{{Short description|American theologian (born 1942)}} {{Self-published|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox academic | name = Richard J. Foster | image = Author Richard Foster.jpg | caption = Foster speaking in 2023 | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1942}} | birth_place = {{Nowrap|[[New Mexico]], United States}} | birth_name = Richard James Foster | death_date = | death_place = | education = {{Plainlist| * [[George Fox University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) * [[Fuller Theological Seminary]] ([[Doctor of Pastoral Theology|PThD]])}} | occupation = {{hlist | Quaker theologian | pastor | author}} | known_for = ''Celebration of Discipline''; [[Renovaré]] | networth = | children = | spouse = Carolynn | parents = | family = | module = {{Infobox theologian | embed = yes | child_header = no | period = | notable_works = | ordination = | era = | language = | tradition_movement = {{hlist | [[Quakers|Quaker]]}} | school_tradition = | main_interests = {{hlist | [[Spiritual formation]] | [[Asceticism]]}} | notable_ideas = | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = }} | website = {{URL|https://renovare.org/people/richard-foster/bio}} | thesis_url = https://fuller.on.worldcat.org/oclc/4090682 | thesis_title = Quaker Concern in Race Relations: Then and Now | thesis_year = 1970 }} '''Richard James Foster''' (born 1942) is a [[Christian theology|Christian theologian]] and author in the [[Quaker]] tradition. His writings speak to a broad Christian audience. Born in 1942 in New Mexico, Foster spent the majority of his childhood growing up in Southern California. Foster has been a professor at [[Friends University]] and pastor of [[Evangelical Friends International|Evangelical Friends]] churches. Foster resides in [[Denver, Colorado]]. He earned his undergraduate degree at [[George Fox University]] in [[Oregon]] and his [[Doctor of Pastoral Theology]] at [[Fuller Theological Seminary]], and received an honorary doctorate from [[Houghton College]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/september/26.41.html | title=A Life Formed in the Spirit | first=Mark | last=Galli | authorlink = Mark Galli | date=2008-09-17 | publisher=[[Christianity Today]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024184733/http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/september/26.41.html?paging=off | archive-date=2012-10-24 | url-status=live | access-date=2013-05-09}}</ref>

Foster is best known for his 1978 book ''Celebration of Discipline'', which examines the inward disciplines of [[prayer]], [[fasting]], [[meditation]], and [[Bible study (Christian)|study]] in the Christian life, the outward disciplines of [[simplicity]], [[solitude]], [[submission]], and service, and the corporate disciplines of [[confession (religion)|confession]], [[worship]], guidance, and celebration.<ref>{{cite book | title=Celebration of Discipline | first=Richard J. | last=Foster | year=1978 | publisher=[[Harper & Row]] | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FR4z93ezwqwC | isbn=9780061800399}}</ref> It has sold over one million copies. It was named by ''[[Christianity Today]]'' as one of the top ten books of the twentieth century. A work described as a sequel to ''Celebration'' is Foster's 1985 ''Money, Sex & Power''<ref>{{cite book | title=Money, Sex & Power | first=Richard J. | last=Foster | year=1985 | publisher=Harper & Row | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kjDfeiyHAgYC | isbn=9780060628352}}</ref><ref group=Note>the reverse of [[poverty, chastity, obedience]]</ref> and associated study guide.<ref>{{cite book | title=Money, Sex & Power Study Guide | first=Richard J. | last=Foster | year=1985 | publisher=Harper & Row. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=urVHjaEhpk4C | isbn=9780062047953}}</ref>

He also published ''Freedom of Simplicity'' in 1981, which further explores the discipline of simple, [[simple living|intentional living]].<ref>{{cite book | title=Freedom of Simplicity | first=Richard J. | last=Foster | year=1981 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tOWM_6iJ-ZoC | publisher=[[HarperCollins]] | isbn=9780060628253}}</ref> ''Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home'' (1992, {{ISBN|0-06-062846-4}}), which explores 21 different types of Christian prayer, edited ''Devotional Classics'' (1993, {{ISBN|0-06-066966-7}}), a devotional guide featuring Christian wisdom through the ages, and ''Streams of Living Water'' (2001, {{ISBN|0-06-062822-7}}), which examines the place of the different spiritual traditions - Contemplative: The Prayer-Filled Life; Holiness: The Virtuous Life; Charismatic: The Spirit-Empowered Life; Social Justice: The Compassionate Life; Evangelical: The Word-Centered Life; and Incarnational: The Sacramental Life - in Christianity. Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey Into Meditative Prayer

Foster (along with several others) also wrote the [[Bible study (Christian)|devotional]] ''Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible'' (now published as ''[[The Life with God Study Bible]]''). Two editions of this [[NRSV]]-based [[study Bible]] exist, one with the [[apocryphal]]/[[deuterocanonical]] texts and one without.

In 2008, he co-authored with [[Gayle Beebe]], the book ''Longing for God''.

In 1988 Foster founded ''[[Renovaré]]'', a Christian renewal [[Parachurch organization|para-Church]] organization.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources-category/speakers/richard-foster/#:~:text=Richard%20Foster%20is%20a%20Christian,sold%20over%20one%20million%20copies. | title=Richard Foster | publisher=[[C.S. Lewis Institute]] | accessdate=11 January 2025}}</ref>

In recent years he has allowed his hair to grow, wearing it in a long pony tail. He says this is his way of honoring the portion of his heritage which is [[Ojibwe]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Patterson|first1=Sean|title=Finding Foster|url=http://www.georgefox.edu/journalonline/summer14/feature/finding-foster.html|website=George Fox Journal|publisher=[[George Fox University]]|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist|group=Note}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{cite web | url=http://www.quakerinfo.com/foster.shtml | title=Richard Foster: Quaker Writer on Christian Spirituality | first=Bill | last=Samuel | date=2001-07-01 | publisher=quakerinfo.com}} {{Fuller Theological Seminary}} {{Authority control}}

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