Dallas Willard on God: An Introduction

by Michael Stewart Robb

What is God? Every great thinker, every system of thought answers that question, even if their answer assumes God's non-existence. For the rest of us, however, God may call up an oblong blur. This is not a wise approach to life and many teachers in history - some theologians, some not - can help. Of these, none may be more helpful to this century than Dallas Willard. All of his writing and teaching are pervaded by his idea of God.

The trouble is, Willard rarely addressed the topic, as he did many other topics, explicitly and with his signature insight and clarity. Some writers need an introduction because they wrote too much. Willard may need one because he wrote too little.

In Dallas Willard on God Michael Stewart Robb invites readers to uncover what Willard thought and taught about God through engaging exploration of his multifarious writings and lectures. With his inviting, low-key style Robb guides readers through four key traits of God which were basic to Willard's view of God's self-sufficiency, spiritual-ness, substance and moral personality. With the skill of a trained theologian/philosopher, Robb gently and carefully compares Willard's view with what the other major thinkers have taught about God, making it an excellent introduction to theology proper.

Written as an essay for students and seekers, Robb's latest and most accessible book on Willard challenges all to move beyond vague or blurry ideas of God and instead to live, as Dallas Willard himself did, with "a rich and accurate way of thinking and speaking about God" (The Divine Conspiracy).

166 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Margaret]

Dallas Willard on God offers an accessible introduction to Dallas Willard’s theological thought concerning God.
Michael Stewart Robb gives readers a focused entry point into an influential body of Christian reflection.
The book is naturally positioned for readers interested in Willard, Christian theology, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
At 166 pages, its concise format makes it approachable for both individual readers and study settings.
Published August 10, 2026, it has an opportunity to reach a wider audience of readers discovering Willard’s work.

[Ville]

If you are looking for an introduction to the metaphysics of Dallas Willard and his understanding of God, then this is where to begin. Concise and contained with enough context to bring forth both relevant points from more obscure sources in the Willardian corpus yet at the same time connecting his ideas to other theologians and philosophers throughout the ages. Worth reading twice, at least for the one beginning their journey into "God in himself."

[Quinton Peeples]

Michael Stewart Robb brings together strands of Dallas’ teachings on the nature of God in a concise and conversational way. This book is a gift to those of us who admire the work of one of the deepest thinkers of our age.