[2][3] It was created in 1951 as the Religious Research Fellowship, although it existed informally as far back as the 1920s as a partnership between the Institute of Social and Religious Research and the Federal Council of Churches.

[2] Since 1958, it has held an annual lecture series in the name of H. Paul Douglass.

[4] Since the 1970s, it has met annually with the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

[3] It publishes the Review of Religious Research four times a year (September, December, March, and June).

[3][5] It contains articles, book reviews and reports on research projects.