Happenings

Formal federal judge Thomas Griffith sat down for a lecture with Heather Gerken, President of the Ford Foundation and expert on federalism and elections, to discuss democracy and polarization in America.

A simplified guide for young people exploring the connection between faith and mental, physical, and relational health

What is the link between culture and fertility? Using a survey of nearly 10,000 people spanning over a dozen countries, we explore a wide range of family attitudes and present first-of-a-kind evidence on what specific cultural norms typify successful pronatal cultures.

We are thrilled to share that Religion and Human Flourishing director, Paul Lambert, has been named a recipient of the Achievement in Faith, Peacemaking & Nonviolence Award by the Forum on Faith.

Findings From a Wheatley Institute National Survey on Gambling in America

What does it mean to flourish? And how can societies help people achieve it?

For the better part of a decade, the story of American religion has been told as a story of subtraction. Affiliation is down. Attendance is down. In 2024, eight in ten Americans said religion was losing influence in American life, and serious scholarship has documented the retreat of traditional religious authority. That perception has since softened—by 2026 the proportion seeing religion’s influence as diminished has fallen to six in ten—but the subtraction story persists as a frame through which American religion is read.

On the eve of Constitution Day, President Dallin H. Oaks, president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke at the Washington National Cathedral about the Constitution, peacemaking, and pluralism.

In his viral cover story for The Atlantic, “Sucker: My Year as a Degenerate Gambler,” McKay Coppins embedded himself inside America’s sports-betting boom—and learned just how dangerous the industry can be.

Wheatley Institute is pleased to welcome Camilla Hodge, Tyler Lindley, and Jeffrey Rosen as new fellows for the upcoming year. Each fellow is an expert in their field and will assist in research, events, and conferences to further Wheatley's three initiatives.

Leaders from across the country—spanning academia, politics, faith communities, and civic life— recently gathered in Chicago for an evening dedicated to advancing religious pluralism. The highlight of the night featured an inspiring panel discussion with thought leaders Andy Hanauer from One America Movement, Elder Matthew S. Holland from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Rebecca Russo from Interfaith America, and John Wood Jr. from the Omni American Society. The panel members explored the difference between tolerance and pluralism, discussed the roles of both believers and nonbelievers in protecting religious diversity, and gave practical suggestions for lawmakers and community members trying to encourage bridge-building in a divided America.

Over the past several decades, religion has moved from the center of American public life toward the margins. Most Americans now say religion is losing influence, and participation has declined across much of the developed world. At the same time, many Americans have shifted sources of identity and moral meaning away from religious commitments toward politics, popular culture, science, or some combination of the three. As this shift continues, it invites closer examination of how changes in religious involvement relate to individual well-being— including mental and physical health— as well as to family relationships and broader social life.