John D. Witvliet is director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and serves as professor of music and worship at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, respectively. He also teaches in the religion department at Calvin College. His responsibilities include oversight of the Institute’s practical and scholarly programs, including the annual Calvin Symposium on Worship and the Worship Renewal Grants Program, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. His areas of interest include the history of Christian worship, worship practices in various denominations, biblical and systematic theology of worship, the role of music and the arts in worship, and consulting with churches on worship renewal.
A graduate of Calvin College, Dr. Witvliet holds graduate degrees in theology from Calvin Theology Seminary, in choral music from the University of Illinois, and the Ph.D. in liturgical studies and theology from the University of Notre Dame.
He is the author of The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources (Eerdmans, 2007), co-editor of The Worship Sourcebook (Faith Alive & Baker Books, 2004), Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice (Baker Academic, 2003), co-editor of Worship in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Change and Continuity in Religious Practice (University of Notre Dame Press, 2004), and editor of A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship (Choristers Guild, 1999). He serves as editor for two series of books – the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series (Eerdmans) and Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations (Alban Institute)-as well as co-editor, with Pearl Shangkuan, of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Music Series (GIA).
Dr. Witvliet has served for 10 years as a member of the board of directors for The Choristers Guild, including a term as president. He has also served as music director for 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.
In addition, his articles have appeared in The American Organist, Jahrbuch für Liturgik und Hymnologie, The Choral Journal, Studia Liturgica, Worship, Reformed Worship, Reformed Liturgy and Music, Congregations, Assembly, The Hymn, The Chorister, and Books and Culture. He has also contributed to several dictionaries, including Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Music, Worship Music: A Concise Dictionary, and The Complete Library of Christian Worship.