Ward J. Bauman was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1989 and served parishes in the Bay Area of California for more than a decade, becoming a popular retreat leader in areas of Christian mysticism as well. In 2002, he moved to Minnesota to run The Episcopal House of Prayer, a retreat and conference center on the grounds of St. John’s Benedictine Abbey in Collegeville. He invited Cynthia Bourgeault and his brother, Lynn Bauman, to join him in teaching Christian mysticism there as they began the Wisdom Schools, bringing together groups seeking deeper and practical teachings on human spirituality. It was then that Ward first began to teach from the Gospel of Philip and to introduce it to a wider audience. He coauthored with Bauman and Bourgeault The Luminous Gospels: Thomas, Mary Magdalene, and Philip. He lives in Minneapolis.