Though the worlds of finance and spirituality may seem legions apart, Sir John Templeton’s approach to both has been remarkably similar.

Soon to celebrate his 91st birthday, Templeton has made his mark on the last half of the twentieth century by pioneering global investing, a then-radical, ground-breaking strategy that changed the world’s economy and brought enormous wealth to countless individuals. What is less known, however, is that as he approaches his tenth decade, Sir John has been at the forefront of a movement to support and finance investigations into the boundary between theology and science—investigations that are no less radical nor pioneering than his earlier forays.

Born in the humble surroundings of a small Tennessee town, Templeton supported himself through Yale and became a Rhodes Scholar. As a young man, he considered a career as a Christian minister but felt others were better disposed to handle that calling. What he did feel he had, however, were the talents of judgment and foresight. Beginning a Wall Street career in 1937, Templeton created some of the world’s largest and most successful international investment funds. Termed “arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century” by Money magazine (Jan. 1999), he sold his Templeton funds in 1992. Now a naturalized British citizen living in the Bahamas, Templeton was knighted “Sir John” by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987 for his many accomplishments. Among these is the creation of the world’s richest award—the $1-million-plus Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, presented in London by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The prize has turned out to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Increasingly over the last decade, the John Templeton Foundation, based in Radnor, PA, has funded projects, programs, lecture series, scientific studies, college courses, and a host of other lines of inquiry dedicated to new discoveries of a spiritual nature using the methods and resources of scientific inquiry. Through these endeavors, Templeton’s goal has been nothing less than to change mindsets about the concept of divinity and to encourage people to spend as much time and money to research spiritual realities—such as love, creativity, purpose, infinity, intelligence, thanksgiving and prayer—as is spent in the physical and material realities such as medicine, physics, chemistry or, yes, even finance.

For this pioneering global investor and philanthropist, the stagnation and ignorance that hobbled the financial world so many years ago look remarkably similar to the constraints that inhibit most religions. Just as world finance flourished in a marketplace of free competition, Templeton believes the world of religion must open itself to unbridled competition of ideas and thinking. He remains committed to using his personal wealth to support his belief that scientists can collaborate successfully with theologians and discover a more exciting and richer world than they ever knew before.

Says Templeton, “At 90 years old I’m the most enthusiastic I’ve ever been.”