Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture, Westmont College

Organization Link: https://www.westmont.edu/about/institutes-and-centers/martin-institute-christianity-culture

Organization Overview: Westmont's Martin Institute is committed to fostering multidisciplinary scholarship on the need and nature of Christian character development and disseminating the deliverances of that research to Christian thought leaders for the good of the church and broader society. In our work, we come alongside students, pastors, scholars, ministry leaders, and other publicly engaged individuals in their desire to be formed in Christ and advance knowledge of Christian spiritual formation.

Subgrant Project Description: Westmont's Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Research Center received a subgrant to investigate the history and future of the North American Protestant Spiritual Formation Movement (PSFM). In short, we define the North American PSFM as a renewal of awareness and resources related to Christian spiritual formation arising in the mid-1970s and associated with such early figures as James Houston, Tilden Edwards, Richard Foster, M. Robert Mulholland, Marva Dawn, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, Roberta Hestenes, Henri Nouwen, etc.

The project has two parts. Part one will commission essays from several historically prominent North American Protestant spiritual formation organizations to determine what has been learned about the need and nature of Christian spiritual formation. Part two will commission several essays from contemporary leaders in Christian spiritual formation who will help envision what is needed for the future of Christian spiritual formation, especially given the needs of the global church. These essays will be edited by myself and Dave Wang and introduced by a co-authored article locating the Protestant Spiritual Formation Movement historically. The resultant collection will be published in an online and print supplemental issue of the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. The editors will also create an executive summary of the project for a general, non-academic audience.

Locations: Queens, New York; Pasadena, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Princeton, NJ; Durham, NC; Holland, MI; Vancouver, B.C.; Nashville, TN; Boston, MA; Kansas City, KS; La Mirada, CA; Lisle, IL; Santa Barbara, CA

Associated Team Member: Steve Porter