JBU establishes Center for Faith and Flourishing

With commitments of more than half a million dollars, John Brown University announced on May 28 the establishment of the Center for Faith and Flourishing (CFF) at JBU. The center will provide programming, curriculum, partnerships and activities dedicated to exploring the relationship between Christianity and human flourishing.

Funding for the center’s operation will be provided by a $143,500 grant from the Charles Koch Foundation and a $430,500 grant from an anonymous donor, and includes support for CFF’s programs, activities and staff. James Bruce, JBU associate professor of philosophy, will serve as the center’s inaugural director, and Daniel Bennett, JBU assistant professor of political science, will be the assistant director.

“My dreams for this center began in the 201415 academic year, and I’m excited to see them come to fruition,” Bruce said.

The center will engage in and assist the university’s required Gateway Seminar for first year students and will also support the Honors Scholars Program’s new philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) courses and minor, as a way to promote a multifaceted approach to problems in our increasingly interdependent world. In the coming academic year, JBU will perform a nationwide search for a five-year faculty appointment to support Gateway and PPE.

CFF will also promote its principles through lectures and debates to foster open discussion about challenging topics; student reading groups and colloquia; and other extracurricular activities.

The Charles Koch Foundation supports scholars and students at more than 350 colleges and universities. The foundation provides grants to support a wide range of inquiry including criminal justice and policing reform, free expression and open inquiry, foreign policy, economic opportunity and innovation.