CARDUS

John D. Witvliet

John D. Witvliet

Senior Fellow, Comment Advisory

John D. Witvliet is the founding director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) and professor of worship, theology, & congregational and ministry studies at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

John’s teaching and writing explore the theological and pastoral significance of Christian public worship practices in multiple centuries, cultures, and Christian traditions—and the relationship of those practices to formation, public witness and the common good.  He leads a team of colleagues who offer the annual Calvin Symposium on Worship, the Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants Program, publication series with Eerdmans, Cascade and GIA, and several resource websites.

He has taught courses and mentored student research on worship and theology, the Psalms, Trinitarian liturgical and sacramental theology, the history of worship, the Christian year, the arts in worship, as well as offering recent co-taught exploratory courses and seminars on global Christianity, intercultural learning, African-American religious autobiography, traditioned innovation in leadership, and peacemaking.  His published academic writings include Worship Seeking Understanding (Baker Academic, 2003), a co-edited volume, Worship in Medieval and Early Modern Europe (University of Notre Dame Press, 2004), and several recent essays and chapters in books and academic journals, including materials presented in endowed lectures and conferences at Fuller Theological Seminary, Yale Divinity School, Princeton Theological Seminary, Pepperdine University, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Canadian Mennonite Seminary.

His pastoral writings include Proclaiming the Christmas Gospel: Ancient Sermons and Hymns for Contemporary Christian Inspiration (Baker, 2004), The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship (Eerdmans, 2007), several periodical articles, as well as three co-authored children’s books: At Your Baptism (Eerdmans, 2011), At God’s Table/En La Mesa de Dios (Calvin Press, 2017) and At Psalm’s School/En la escuela de los Salmos (GIA, 2019). He has been active in collaborative worship resource and congregational song projects, including The Worship Sourcebook (Faith Alive Christian Resources, Baker Books, 2004), Renew! (Hope Publishing, 1995), Sing! A New Creation (CRC Publications, 2001), Singing the New Testament (Faith Alive, 2008), Psalms for All Seasons:  A Complete Psalter for Worship (Faith Alive, 2012), Lift Up Your Hearts (Faith Alive, 2013), and a bilingual Spanish-English hymnal, Santo, Santo, Santo/Holy, Holy, Holy (GIA, 2019).

He has served as a trustee at Fuller Theological Seminary, president of the board of directors for The Choristers Guild; music director of churches in Michigan and Indiana; research associate at Notre Dame’s Center for Pastoral Liturgy; and guest lecturer at worship conferences in several states and provinces, as well as in Hong Kong, Mexico City, Northern Ireland, England, Nepal, and the Netherlands. He is the recipient of awards from the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, the Hampton Ministers Conferences and Choir Directors and Organists Guild, All Belong, the Brehm Center at Fuller Seminary, and Calvin University.