Ryan Messmore is the William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Society at The Heritage Foundation.

As the Simon Fellow, Messmore examines how religious commitments are brought to bear on political life in an effort to improve public discourse and strengthen civil society. In December 2006, for example, he wrote an essay for FOXNews.com that examined charitable giving and government policy.

"Public policy should reflect the importance of charity in America," Messmore wrote. "[W]hen it comes to economic inequality, liberal political opinions seem to substitute for private action. Because research reveals that giving leads to greater prosperity and a higher quality of life for the poor, the national debate concerning poverty should consider the significance of private charity in addressing this question."

Before joining Heritage in 2006, Messmore was the head of Trinity Forum Academy, a program that he designed and oversaw since 2001. Located in Royal Oak, Md., the academy offers recent college graduates a nine-month residential program of advanced course work in a variety of cultural policy and religious studies. Messmore had been the academy's Director since its inception.

Messmore holds a master's degree in theology from Cambridge University. He also has degrees from Duke Divinity School and Duke University.

He lives with his wife, Karin, and two children in Maryland.