Faith and Law

The Global Flourishing Study: An Interim Report for Policymakers

Dec 17, 2024

Byron Johnson, a distinguished professor at Baylor University and expert on social sciences, delves into the Global Flourishing Study. This groundbreaking initiative examines why some societies thrive while others struggle, focusing on the essential roles of faith, relationships, and emotional health. He discusses the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to policymaking and highlights how mayors are eager to implement findings to enhance community well-being. Johnson emphasizes the transformative potential of faith-based initiatives, particularly in challenging environments like prisons.

43:13

Episode guests

Byron Johnson

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The Global Flourishing Study seeks to define and measure human flourishing through a comprehensive index that encompasses emotional, social, and physical well-being.

Faith and community involvement significantly enhance human flourishing, highlighting the essential role of spiritual support systems in societal health.

Deep dives

Global Flourishing Study Overview

A significant research initiative is being conducted to understand the factors contributing to human flourishing across diverse global populations. This study, backed by a substantial $43.4 million investment, will include data from approximately 200,000 participants across 22 countries. Experts from notable institutions, such as Harvard and Baylor University, are collaborating to explore essential questions regarding variations in flourishing among different societies. The research will culminate in a special collection of papers published in the prestigious journal Nature, bringing invaluable insights to policymakers, especially in the U.S.

Intro

2min

Understanding Global Flourishing

10min

Breaking Down Siloed Policymaking for Effective Public Policy

2min

Exploring Flourishing Communities

16min

Transforming Inmates: A Faith-Based Initiative in a Troubled Prison

2min

Assessing Community Flourishing

10min

In May 2025, respected academic journal, Nature/Springer will publish a special Global Flourishing Study collection of papers, a product of four years of collaboration among more than 40 leading experts from Harvard University, Baylor University and Gallup.

This $43.4 million dollar initiative involves data collection from approximately 200,000 participants, from 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries. Their goal, to answer questions such as what causes people in some countries to flourish, while others don’t?

In this follow up to their initial Friday Forum discussion from December 2023, Pete Peterson, Dean of the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University interviewed Dr. Byron Johnson, Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University and Visiting Distinguished Professor in the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, to give us a “look under the hood” of what results we might expect to see in May, and what it might mean for American policymakers.

The Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is a longitudinal research study being carried out in collaboration between scholars at the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard and Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, and in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science.
Watch Pete Peterson’s initial Friday Forum interview with Byron Johnson from December 2023.

Support the show

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

Faith and Law

The Global Flourishing Study: An Interim Report for Policymakers

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Global Flourishing Study Overview

Defining and Measuring Flourishing

Public Policy and Flourishing

Faith's Role in Flourishing

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts