Westar Institute

The Westar Institute is best known as the sponsoring organization of the Jesus Seminarcite web
url = http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=99999999
first = John| last = Burger| title = Funding The Jesus Seminar|publisher = InsideCatholic.com|accessdate=2008-02-04] . A non-profit foundation founded in 1985, it is, according to its mission statement, a "research and educational institute dedicated to the advancement of religious literacy."cite web| url = http://www.westarinstitute.org/Mission/mission.html | title = Wester Institute Mission | accessdate = 2008-02-04] It is considered to be one of the major organizations promoting liberal Christianity, as evidenced by a list of accolades on its website by such figures as Karen Armstrong, Richard Holloway, and John Dominic Crossan cite web
url = http://www.westarinstitute.org/Mission/Why_/why_.html| title = Why is Westar important? | accessdate = 2008-02-04| quote = Westar performs a truly invaluable service in making the benefits of scholarship available to the public. At a time when we are seeing too much strident certainty and unskilful simplistic religion, Westar's contribution is increasingly essential. - Karen Armstrong] . All three are listed as fellows of the institute.cite web
url = http://www.westarinstitute.org/Fellows/fellows.html| title= Westar Fellows|accessdate = 2008-02-04]

The principal founder of the institute was the late Robert Funk. He took its name from an early communication satellite, Westar, saying that "we're in the communications business."

Although the Jesus Seminar is the best-known project of the institute, it also sponsors other activities. The "Acts Seminar", which began work in 1999, is assessing the Acts of the Apostles in the same manner as the Jesus Seminar examined the gospels. cite web
url = http://www.westarinstitute.org/Seminars/acts_seminar.html
title = Seminar on the Acts of the Apostles
publisher = Westar Institute | accessdate = 2008-02-04] A group is also working on a translation of other New Testament and non-canonical texts, as was done to support the findings of the Jesus Seminar.cite web
url = http://www.westarinstitute.org/Seminars/seminars.html
title = Westar Seminars
publisher = Westar Institute | accessdate = 2008-02-04]

The institute has a publishing arm in the form of Polebridge Press. In addition to books, three journals are published:cite web
url= http://www.westarinstitute.org/Periodicals/periodicals.html
title = Westar Magazines|accessdate=2008-02-04]

*"Forum" publishes scholarly articles.
*"Westar Seminar Papers" publishes working papers from the institute's seminars.
*"The Fourth R" is aimed at a general audience.

The institute also sponsors seminars and discussion groups on the work of the Jesus Seminar and related issues in New Testament criticism and maintains a directory of churches that are "that are receptive to the work of the Jesus Seminar."cite web
url = http://www.westarinstitute.org/Membership/Churches/churches.html | title = Westar Institute Directory of Churches | accessdate = 2008-02-04]

External links

* [http://www.westarinstitute.org/ Westar Institute] website

References