Our Vision
The humble pursuit of the truth about God and creation.
Our Mission
Issachar Fund partners with scholars, leaders and organizations that seek religious and scientific truth, learning from and contributing to the ideals, values, knowledge and practices of our increasingly multicultural society.
MISSIONAL VALUES
ASKING
We all grow up in a tradition. When we are young, we learn to think about the world and ultimate questions in ways we that are modeled and taught by our parents, extended families, neighbors, schools, and places of worship. As we grow and become aware of the world outside our families and neighborhoods, we often start asking larger questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? How can I know what is true? Is there a God? Why is there suffering? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose? How should I live? How should I respond to the challenges of my time? Asking such questions can, in turn, open doors to encounters with people, problems, and outlooks that are not part of our upbringing. The goal of the Issachar Fund is to encourage encounters between a broad range of perspectives as we explore the big questions of existence, purpose, and meaning.
UNDERSTANDING
When we ask the big questions of life, we become aware that reality has both physical and spiritual dimensions. In our scientific-technological culture, rapid change in our knowledge of physical reality drives rapid social change. Our spiritual traditions, by contrast, are ancient, and change more slowly. Yet spiritual knowledge about ultimate realities is needed if science and technology are to aid human flourishing. The Issachar Fund encourages all spiritual traditions—Christianity especially—to become aware of the challenges of our time that arise from scientific and technological development, and to engage in internal and external dialogs about how best to understand and meet these challenges.
DISCERNING
How do we respond to the challenges of our time? For this we need wisdom—the ability to discern the foundational significance of science and religion and how they can inform each other in addressing contemporary issues. For this task, goodwill and common sense are not enough. Wisdom brings the practical knowledge that makes disciplined study, rigorous analysis, and thoughtful reflection on our lived experience useful. The Issachar Fund identifies and supports those who have the preparation, vision, and motivation to discern wise courses of action.
ENGAGING
Ultimately, we do not seek knowledge, understanding, and wisdom for their own sake. Our society needs people of faith who see deeply into the challenges of our times and how to address them in ways that enhance the common good. The Issachar Fund disseminates compelling learning and wisdom distilled from science and religion in order to inform and encourage leaders in every sphere of human activity.
A WORD FROM OUR BENEFACTOR
The Twelfth-century philosopher, logician, and theologian Peter Abelard wrote, “The key to wisdom is this—constant and frequent questioning.” Questions are powerful, revelatory tools. They indicate a desire to learn and an openness to fresh ways of thinking. Questions disclose something of what we know and shed light on things we don’t know. They invite conversation and point to new directions for how to live our lives.
