Human Flourishing

What does it mean to flourish? And what can be done for those who are not flourishing? Sagamore’s fellows and partners are working to answer that question with evidence and then put the answers to work in everyday life. Highlights include the largest study of human well-being ever conducted, led by senior fellow Dr. Byron Johnson, to faith-led renewal in cities and mental health policy innovation.

IDEAS INTO ACTION

Society for Global Flourishing

Sagamore Institute partners with the Global Flourishing Society, a global network translating cutting-edge research on human well-being into real-world impact across communities.

In June 2026, the Society convened global leaders at the Global Summit: Fostering Hope for Children in Vatican City—bringing together partners from Harvard, Baylor, and leading international organizations to advance a holistic vision of flourishing.

Sagamore is honored that the Society’s President, Dr. Jennifer S. Wortham, participated in this landmark gathering—strengthening the connection between global research and local impact.

Understanding Flourishing

Sagamore Senior Fellow Byron Johnson co-directs the Global Flourishing Study, the most comprehensive scientific examination of human well-being ever undertaken. The study follows more than 200,000 people across 22 countries and all six populated continents, with annual data collection over five years. It is a $43.4 million collaboration between Baylor University’s Institute for Global Human Flourishing, the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, Gallup, and the Center for Open Science.

Rather than measure income or happiness alone, the study tracks people over time across six domains: happiness and life satisfaction, physical and mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close social relationships, and financial and material stability. First findings were unveiled at Gallup headquarters in Washington in 2025, and the first two waves of data are now open to the public.

COMPLETE WELL-BEING THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

Baylor Institute for Global Human Flourishing

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Two findings stand out.

Material prosperity does not equate to flourishing

Many middle-income countries report stronger meaning, purpose, and relationships than the wealthiest nations, a reminder that prosperity alone does not produce a flourishing life.

Younger people are struggling

Younger adults are struggling worldwide, reporting some of the lowest flourishing scores across different domains of any age group.

Putting Flourshing into it into Practice

Findings like these matter most when they reach everyday life. That is the idea behind Human Flourishing: A Field Guide — Be Well, Do Good, Together, created by the Trilith Foundation and built directly on the Global Flourishing Study. It is a five-week, research-grounded journey designed for personal reflection and small-group use, blending current research, ancient wisdom, and honest human stories. Byron Johnson and Dr. Matthew Lee wrote the foreword and call it “a gift to communities everywhere.”

Further Resources

The companion video series: A collection of free short films featuring honest conversations with voices whose lives reflect the themes of the guide, including Dr. Tyler VanderWeele, Sho Baraka, Katherine Wolf, Tedashii Anderson, Robert Hyde, and others

The Flourishing App and Survey: A free, research-based personal assessment rooted in the study’s methodology. In a few minutes, the app provides a baseline across six dimensions of your life — happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships, and spiritual life — along with practical next steps to keep growing.

IDEAS INTO ACTION

Agents of Flourishing

Senior Fellow Amy Sherman directs Sagamore’s Center on Faith in Communities. In her book Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society, she argues that faith communities can move past one-off charity toward lasting civic renewal: partnering with public schools, supporting local businesses and workers, investing in the arts, and helping design more livable places.

The book is organized around six endowments of a healthy society: the Good, the True, the Beautiful, the Just, the Prosperous, and the Sustainable, a framework developed by Josh Yates and the Thriving Cities Group. At its heart is shalom, the biblical vision of wholeness across relationships, institutions, and communities. It is a practical, hopeful account of what faith can build rather than a list of what it opposes.

Sherman discussed the book at length on the No Small Endeavor podcast.

Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society

Sagamore's Book Luanch

LEADERSHIP ON FLOURISHING

Tennessee Human Flourishing Initiative

Senior Fellow Will Acuff helps lead the Tennessee Human Flourishing Initiative, a statewide effort to align public systems with the power of local relationships. Created by the Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative in partnership with the Tennessee departments of Human Services, Children’s Services, and Labor and Workforce Development, along with a growing network of nonprofits and faith organizations, it brings agencies and neighbors to the same table.

The initiative recently kicked off in Williamson County, with Church of the City serving as the backbone organization and the proven Restore Hope model guiding the work. It pairs a shared software platform that connects government services, nonprofits, and faith communities with full-time case managers who help families navigate every door at once. The goal is a community where there is no wrong door for someone seeking help. As Acuff put it, “None of us can do this alone.”

LEADERSHIP ON FLOURISHING

The Secretaries’ Innovation Group

Hosted at Sagamore, the Secretaries’ Innovation Group is a membership network of state human service and workforce leaders, founded in 2011. Members gather to share what is actually working on the ground and to design programs that help families move from crisis toward work, stability, and self-reliance.

The through line is an opportunity. The group treats public benefits not as an endpoint but as a bridge, focused on healthy families, strong workforce pathways, and the dignity that comes with a job and a stable home. By exchanging state innovations, members help one another turn good ideas into better outcomes for the people they serve.