‘You shall love the Lord your God … and you shall love your neighbour as yourself’. This double love command of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Gospels, is the inspiration for a research project running in collaboration with the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan. The project is the context for the appointment of the “H.M. King Abdullah ibn al-Hussein II of Jordan Fellowship for the Study of Love in Religion” at Regent’s Park College, Oxford, and the main focus of the post and the project is discovery of the nature of love, divine and human, as ultimate reality.
By drawing on the theological and aesthetic resources of different religious traditions, the aim of the project is to explore the research question: what grounds are there for thinking that love, in religious consciousness and practice today, is the ultimate reality of the universe? The underlying conviction is that a study of the phenomenon of love is, finally, discovery of the nature and activity of God in the world.
The initial phase of the project is supported by the John Templeton Foundation.
Love in Religion 
Sounds like a worthwhile project, and great to know that a scholarship is being set up. One might even ask ‘Why has no-one thought of this before?’! I will mention it to any Muslim contacts I meet during my imminent visit to the Republic of Georgia.
Bishop Michael Cleaves
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Michael
I am pleased that you are encouraged by this project from the College where I am now also engaged as a Research Fellow in Religion and Society as well as a former undergraduate. I think it is both encouraging and fitting that this project is based in an environment that is related to the Baptist tradition of Christianity and I think it will be great if you can share aspects of this project when you are next in Georgia.
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Correction! Rt. Rev.!
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Dear Paul,
Greetings!
I look at the website with keen interest.
I am glad for the appointment of scholars in the area of love in religion.
I will watch for the next conference, and would attend, if schedule permits.
I would very much like to be part of the research group, at Oxford.
Dennis Ngien
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It’s really excellent to see this important project up and running. As an alumnus of Regents Park College, I am proud that the project is hosted by the College. I am also looking forward very much to the Inaugural Lecture of the Fellowship associated with it on this coming Monday
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Has there been any progress in the neuroscience and love study? I am currently a first year M.D. – Ph.D. student at TTUHSC and I am working on research in neuroscience and pharmacology. However, the larger issue of neuroscience, love, and theology sounds very fascinating. What exactly would be explored in this area?
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Dear Jonathan,
Thank your interest in this research. Since your comment on this site, we have updated our ‘events’ page which gives details of the religion and neuroscience conference ‘The Language of the Human and the Language of Love’. I hope this find this useful. If you would like further information please do contact one of the Project’s research team.
Best wishes,
Eleanor McLaughlin
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