About us
Westminster Seminary Press Mission Statement
As a ministry of Westminster Theological Seminary, WSP is a uniquely Reformed publisher dedicated to enriching the global church, the academy, and the Christian through the printed word. WSP collaborates widely to publish new and classic books of scholarship that foster faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ from an orthodox, Reformed perspective.
The 10 Tenets of Westminster Seminary Press
“The Christian life must be comprised of three concentric circles, each of which must be kept in its proper place. In the outer circle must be the correct theological position, true biblical orthodoxy, and the purity of the visible church. This is first, but if that is all there is, it is just one more seedbed for spiritual pride. In the second circle must be good intellectual training and comprehension of our own generation. But having only this leads to intellectualism and again provides a seedbed for pride. In the inner circle must be the humble heart. At the center must be kept a living relationship to the God we know exists.” –Francis Schaeffer, The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way
1. Every book we publish upholds “True Biblical Orthodoxy.”
WSP aims to be to Christian publishing what Westminster has been to theological education. “The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way” must start with the correct theological position, but it must not end there.
2. Every book we publish is “Comprehensible to Our Generation.”
WSP seeks to publish works that are not just for the academic, but apply biblical orthodoxy in a way that is conversant, relevant, and directly useful for Christians of this current generation living around the world.
3. Every book we publish aims to further “Devotion to God and Love for Neighbor.”
Just as truth must be paired with love, and logic with fire, so too the ultimate aim of every WSP book is to deepen the worship and usefulness of the church, furthering in the reader “a living relationship with the God we know exists”.
4. Our authors are Knowledge specialists.
WSP authors demonstrate their grasp of “true biblical orthodoxy” through completion of a theological degree, and are trustworthy and reliable experts in their field of study.
5. Our authors are Experience specialists.
WSP authors demonstrate their “comprehension of our generation” from direct, real-world expertise in their topic of focus.
6. Our authors are Ministry specialists.
WSP authors demonstrate a “devotion to God and love of neighbor” with direct ministry experience as a pastor, elder, counselor, teacher, or missionary.
7. We are a scholarly press.
Scholarly books are born of scholarship, not necessarily written only for scholars. At its best, scholarship produces applicable solutions to real problems as the fruit of long and dedicated study.
8. We believe scholarship is for every reading level.
David Powlison was fond of quoting Oliver Wendell Holmes who said, “I wouldn’t give a fig for simplicity on this side of complexity, but for simplicity on the other side of complexity, I would give you everything I have.” Scholarship for every reading level means our books make rich theology sweetly distilled, not simply watered down. We actively pursue opportunities to publish books of scholarship for every reader, Kindergarten through PhD.
9. We are global minded.
Westminster has a rich and ongoing legacy of serving the global church. WSP seeks to support and extend this legacy in three ways. (1) By translating and publishing historic works from centuries past into modern English. (2) By supporting Westminster’s Global Ministries initiatives to translate and publish works from English into other languages. (3) By distributing biblically faithful resources around the world.
10. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of historic “book arts.”
We strive for excellence down to the details, with a willingness to invest in premium production as a way of fulfilling the second greatest commandment. Our conviction is that a beautiful and timelessly produced book is more likely to be read and cherished, and its impact can be multiplied when passed down from generation to generation. After all, the making of books has historically been a uniquely Christian art form.
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wsp@wts.edu