Bestselling author and Renovaré founder Richard J. Foster will be discussing his newest book, Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer, with Wheaton College chaplain Dr. Stephen Kellough on Thursday, November 3, at 7 p.m. in the Todd M. Beamer Center. The event, which is open to the public, will include a time for Q&A and will be followed by an opportunity to purchase the book and have it signed by Foster.

Richard J. Foster, founder of Renovaré

In Sanctuary of the Soul, which is part of InterVarsity Press’s Formatio line, Foster diagnoses cultural barriers to prayer and describes the value of quieting one’s mind and heart in order to listen to and obey God.

"I’m delighted to be a part of this year's Staley Lectures at Wheaton," Foster says. "Today distraction is one of the deepest problems we face. I hope in our time together we can discover the attentive stillness that will allow us to hear God's voice in his wondrous, terrible, loving, all-embracing silence."

Foster joins a long legacy of theologians, including Dallas Willard, Cornelius Plantinga Jr. and John Stott, who have lent their voice to both the vision of the Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Series, which seeks to bring distinguished scholars who can clearly communicate the Christian gospel to the college and university campuses of America, and the Wheaton community.

In addition to Sanctuary of the Soul, Foster is the author of several bestselling books including Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, which has sold over two million copies worldwide. Also, due in large part to his visionary leadership, Renovaré has been a foundational presence in the spiritual formation movement for over twenty years.

"Foster's years of training in theology and spiritual disciplines coupled with his widespread recognition as one of this generation's leading experts on prayer makes his keynote at the Wheaton Staley Lectures a profound and perfect fit," Jeff Crosby, associate publisher for InterVarsity Press, says.

For more information about the event, call the Wheaton chaplain's office at 630-752-5087.