Faith and Science
It's 1:17 AM. You feel a pain in your side. Unsure of the cause, you sit up, alert. The pain intensifies. You begin to pray. You decide to go to the hospital and are taken to the emergency room. The doctors and medical staff begin diagnostic tests. It's your appendix. It will need to be removed. Fortunately, several hours later you find yourself awake, recovering from a successful surgery. Your body will soon be healthy again. Your prayers have been answered.
What used to be a common cause of death is today a routine surgery. That is truly a miracle of God. And He uses decades of scientific research to help inform the doctors who accomplish that miracle.
Just as research can bring to light ways of improving our physical and mental health, so too can it aide our spiritual health. So far, however, such research has been scarce. Faith Research seeks to change that.
Through the use of cutting-edge social science methods, from surveys on spiritual areas of improvement to randomized controlled trials on loving thy neighbor, Faith Research seeks to help believers around the world grow in their Christian walk.
What used to be a common cause of death is today a routine surgery. That is truly a miracle of God. And He uses decades of scientific research to help inform the doctors who accomplish that miracle.
Just as research can bring to light ways of improving our physical and mental health, so too can it aide our spiritual health. So far, however, such research has been scarce. Faith Research seeks to change that.
Through the use of cutting-edge social science methods, from surveys on spiritual areas of improvement to randomized controlled trials on loving thy neighbor, Faith Research seeks to help believers around the world grow in their Christian walk.
Our History
The seeds of Faith Research were planted about 10 years ago through a series of research projects at Harvard University focused on societal well-being. Although the mission was not explicitly Christian at the time, the underlying foundation for wanting to help people through research was centered on Christ's call to love our neighbors as ourself.
In 2014, with a focus on positive psychology, the lab known as Good InSight was founded. The lab uses randomized controlled trials, surveys, and other social science methods to study topics ranging from altruism to zero-sum thinking. However, such research remains largely the domain of academic journals. Outlets for everyday people are scarce.
This scarcity of practical research was even more pronounced in the spiritual domain. Despite centuries of theological research on religious texts, few empirical studies had shed light on how Christians could practically grow in their spiritual walk, love God and others, and be the best versions of themselves in a world marred by sin. It was this realization that paved the way for Faith Research.
In 2020, the first series of Faith Research studies were designed, implemented, and reported. Findings included:
Today, Faith Research is the sole program of Good InSight, a 501(c)(3) charity. We hope you find our research useful, and we invite you to join us in accomplishing our mission of using social science research to help strengthen your Christian walk.
In 2014, with a focus on positive psychology, the lab known as Good InSight was founded. The lab uses randomized controlled trials, surveys, and other social science methods to study topics ranging from altruism to zero-sum thinking. However, such research remains largely the domain of academic journals. Outlets for everyday people are scarce.
This scarcity of practical research was even more pronounced in the spiritual domain. Despite centuries of theological research on religious texts, few empirical studies had shed light on how Christians could practically grow in their spiritual walk, love God and others, and be the best versions of themselves in a world marred by sin. It was this realization that paved the way for Faith Research.
In 2020, the first series of Faith Research studies were designed, implemented, and reported. Findings included:
- That prayer can increase feelings of closeness with God by 10-15%
- How charities can motivate others to give and volunteer more
- Which areas of their Christian walk believers want to improve most
Today, Faith Research is the sole program of Good InSight, a 501(c)(3) charity. We hope you find our research useful, and we invite you to join us in accomplishing our mission of using social science research to help strengthen your Christian walk.