It is with great pleasure that I write to you to welcome you to the Samuel G. & Charles H. Craig Center for the Study of the Westminster Standards.
The Craig Center is an academic research center. Its principal interest is not only to undertake but also to facilitate, scholarly research into the Westminster Assembly (1643-1653) and the various documents that it produced. Since its founding in 2002 under the auspices of the Craig Family and the leadership of Drs. Carl Trueman and Jeffrey Jue, the Craig Center has played a key part in promoting the mission of Westminster Theological Seminary. Twenty years later, the Center has enjoyed a period of revitalization, enabling us to carry out the founders’ original intentions, namely the creation of a premier research center that carries out research-related activities on the Reformed confessional standards that have keenly shaped the broader Reformed Protestant tradition.
Our distinctive endeavor at Westminster is to contribute richly to the intellectual and spiritual life of its students and the broader presbyterian culture in which the Seminary participates. Through academic workshops, seminars, conferences, and lectures, we hope to cultivate interest in the momentous confessional standards that have been affirmed by many Christians since their original formulation in the mid-seventeenth century.
We hope in the near future to unveil a variety of current and planned research projects, all of which are immediately related to the study of the Westminster Assembly, and secondarily related to the history of post-Reformation theology and the tumultuous social and political context that occasioned the gathering of the Westminster Divines. These spheres of inquiry prove to be fertile fields fraught with a rich historical and theological tradition that can further benefit the contemporary Reformed church. Do check in frequently as we will update this website with our progress, reveal new projects, and announce research opportunities for qualified candidates.
We hope to continue to raise support for these initiatives. We ask that you would pray that the Lord would continue to bless our efforts by providing wisdom, able researchers, and funding.
With every good wish,
Chad B. Van Dixhoorn
Director & Professor of Church History