Who We Are

THE TEMPLE OF UNDERSTANDING has led the way in interfaith education and advocacy for 60 years.

To learn who we are, it is essential to learn what we do. We educate youth and adults both cross-culturally and inter-religiously for global citizenship and peaceful coexistence; advocate for acceptance and respect for religious pluralism by the world’s governing bodies, and actively promote justice and tolerance.

The organization was founded in 1960 by a pioneering visionary, Juliet Hollister, with the support of a distinguished group of “Founding Friends,” including Eleanor Roosevelt, Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Sir Zafrula Khan, H.H. Pope John XXIII, Anwar al-Sadat and H.H. the XIVth Dalai Lama, among others.

Global forum of spiritual and parliamentary leaders on human survival. Christ Church, Oxford University – April 1988. The Temple of Understanding co-Sponsored this event with the Global Forum.