Forgiveness
What we seek to accomplish
Forgiveness Science and Innovation
Forgiveness is an age-old practice, and its benefits are more than anecdotal. When people forgive, positive emotions—empathy, love, compassion—replace negative ones, transforming people’s lives. Over the past twenty years, scientific research on forgiveness has given us simple interventions that improve physical health, mental wellbeing, and personal relationships.
Templeton World Charity Foundation, along with the John Templeton Foundation, has funded the study of forgiveness for more than a decade. As the field advances, a growing body of evidence supports the healing power of forgiveness. Fifty studies have found that forgiveness significantly improves mental health outcomes such as depression, anger, hostility, and stress. Reports also show decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol. These studies looked at a range of contexts: individual and group settings, different types and lengths of treatment, and countries as diverse as the United States, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Malaysia, and Switzerland.
Using rigorous science, we aim to build an ecosystem of data-driven innovations and tools that make forgiveness accessible to anyone. Learn more about the science of forgiveness.
Visit DiscoverForgiveness.org, the first-ever digital space housing key research into the science of forgiveness. Discover Forgiveness is a joint initiative of the Templeton World Charity Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation and is supported by a Forgiveness Scientific Advisory Council. Its goal is to share how the science of forgiveness is interwoven across cultures and contexts, geographies, and traditions.
Forgiveness is central to our commitment to fund innovations for human flourishing.
President Andrew Serazin on Forgiveness
"After 20 years of fantastic research led by a group of world-class experts, the science is clear: forgiveness works.” Andrew Serazin talks about the importance of forgiveness to human flourishing.
Featured Projects
Building More Forgiving Communities around the Globe through Engagement to Complete Do-It-Yourself REACH Forgiveness Workbooks
Can Forgiveness Be Strengthened in West and South Africa?
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Interested in learning more? We will send occasional updates about our work on forgiveness.