Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre

About the Trust

The Alister Hardy Trust is a registered charity managed by a Board of Trustees.  Its object is to further the study of religious and spiritual experience started by Sir Alister Hardy FRS in 1969.

The Trust seeks to address itself to objective research, communicating its findings to the public, and offering a forum for discussion for those interested in spirituality.  In seeking to undertake its objectives, The Trust welcomes accounts of spiritual / religious or transcendent experiences, and is grateful for all donations to assist it in its work.

The Trust has a unique archive of accounts of religious experiences which are housed at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter Campus.

The Trust is committed to:

  • Inter-disciplinary research into contemporary spirituality and religious experience;
  • Bringing together people who have an interest in this study;
  • Working with other organisations with overlapping interests;
  • Emphasising the importance of spirituality in education, healthcare, business and other areas.

The Trust publishes books and occasional papers, outlines of research and a regular newsletter, De Numine.

The Trust organises conferences and meetings, and offers an MA course in religious experience, jointly with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter Campus.

Patrons

The Patrons of the Alister Hardy Trust are:

  • Bronwen, Viscountess Astor
  • His Holiness the Dalai Lama
  • His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-OConnor
  • Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr
  • The Revd. Dr John A. Newton
  • His Eminence Supreme Primate, Koken Otani
  • Sir Jonathon Porritt
  • Lord Rees-Mogg
  • Chief Rabbi Professor Jonathan Sacks
  • Swami Chidanand Saraswati
  • The Most Revd. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Right. Revd. Wyn Evans, Bishop of St. Davids

Trustees

The Trustees of the Alister Hardy Trust include:

  • The Revd. Canon Professor Leslie Francis (chair)
  • Professor Paul Badham (Hon. Secretary)
  • The Revd. Professor June Boyce-Tillman
  • John Franklin
  • Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
  • David Greenwood (Treasurer and Vice-Chair)
  • Dr Thomas Jansen
  • Marianne Rankin
  • The Revd. Jonathan Robinson (Chair of Alister Hardy Society)
  • Jane Winship

Directors

The Directors of the Alister Hardy Trust are:

  • Dr Bettina Schmidt
  • Dr Greg Barker
  • Ms Sally Wilkinson