The Westar Institute is best known as the sponsoring organization of the Jesus Seminar. 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." It is considered to be one of the major organizations promoting liberal Christianity. It's accolades on its website include material by Richard Holloway, and John Dominic Crossan. All are listed as fellows of the institute. Westar is located in Salem, Oregon, on the campus of Willamette University.
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. 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.
The institute has a publishing arm in the form of Polebridge Press. In addition to books, three journals are published:
- 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 "receptive to the work of the Jesus Seminar."
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