FAQs

The HVS Research Program is currently funded by the BF Charitable Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

The HVS research program is not affiliated with any religious body. The individuals associated with the project are diverse: Some are not affiliated with any religion, while many are. It is not feasible to represent each of the 200 or more religious groups active in the U.S., however, our research team and National Research Advisory Board includes people who are actively involved in several Christian denominations (Catholic, Evangelical, Historically Black, Mainline Protestant, and Orthodox), Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Unitarian Universalism. Everyone involved in our work is committed to demonstrating respect for people of diverse faiths or no faith at all.

The HVS research program will explore some controversial topics that divide U.S. society. These include: prenatal genetic testing, vaccine programs, and end-of-life care. Individuals associated with the HVS research program naturally hold their own opinions on the social issues that we explore. However, the program itself seeks to understand how the spiritual life shapes attitudes toward these controversial topics; it does not promote specific views on these topics.

More than 200 distinct religious groups exist in the U.S. We are interested in exploring all major faith groups in the U.S., while recognizing that it may not be feasible to understand all groups, especially smaller groups. Given our interest in speaking to people of diverse faiths, our interview and survey questions use general language that applies to different faiths. For example, we typically refer to Scriptures rather than the Bible.

The Healthcare, Values, and the Spiritual Life (HVS) research agenda can be remembered with the word “CURE”: Characterizing spiritual lives; Understanding connections; Role models in healthcare; and Engaging people of faith on healthcare. Please visit our Research Agenda page to learn more about each of these topics.