Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor admits he was totally surprised.

That's because the past few winners of the annual Templeton Prize, worth more than $1.5 million and awarded "for progress toward research or discoveries about spiritual realities," has been given to scientists, physicists and cosmologists mostly.. who have been willing to acknowledge that science alone can't necessarily explain the nature of the universe.

It's clear that the foundation was consciously trying to counter the widespread impression that science and spirituality are inevitably at odds.

/cnn.com/