In April of this year, Templeton Foundation Press published Unexpected Grace: Stories of Faith, Science, and Altruism by Bill Kramer, a freelance journalist who lives in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Kramer gives us the opportunity to observe the events of four compelling studies of compassion in action, which are all contributing to the study of altruism in the twenty-first century.
Kramer has arranged several book readings to be held throughout the fall, which are posted on our Web site.
TFP Editor: What inspired you to write Unexpected Grace?
Kramer: I’ve long been fascinated by the way individuals attempt to integrate spiritual beliefs with the challenging circumstances of real world social issues. A few years back, after returning from India where I go for intensive meditation practice, I learned that there was a research institute just fifteen minutes from my home that was attempting to build bridges between science and altruism. It’s called the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love and is based in the Case Western Reserve University Medical School. In its first year of operation, the Institute funded twenty-five studies from around the country that used scientific techniques to examine aspects of “positive psychology” like forgiveness, generativity, empathy, selfless service, and the nature of holiness – to cite just a few.
Posted by Templeton Editor 
