Navigating the Scholarship of Religion Together

For those seeking critical insight into the lived history of the Christian tradition and what it means for the world today. Westar Member? Sign in here or join below.
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About Westar

Scholarship in Public, for the Public

Westar is a member-supported nonprofit organization. We conduct public, collaborative research seminars with academic scholars in the field of religion. Westar investigates issues in the history of Christianity and beyond to inform public discourse on culture, society, and civic life.

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Sharing Our Research

As a public-facing organization, we are committed to sharing the results of scholarly research in accessible language through publications, events, and other resources. Westar works in dialogue with the public to foster critical thinking about religion.

Seminars

See our research seminars on questions about religion that matter.

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Events

Join Westar scholars in live conversations hosted via Zoom.

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Membership

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Publications

Purchase books and lectures or subscribe to our bi-monthly magazine.

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About Westar

Our Story

Westar began in 1985 when Robert W. Funk invited 30 New Testament scholars to join him in the Jesus Seminar, a collaborative inquiry about the historical Jesus. Since its founding, Westar has held a series of innovative seminars on the origins of Christianity. But Funk’s founding vision was larger than scholarship for its own sake. His aim was to make religious literacy as ubiquitous as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

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The Importance of Westar

Why Our Work Matters

What does the Bible say about same-sex relationships? Did women have authority in the early Jesus movements? How were gender, sexuality, and morality understood in early Jesus movements? These are critical questions precisely because misrepresentations of Christian texts have shaped and continue to intersect with cultural, social, and political life in the US and throughout the world. Westar exists to pursue an honest and rigorous inquiry into the origins of the Christian tradition.

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Initiatives

Bible Search & Rescue

Bible Search & Rescue is an initiative of Westar Institute to make results and tools of academic biblical scholarship available to the general public.

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