Mission

"We are not embarking on this venture in a corner. We are going to carry out our work in full public view; we will not only honor the freedom of information, we will insist on the public disclosure of our work and, insofar as it lies within our power, we shall see to it that the public is informed of our judgments. We shall do so, not because our wisdom is superior, but because we are committed to public accountability."

-Bob Funk, Founder

Bridging the gap between scholarship of religion and popular culture.

Westar Institute — home of the Jesus Seminar — is dedicated to fostering and communicating the results of cutting-edge scholarship on the history and evolution of the Christian tradition, thereby raising the level of public discourse about questions that matter in society and culture.

  • Westar conducts collaborative, cumulative research seminars with scholars in the academic study of religion, addressing issues, questions, and controversies that are important both to the academic community and to the general public.
  • Westar communicates the results of its research in non-technical terms, equipping the general public with tools to critically evaluate competing claims in the public discussion of religion.

Read more about our seminars.
Read more about what it means to be a scholar.

Read more about our history.

Westar is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, public-benefit research and educational organization.