New York, New York, United States
Jonathan VanAntwerpen grew up next door to a small church at the corner of Avery Street and Beelzebub Road. The son of three parents—a teacher, a professor, and a preacher—Jonathan is an author and an editor, a director of programs and a connector of diverse people, communities, and ideas. Originally trained as a philosopher, he holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, where he wrote a dissertation on the contentious aftermath and global influence of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As director of the Henry Luce Foundation’s Religion and Theology Program, Jonathan’s work is animated by a commitment to the value of open inquiry and the power of public knowledge, by a deep respect and abiding admiration for those who make and share such knowledge, and by the love-driven agitation of friends and colleagues rooted in practices of community organizing, civic engagement, and social change. Under Jonathan’s leadership, the Luce Foundation’s Religion and Theology Program seeks to deepen knowledge of religion and to draw on the wisdom of faith traditions to advance shared understanding. Partnering with scholars, religious leaders, media makers, museum curators, civic activists, and communities of faith, the program strengthens appreciation for the great diversity of American religion, promotes more curious and civil public conversations, and cultivates faith-rooted efforts to envision and build a more just, compassionate, and democratic world. Prior to joining the Luce Foundation in 2014, Jonathan served for a decade on the staff of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), where he established a new program on religion and the public sphere, launched a suite of experimental digital publishing platforms, co-edited a series of books, served as acting director of communications, worked to incubate a new initiative on knowledge and culture in a digital age, and organized and convened a wide range of academic and public events. For the last decade, Jonathan has served on the board of directors of Cool Culture, an NYC-based arts nonprofit. Each year, Cool Culture partners with over 450 schools and early education programs to provide more than 50,000 historically marginalized families and their young children with free, unlimited admission to a network of 90 premiere museums, historical societies, zoos, and botanical gardens. Jonathan works with other board members, and with Cool Culture’s energetic, inspiring, and dedicated staff, to support the organization’s programming, fundraising, and strategic planning.
The Henry Luce Foundation’s Religion and Theology Program seeks to deepen understanding of religion as a source of division and a site of common ground, an agent of inequality and a force for social transformation. Our work strengthens knowledge of religion’s complex and contested place in public life; diversifies intellectual inquiry in this area; and promotes more curious and civil public conversations. We build initiatives that creatively engage religion in pursuit of a more just and compassionate future. Recently re-envisioned, the program builds on the efforts of the Luce Foundation’s longstanding Theology Program, and on the work of the Henry R. Luce Initiative on Religion in International Affairs, launched in 2005. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time, Inc., the Henry Luce Foundation seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. We do so by nurturing knowledge communities and institutions, fostering dialogue across divides, enriching public discourse, amplifying diverse voices, and investing in leadership development.
Cool Culture helps over 50,000 income-eligible families access and enjoy 90 of NYC's world-class cultural institutions for free, providing children with experiences that improve literacy and learning.
The Institute for Public Knowledge (IPK) brings theoretically serious scholarship to bear on major public issues. Located at NYU, it nurtures collaboration among social researchers in New York and around the world.
An independent, international NGO, the SSRC has been a leader in interdisciplinary social science since 1923. It supports the future with fellowships for young researchers, advances innovation with thematic working groups, builds networks across countries and disciplines, and mobilizes existing knowledge for policy-makers, practitioners, and broader publics.