The July 7 bombers lacked spiritual meaning in their lives, according to the winner of this year's Templeton Prize for research into spirituality and secular society.

Professor Charles Taylor said terrorists, like those responsible for the bombings of July 7 2005, lacked spiritual direction, "The 7/7 terrorists were motivated by the need to be connected to a big cause," he said, "It is a hunger for meaning which is found in this cause that pushes them to acts of terrorism."

The professor, who was awarded the £800,000 prize by the Duke of Edinburgh today, met with leaders from the Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh communities this afternoon to discuss how acts of terrorism can be prevented by focusing on issues of spirituality.

"In Western secularised society and in the media there is a dumbing down about understanding the spirituality of people's lives and how complex they are," Professor Taylor said, adding that this had been reversed by the religious motivation of recent "violent events" leading to a "stunned silence" in the Western world.

"We can’t get at the roots of this by talking about religion verses non-religion. At the roots of suicide bombings are what kind of fundamental choices are being made by people when they live out their faith in this violent fashion," said the professor.

The professor said all kinds of religion had violent forms but that thinking of religion and Islam as violent or non-violent was counter-productive and could only make the situation worse.

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, said Professor Taylor was one of the great voices of wisdom today. "If there is such a thing as a saint in a secular age, he deserves that title," he said.

The religious leaders, including Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain and the Archbishop of Canterbury's secretary for inter faith relations, Canon Guy Wilkinson, met Professor Taylor this afternoon to talk about engaging with the spiritual needs of disenchanted youths in Western society to prevent further acts of terrorism. “The only way similar individuals can be prevented from heading for terrorism is to have a better answer to the meaningfulness of life," said the professor.

Dr Bari said: "There are definitely religious fundamentalists who want to create a battle field of human beings, people like Professor Taylor have shown us that our survival and purpose depends on working together as human beings."

Professor Taylor, was awarded the Templeton prize, the world's largest money prize for an individual, for more than 45 years of research in to the role of spirituality in secular society, in particular his book A Secular Age to be published in the Autumn.

The annual prize was created by philanthropist and global investor, Sir John Templeton in 1973 to reward a unique contribution by an individual into spiritual realities. The prize increases in value every year in order to be greater than the Nobel Prize. The winner is selected by a panel of independent judges, that has previously included the Dalai Lama. Former recipients of the prize include Mother Teresa, and Dr Inamullah Kahn, peace activist and founder of the Modern World Muslim Congress.

The man