HIBBERT JOURNAL. - Monthly journal founded in London in 1902, as an offshoot of the Hibbert Foundation (Hibbert Trust). This was established with a capital of 50,000 dollars donated in 1847 by Robert Hibbert (1770-1849) to encourage the study and spread knowledge of the various religions from a cultural and philosophical point of view, independently of any particular faith or religious confession, and safeguarding the freedom of individual conscience in matters of religion.
The administrators of the fund initially disbursed its sums for scholarships and for the support of young men desirous of devoting themselves to the pastoral ministry. Then, at the invitation of a group of scholars, they organized a series of lectures (Hibbert lectures) on historico-religious subjects, which were opened by Fr. Max Müller, at Westminster Abbey, in 1878, with the theme: Origin and Development of Religion Studied in the Light of the Religions of India. Other lectures followed every year, given by scholars of the most varied historico-religious and philosophical disciplines, such as Kenan, Kuench, A. Reville, Pfeiderer, Moulton, etc. These lectures were then published in separate volumes. To flank the initiative and to keep the English public periodically informed about the progress of philosophical and religious studies, the H. J. arose in 1902.
Nicola Turchi