While religion and spirituality
are rich with various sources of personal meaning, they also have profound
public significance.

Robert Woodberry, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of
Texas at Austin: Project on Religion and Economic Change .
"Dad was thrilled with this honor," declares Paul Crouch Jr. It's nice that
others recognize his efforts, but simply know that we are taking the
Great Commission of Jesus literally and 'Going into all the world.
For more information about TBN visit the web site at www.

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com)
The article , entitled "Scientology's Night at the Movies," was written by
editor-in-chief Jonathon Scott Feit , based on earlier research published in
the Journal of Media and Religion.
Winners of the invitation-only competition for the three founding grants
in the Spiritual Capital Research Program were announced by Kimon H."
Principal investigators heading the award-winning teams and their projects
are:

Laurence Iannaccone, Koch Professor of Economics at George Mason
University: Creating an "Ecology" for the Study of Religion, Economics, and
Spiritual Capital. Results will
be disseminated through scholarly and lay publications, conferences, speaking
engagements and websites. Only in recent years have leading scholars,
including Nobel laureate economists Gary Becker and Robert Fogel and political
scientists John DiIulio and Robert Putnam, called renewed attention to the
effects of spiritual and religious practices, beliefs and institutions on
economics, politics and societies.5
million in research funds.metanexus. Paul Crouch Sr. "When
God calls you into a ministry such as broadcasting, many times you
never realize the impact it has on people's lives . The dream became a reality as TBN is now the world's
largest Christian television network. "For over three
decades Paul Crouch has been used by God to touch the world with the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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"
(http://www. Feit writes that Bless the Child
"resembles so closely the reality of events and perceptions surrounding the
Church of Scientology that it seems to have been written, in everything but
name, as an expose of Scientology's seedy internal operations.

newscom.com/cgi-bin /prnh/20050324/PHTH031LOGO )
The term "spiritual capital" refers to the economic and social
consequences of religion and spirituality.
In The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith raised key questions for the economic
analysis of religion and looked at the effects of competition among religions
and the dangers of government of religion. Metanexus is
a leader in a growing network of individuals and groups exploring the dynamic
interface between cosmos, nature, and culture in communities and on campuses
throughout the world. Metanexus leads and
facilitates over 300 projects in 36 countries . Projects include the Local
Societies Initiative, the Templeton Research Lectures, and topical
interdisciplinary research projects such as the Spiritual Transformation
Scientific Research Program, Spiritual Capital Research Program, Foundational
Questions in Physics and Cosmology, as well as studies of religion and health,
religion and human flourishing, and other endeavors.

TBN Founder -- Paul Crouch -- Named One of the '50 Most Influential Christians in America'

Listing him as "ninth" on their list of 50, The Church Report
describes Paul Crouch as "an internationally recognized visionary in
the field of Christian television. Bush (#1), Actor and
Director Mel Gibson (#2), and Evangelist Billy Graham (#3). For 31 years, under the guidance of Paul Crouch, TBN has been
beaming wholesome family and faith-based programming to the USA and
the World! With over 12,000 TV stations and cable affiliates fed by 46
satellites TBN has a global presence that literally allows it to say,
"Hello world! "
"Paul Crouch's place on the list of the most influential
Christians in America is well deserved ," states Susan Zahn, Media
Director for WDC Media and a publicist for TBN.

society spirituality

Gibson's challenge to the Church of Scientology is the subject of an
investigation in the current issue of Citizen Culture Magazine -- the new
magazine that has been called "A New Yorker for a New Generation.citizenculture . The Spiritual Capital Research Program will fund high-
level research that could lead to new understandings of religion's role in
economic, social and political life. When you consider the millions of people
around the world who see and benefit from TBN programs on a daily
basis, it's not difficult to see how Paul Crouch would be high on the
list.tbn.

christianity zoroastrianism

Mel Gibson Citizen Culture Magazine Challenge Church of Scientology

NEW YORK, The Passion of the Christ marked Mel
Gibson's bloodiest commentary on religion, but it wasn't his first. The film differs significantly from the novel of the same
name , which emphasizes the power of faith as a hopeful force, but does not
side with any particular religion .
Issue #5 of Citizen Culture Magazine is on-sale now at Barnes + Noble,
Hudson News, and directly from http://www.com.

Three Grants of $500 000 Each Awarded for Research on 'Spiritual Capital' by Metanexus Institute

The
grants are awarded through a program of the Metanexus Institute on Religion
and Science, supported by generous funding from the John Templeton Foundation. It will also facilitate a broader
range of study by bringing together a network of scholars, to be
known as the Institute for Economic Research on Civilizations (IERC), to
promote comparative research and raise the level of discourse on the role of
various religions and forms of spiritual capital in the economic performance
of civilizations. Letters of intent are due no later than April
15, 2005. Metanexus sponsors dialogue groups, lectures,
workshops, research, courses, grants, and publications. and TBN's Vice President of Administration.

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"
In Bless the Child, "The New Dawn" -- a fictionalized religion that
borrows Scientology's symbols and rhetoric -- is ultimately defeated by
Catholic believers.
Since then, social scientists have vigorously debated the concept of
social capital , but spiritual capital - a sub-set of the field - remains
relatively understudied.
For further information on the Spiritual Capital Research Program,
including submission guidelines for the new granting opportunities, or to
request a program brochure, visit http://www.net or 215-789-2200. http: //www. The list of 50 includes pastors, authors, politicians, radio
show hosts, publishers, and televangelists . In addition to Crouch,
others on the list include President George W. Faith-based
programs include: original movies, Gospel music concerts, informative
talk shows, contemporary music videos, positive programs for children,
health and fitness shows, news and information, and uplifting worship
services from America's premier churches.

christianity christ

Sargeant,
Ph., Director for Research and Programs in the Human Sciences at Metanexus.templeton." The magazine also declares that
under Crouch's leadership, "TBN has grown to become the largest group
owner of broadcast stations in the world.

religion spirituality

In the twenty-first
century , to denounce it publicly or shun it is to risk being blacklisted as
were celebrities and filmmakers suspected of being Communism-friendly in the
1950s. Other highlights
include interviews with Bill Maher of HBO's Real Time and actor Steve Zahn, a
special feature on independent fashion design , and articles written by two of
the country's leading Jewish and Muslim scholars.

The Metanexus Institute advances scientific research, education and
outreach on the constructive engagement of science and religion. A membership
organization, Metanexus hosts an online magazine and discussion forum with
over 140,000 monthly page views and 7000 regular subscribers in 57 different
countries .metanexus.' That's the
verdict of the most recent edition of The Church Report magazine. started TBN with his wife Jan in 1973 with a dream
and a vision to build a Christian television network that spanned the
whole world.

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citizenculture.
(Logo: http://www.
This project includes the development of an international Consortium for
the Economic Study of Religion (CESR), bringing visiting scholars together at
George Mason University for interdisciplinary and collaborative workshops,
classes , research projects and conferences, instituting an economics-as-
religion concentration for doctoral students, and creating a global network of
scholars and institutes.

Timur Kuran, Professor of Economics and Law and King Faisel Professor of
Islamic Thought and Culture at the University of Southern California: The Role
of Religion in the Economic Performance of Civilizations. One section will analyze the impact of 150 years of
missionary activity; a second section will analyze the economic consequences
of Pentecostal conversions in Brazil; a third section will focus on the
influence of revivalist Islam and Christianity in rural Malawi. Just 100 years ago Max Weber
published his provocative work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of
Capitalism.,
Founder and President of the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is
one of the '50 Most Influential Christians in America ."
The people on this list of most influential Christians in America
represent a 'Who's Who' of important Christian leaders from all walks
of life.org.

christianity yorker

In 2000,
Icon Productions, Gibson's production company, made Bless the Child, a
staunchly pro-Christian movie replete with anti-Scientology references ."
Bless the Child, which was co-produced by Paramount Pictures and starred
Kim Basinger, Jimmy Smits, Rufus Sewell and child prodigy Holliston Coleman,
performed less successfully at the box office than The Passion (re-released in
March as The Passion Recut), which highlighted Gibson's fundamentalist
Christian views.
Feit writes that, "Scientology is either Hollywood's latest 'dirty word'
or its Holy Grail, depending on who is being asked.
"Now seems an ideal time to understand and assess the public effects of
spiritual and religious action because there seems to be a growing openness in
the social sciences towards non-material factors," says Sargeant. "It is no
longer unusual to consider that trust, behavioral norms and religion can
profoundly shape economic, political and social developments.
This project seeks to evaluate the influence of various religions on
health , education and the economy by measuring religious distinctions and the
resulting impact on national , community and individual levels in societies
around the world.

Each project is 30 months in duration, beginning March 2005.
The Metanexus Institute is interested in supporting high-level , impartial
scholarship on the contribution of religion - both for good and for ill - to
economic and social developments. The aim of the Spiritual Capital Research
Program is to catalyze the development of this interdisciplinary research
field, which may become a vital new field in the social sciences .
In addition to the three funded projects that are just beginning, the
Metanexus Institute has issued a new call for proposals for $150,000 research
grants for interdisciplinary studies on the economic and social consequences
of religion and spirituality. Full grant applications will then be invited for a total of $1.net/spiritual_capital
or contact project manager Christopher Stawski at
SpiritualCapital@metanexus.

Religion Writers/Business Editors

LOS ANGELES----Dr .' We
thank everyone involved in his selection and want to emphasize that
all the hard work was designed to simply please the Lord, not man."
TBN features 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming
that appeals to people in a wide variety of denominations.

christ spirituality

D.
To watch TBN, check your local cable, broadcast or satellite guide for
a channel near you.

yezidism brethren

"Gibson's professional proximity -- and perhaps friendship -- to his
colleagues of high grandeur [including noted Scientologists John Travolta, Tom
Cruise, and others], not to mention the Hollywood political game, may explain
the film's cryptic bludgeoning rather than outright deprecation of
Scientology. PHILADELPHIA , Three distinguished scholars have
each received grants of $500,000 to lead teams of researchers in order to
create a new interdisciplinary field of "Spiritual Capital" research.
Kuran's project will advance ongoing research on the role of Islam, and
especially Islamic law, in the economic performance of the Middle East from
its rise in the 7th century to the present. http://www.net

The mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to pursue new insights at
the boundary between theology and science through a rigorous, open-minded and
empirically focused methodology, drawing together talented representatives
from a wide spectrum of fields of expertise.org

, son
of Paul Crouch, Sr."
Paul Crouch Sr. Across America and around the
world, TBN is carried by TV stations and cable systems to millions of
homes.