton Foundation (JTF), and is supported by a Forgiveness Scientific Advisory Council. Andrew Serazin, President of TWCF, and Heather Dill Templeton, President of JTF, serve as Co-Chairs of the global Discover Forgiveness campaign.