Accessible religious scholarship for those seeking critical insight into the lived history of the Christian tradition and what it means for the world today.

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. 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.

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Westar Institute seeks a Finance and Membership Manager to join our team and help us continue to fulfill our mission.

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Just Released on November 2

After Jesus Before Christianity

A Historical Exploration of the First Two Centuries of Jesus Movements

Christianity has endured for more than two millennia and is practiced by billions worldwide today. Yet that longevity creates difficulties for scholars seeking to trace the religion’s roots. The first two centuries of the Jesus movement are so diverse that any effort to set down an official account of events fills with contradiction. What if the version of Christianity that emerged in the fourth or fifth centuries caused the death of a pluralistic Jesus movement? How would that change the way historians see and understand the first two hundred years?

“You are about to read a book that possess the potential to rewrite history.” – Sue Monk Kidd

Read a sample here.

Attend our online events to celebrate the release of After Jesus Before Christianity!

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The Story of Westar

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. He believed there was a large lay audience eager to join scholars in a critical discourse about religion. His aim was to make religious literacy as ubiquitous as reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Westar’s History

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. Our work is explicitly conducted outside of any particular religious institution or theological perspective to provide a nuanced account of the complex history and cultural implications of Christianity.

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