Cornerstone University Appoints Dr. John G. West as Distinguished Scholar of American Government and Christian Civic Engagement

Cornerstone University has appointed Dr. John G. West as its first Distinguished Scholar of American Government and Christian Civic Engagement, effective January 15, 2026. Amid America’s SuperCentennial year and 85 years since the university’s founding, this inaugural role reflects Cornerstone University’s continued commitment to nationally recognized scholarship that prepares students to apply a Christian worldview to civic and professional life.

Dr. West is a leading Christian scholar, author, and cultural commentator whose work has influenced national conversations on American government, public policy, technology, science and culture, and the relationship between faith and civic life. He will continue to serve as vice president of the Discovery Institute and managing director of its Center for Science and Culture, where his scholarship examines how ideas influence institutions, culture, and public responsibility, and more specifically, the intersection of Christian faith within the sciences and humanities.

“Cornerstone University is pleased to welcome Dr. West as a distinguished scholar at this historic time in our nation and Cornerstone University,” said President Gerson Moreno-Riaño. “John’s vast scholarship, public intellectual engagement, and experience will prepare our students to engage complex American cultural and professional challenges with intellectual seriousness, Biblically grounded moral clarity, and a Christian worldview of God’s vision for human flourishing.”

In his role as Distinguished Scholar of American Government and Christian Civic Engagement, West will serve as a special academic and cultural resource for the university. He will contribute to curriculum and learning outcomes in American government and civic engagement and engage regularly with students, faculty, and the community through lectures, chapel addresses, and public conversations aligned with Cornerstone’s mission.

For students, this role reinforces Cornerstone’s commitment to preparing graduates who apply a sophisticated Christian worldview to every part of career and life — leading with wisdom, responsibility, and purpose in their chosen profession and community.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Cornerstone University as its Distinguished Scholar of American Government and Christian Civic Engagement,” said West. “Cornerstone University has become a trailblazer in American Christian higher education. Its focus on equipping students with a comprehensive Christian worldview anchored in Biblical truth is exactly what our nation needs. I’m excited — and honored — to be part of an institution that is dedicated to training future Christian leaders who can revitalize America.”

West’s appointment comes at a consequential moment: America’s Super Centennial and Cornerstone University’s 85 years of Christ-centered mission and impact. West will co-chair Cornerstone University’s Taskforce on America’s 250th “Super-Centennial” Celebration, helping guide academic programming, public events, and thought leadership as the university, its students, and the nation reflect on its history and future. Dr. West will also welcome the West Michigan community to Wisdom Conversations on March 5, America at 250: Christianity and the American Experience.

Dr. West’s work also engages constitutional law, American political institutions, and the relationship between religion and politics, bringing historical depth and contemporary relevance to questions shaping civic life today.

West previously chaired the Department of Political Science and Geography and has taught political science and history at California State University, San Bernardino, and Azusa Pacific University. Earlier in his career, he served as managing editor of Public Research, Syndicated, which distributed public affairs essays to more than 700 daily and weekly newspapers nationwide.

A former professor and department chair at Seattle Pacific University, West holds a Ph.D. in government from Claremont Graduate University and B.A. in communications (editorial journalism) from the University of Washington. He has written or edited 13 books and directed more than a dozen documentaries examining the cultural consequences of ideas, drawing on intellectual influences such as C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, and the American founding.

For more information about Dr. West’s role or to explore Cornerstone University’s 65-plus on-campus and online career-ready degrees and certificates, contact admissions@cornerstone.edu or call 616.222.1426.