What is the Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Center?
The Dallas Willard Center is an ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to placing an enduring emphasis on the intellectual legacy of Dallas Willard, including his focus on the possibility and path to authentic spiritual and moral transformation.
The Dallas Willard Center exists under the broader umbrella of the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture, which seeks to promote meaningful conversations between Christianity and the great traditions of the world.
The broad goals of the MI/DWC include:
- Creation of a new generation of individuals who will become thought leaders in articulating and experiencing an interactive relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Establishment of the field of Christian spiritual formation as a discipline of public knowledge that is open to research and pedagogy of the highest order.
More specifically, the MI/DWC will:
- Maintain an educational presence through publications, intensive spiritual formation educational programs, and the development of an interactive web site.
- Cultivate a network of professional contacts through hosting and participating in conferences, and collaborating with other organizations that share the goals of the MI/DWC.
- Develop a collection of materials accessible to researchers and other visitors.
- Work with the faculty, student life and other departments at Westmont College to pilot a variety of spiritual formation programs and opportunities for students.
The work of the MI/DWC is perhaps best captured by the image of a three-legged stool, with each leg representing a large area of outreach and program development. These three areas are:
- Broader outreaches including and beyond the Westmont community
- Academic initiatives at Westmont
- Student life initiatives at Westmont
The DWC will support broader outreaches that include:
- Renovaré Institute
- Spiritual formation journal
- Development of new learning resources
- Creation of an interactive Christian spiritual formation web site
- Development of a network of academic and ecclesiastic consortium partners
Academic Life
- Creation of a library based upon the papers of Dallas Willard and other leading spiritual formation scholars
- Senior fellows program
- Scholars-in-residence program
- Hosting of an annual summit of leading spiritual formation scholars
- Exploring academic curriculum needs
- Creation of a spiritual formation research program
Student Life
- Providing a Liaison to Student Life/Campus Pastor’s office
- Spiritual Formation Groups
- Individual and group spiritual direction
- Providing additional spiritual oasis space on campus
- Developing a “Willard House” Center for conversation and learning
- Developing and providing student retreats
