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Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge
At a time when popular atheism books are talking about the irrationality of believing in God, Willard makes a rigorous intellectual case for why it makes sense to believe in God and in Jesus, the Son.
245 pages, Hardcover
First published April 21, 2008
286 people are currently reading
1395 people want to read
About the author
Dallas Willard
119 books1,130 followersDallas Willard was a widely respected American philosopher and Christian thinker, best known for his work on spiritual formation and his expertise in phenomenology, particularly the philosophy of Edmund Husserl. He taught philosophy at the University of Southern California from 1965 until his death in 2013, where he also served as department chair in the early 1980s. Willard held degrees in psychology, philosophy, and religion, earning his PhD in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a focus on the history of science. He was recognized as a leading translator and interpreter of Husserl's thought, making foundational texts available in English and contributing significantly to the fields of epistemology, philosophy of mind, and logic.
Though a serious academic, Willard became even more widely known for his books on Christian living, including The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart, both of which earned major awards and helped shape the modern spiritual formation movement. He believed that discipleship to Jesus was an intentional process involving not only belief but transformation through spiritual disciplines like prayer, study, solitude, and service. For Willard, spiritual growth was not about earning God’s favor but about participating in the divine life through active cooperation with grace.
His teachings emphasized the concept of apprenticeship to Jesus—being with him, learning to be like him—and his influence extended to ministries such as Renovaré, the Apprentice Institute, and the Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation. He served on the boards of organizations like the C.S. Lewis Foundation and Biola University, and his intellectual and spiritual legacy continues through Dallas Willard Ministries and academic institutions inspired by his work.
Willard was also a deeply personal writer who shared candidly about the challenges of balancing academic life with family. Despite his own admitted shortcomings, those closest to him regarded him as a man of deep love, humility, and grace. His enduring impact can be seen in the lives and works of many contemporary Christian thinkers and writers, including Richard J. Foster, James Bryan Smith, and John Mark Comer. As both philosopher and pastor to the mind, Dallas Willard remains a towering figure in the dialogue between rigorous thought and transformative Christian practice.
Though a serious academic, Willard became even more widely known for his books on Christian living, including The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart, both of which earned major awards and helped shape the modern spiritual formation movement. He believed that discipleship to Jesus was an intentional process involving not only belief but transformation through spiritual disciplines like prayer, study, solitude, and service. For Willard, spiritual growth was not about earning God’s favor but about participating in the divine life through active cooperation with grace.
His teachings emphasized the concept of apprenticeship to Jesus—being with him, learning to be like him—and his influence extended to ministries such as Renovaré, the Apprentice Institute, and the Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation. He served on the boards of organizations like the C.S. Lewis Foundation and Biola University, and his intellectual and spiritual legacy continues through Dallas Willard Ministries and academic institutions inspired by his work.
Willard was also a deeply personal writer who shared candidly about the challenges of balancing academic life with family. Despite his own admitted shortcomings, those closest to him regarded him as a man of deep love, humility, and grace. His enduring impact can be seen in the lives and works of many contemporary Christian thinkers and writers, including Richard J. Foster, James Bryan Smith, and John Mark Comer. As both philosopher and pastor to the mind, Dallas Willard remains a towering figure in the dialogue between rigorous thought and transformative Christian practice.
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October 27, 2018
Thesis: A life of steadfast discipleship to Jesus Christ can be supported only upon assured knowledge of how things are, of the realities in terms of which that life is lived (Willard 7). Correct knowledge gives us secure access to reality.
Interplay between faith and knowledge
What is it to possess knowledge? “We have knowledge of something when we are representing it….as it actually is, on an appropriate basis of thought and experience” (15).
Faith is contrasted with sight, not true knowledge. Faith is always exercised “in an environment of knowledge and is inseparable from it” (20).
Exactly How We Perish for Lack of Knowledge
Sub-thesis: People perish for lack of knowledge because only knowledge permits assured access to reality” (39). While some are saying that “worldview” talk is now dated, it is still inevitable. Willard calls it a “biological necessity for human beings, because we act, whether consciously or not, with reference to a whole (a ‘world’)” (43).
One way we perish is by idolatry. It is a mistake about reality, in that we assign powers to an object that it does not have.
The rest of this chapter is a summary of Renovation of the Heart and The Divine Conspiracy.
Can We Know That God Exists?
Willard gives a simplified version of the Kalam Cosmological argument.
(1) The universe had a beginning (evidence from Big Bang, background radiation, impossibility of traversing an actual infinite, etc.)
(2) It was either (p) produced by nothing or by (q) something that is not physical.
(3) P is false; therefore, q (2; Disjunctive syllogism)
(4) The causal closure principle of the universe is false since it cannot explain the cause of the physical universe (see [1]).
(5) There must be a first member in the causal series.
(6) This cause must have a will since he/it willed to create.
(7) Therefore, the causal system is not merely causal.
The Miraculous, and Christ’s Presence in the World
What is a “natural law?” True, there are regularities in nature, yet these regularities are constantly interrupted even by humans. Willard notes that “common regularities in nature all depend upon certain conditions that lie deeper in reality, and if those conditions are modified, then the regularities are interrupted” (125). A miracle is when the ultimate conditioner modifies the conditions. Therefore, it is not a violation of natural law, whatever that means.
Knowledge of Christ in the Spiritual Life
Here Willard summarizes his work on spiritual disciplines. We are cultivating a “constant receptivity” to the presence of Jesus (156). This list is not exhaustive. We do so by:
(1) solitude and silence.
(2) Fellowship
(3) Prayer
(4) Giving
Knowledge of Christ and Christian Pluralism
What would a Christian pluralism look like? Willard defines it as “a pluralism based upon the generosity and justice of the God revealed in Christ” (170). This raises a problem: if by knowledge of Christ we have secured access to reality, then it seems that others are wrong. Willard heads off that line of reasoning by noting we shouldn’t confuse belief with behavior. I can believe you are wrong and still be a decent human being.
In any case, there is a logical exclusivity about knowledge in general. Pluralism as an ideal is false and unworkable, since various religious traditions make exclusive claims. What is valuable in pluralism, however, is having a proper and friendly attitude towards the so-called “Other.”
A Christian take on true pluralism (!) would imply something like the following:
(1) Agape love for everyone.
(2) God will treat everyone justly.
(3) Willard is *not* saying people from other religions *will* be saved apart from Christ.
(4) Yet, God probably won’t cackle maniacally as he watches people on the barbeque pit.
My only real concern is Willard’s exegesis of “no other name.” He says it is in the context of meaning “no other access to God’s kingdom power–resulting in the previous miracle–except through Jesus’ name.” I certainly believe that is a true proposition. I just don’t see how it changes the original meaning.
This book is a good snapshot on Christian epistemology. It is, however, not a text on epistemology. Willard shows the importance of Christianity as a knowledge-tradition and that we have access to it. But he doesn’t deal with the basic problems of epistemology.
This book isn’t as good as Renovation of the Heart, but it is better than Divine Conspiracy. It’s on par with Hearing God.
Interplay between faith and knowledge
What is it to possess knowledge? “We have knowledge of something when we are representing it….as it actually is, on an appropriate basis of thought and experience” (15).
Faith is contrasted with sight, not true knowledge. Faith is always exercised “in an environment of knowledge and is inseparable from it” (20).
Exactly How We Perish for Lack of Knowledge
Sub-thesis: People perish for lack of knowledge because only knowledge permits assured access to reality” (39). While some are saying that “worldview” talk is now dated, it is still inevitable. Willard calls it a “biological necessity for human beings, because we act, whether consciously or not, with reference to a whole (a ‘world’)” (43).
One way we perish is by idolatry. It is a mistake about reality, in that we assign powers to an object that it does not have.
The rest of this chapter is a summary of Renovation of the Heart and The Divine Conspiracy.
Can We Know That God Exists?
Willard gives a simplified version of the Kalam Cosmological argument.
(1) The universe had a beginning (evidence from Big Bang, background radiation, impossibility of traversing an actual infinite, etc.)
(2) It was either (p) produced by nothing or by (q) something that is not physical.
(3) P is false; therefore, q (2; Disjunctive syllogism)
(4) The causal closure principle of the universe is false since it cannot explain the cause of the physical universe (see [1]).
(5) There must be a first member in the causal series.
(6) This cause must have a will since he/it willed to create.
(7) Therefore, the causal system is not merely causal.
The Miraculous, and Christ’s Presence in the World
What is a “natural law?” True, there are regularities in nature, yet these regularities are constantly interrupted even by humans. Willard notes that “common regularities in nature all depend upon certain conditions that lie deeper in reality, and if those conditions are modified, then the regularities are interrupted” (125). A miracle is when the ultimate conditioner modifies the conditions. Therefore, it is not a violation of natural law, whatever that means.
Knowledge of Christ in the Spiritual Life
Here Willard summarizes his work on spiritual disciplines. We are cultivating a “constant receptivity” to the presence of Jesus (156). This list is not exhaustive. We do so by:
(1) solitude and silence.
(2) Fellowship
(3) Prayer
(4) Giving
Knowledge of Christ and Christian Pluralism
What would a Christian pluralism look like? Willard defines it as “a pluralism based upon the generosity and justice of the God revealed in Christ” (170). This raises a problem: if by knowledge of Christ we have secured access to reality, then it seems that others are wrong. Willard heads off that line of reasoning by noting we shouldn’t confuse belief with behavior. I can believe you are wrong and still be a decent human being.
In any case, there is a logical exclusivity about knowledge in general. Pluralism as an ideal is false and unworkable, since various religious traditions make exclusive claims. What is valuable in pluralism, however, is having a proper and friendly attitude towards the so-called “Other.”
A Christian take on true pluralism (!) would imply something like the following:
(1) Agape love for everyone.
(2) God will treat everyone justly.
(3) Willard is *not* saying people from other religions *will* be saved apart from Christ.
(4) Yet, God probably won’t cackle maniacally as he watches people on the barbeque pit.
My only real concern is Willard’s exegesis of “no other name.” He says it is in the context of meaning “no other access to God’s kingdom power–resulting in the previous miracle–except through Jesus’ name.” I certainly believe that is a true proposition. I just don’t see how it changes the original meaning.
This book is a good snapshot on Christian epistemology. It is, however, not a text on epistemology. Willard shows the importance of Christianity as a knowledge-tradition and that we have access to it. But he doesn’t deal with the basic problems of epistemology.
This book isn’t as good as Renovation of the Heart, but it is better than Divine Conspiracy. It’s on par with Hearing God.
February 16, 2017
This was the first of three Willard books I read this summer. His purpose in the book is to argue that Christianity, discipleship to Jesus, rests on actual knowledge. Our world tends to reserve “knowledge” for one sort of thing, such as science. Religion, it is said, is mere opinion. Hence people can assert that all religions are the same, since they are all equally devoid of truth or knowledge. But if there is truly spiritual knowledge, truly a way things really are, then religion is more than mere opinion.
Honestly, having read my share of apologetics books, I did not expect apologetics here. So I was somewhat surprised when Willard began rehearsing familiar arguments for God’s existence and miracles as part of his reasoning for why we can trust spiritual knowledge. I am not sure how I expected him to argue for how we can trust spiritual knowledge when I began the book, but I didn’t expect arguments for God’s existence. That said, apologetics of the usual sort only supplies a portion of Willard’s arguments (plus, his casting of the arguments is a bit different then those familiar with them might expect). He goes on to talk about how we can know Christ where we are. His method for this are the spiritual disciplines, “time-tested spiritual practices that can help us in our learning process.” In other words, we grow in knowledge as we interact with God. It should be said then that while we can trust spiritual knowledge, it is still not the exact same as scientific or historical knowledge. We can trust all these things, but we learn what each says in its own way (i.e., the scientific method is not how we learn spiritual truth).
Perhaps the most important chapter is the second-to-last where he discussed pluralism. If, as Willard argues, there is spiritual knowledge and this truth rests in Jesus Christ, then how one handles diversity and disagreement becomes vital. In other subjects where knowledge exists, those who take a minority view may be shunned – think of those who question the received view of science or history. Religion, more like politics or philosophy, has a myriad of views. Willard greatly emphasizes humility and that even though there is spiritual knowledge, we know that none of us are perfect in our understanding of it.
Overall, this is a fantastic book.
Honestly, having read my share of apologetics books, I did not expect apologetics here. So I was somewhat surprised when Willard began rehearsing familiar arguments for God’s existence and miracles as part of his reasoning for why we can trust spiritual knowledge. I am not sure how I expected him to argue for how we can trust spiritual knowledge when I began the book, but I didn’t expect arguments for God’s existence. That said, apologetics of the usual sort only supplies a portion of Willard’s arguments (plus, his casting of the arguments is a bit different then those familiar with them might expect). He goes on to talk about how we can know Christ where we are. His method for this are the spiritual disciplines, “time-tested spiritual practices that can help us in our learning process.” In other words, we grow in knowledge as we interact with God. It should be said then that while we can trust spiritual knowledge, it is still not the exact same as scientific or historical knowledge. We can trust all these things, but we learn what each says in its own way (i.e., the scientific method is not how we learn spiritual truth).
Perhaps the most important chapter is the second-to-last where he discussed pluralism. If, as Willard argues, there is spiritual knowledge and this truth rests in Jesus Christ, then how one handles diversity and disagreement becomes vital. In other subjects where knowledge exists, those who take a minority view may be shunned – think of those who question the received view of science or history. Religion, more like politics or philosophy, has a myriad of views. Willard greatly emphasizes humility and that even though there is spiritual knowledge, we know that none of us are perfect in our understanding of it.
Overall, this is a fantastic book.
June 3, 2015
Dallas Willard's theme in this book is knowledge and the role knowledge plays in the Christian faith. He argues that Christ's Kingdom does not simply rest on what he calls 'blind faith' or a 'leap of faith' of being the correct worldview. Rather, he argues that there is actual knowledge that Christ's Kingdom actually rests its foundations upon.
In Chapter 1, Willard defines knowledge: "We have knowledge of something when we are representing it (thinking about it, speaking of it, treating it) as it actually is, on an appropriate basis of thought and experience. Knowledge involves truth or accuracy of representation, but it must also be truth based upon adequate evidence or insight. The evidence or insight comes in various ways, depending on the nature of the subject matter. But it must be there." (Pg. 15) He then uses the rest of the chapter to also define belief and commitment; things that are separate from knowledge but can also play a role alongside knowledge. He then sets out to prove that being a Christian is not based off 'blind faith' or a 'leap of faith' (Kierkegaardian type faith), but rather it is based on a firm foundation of knowledge that is available to all who seek after it.
Chapter 2 discusses the consequences for our lack of knowledge, specifically the worldview that society deems as the correct worldview in contrast to the one Jesus gives in the gospels. Chapter 3 elaborates on Chapter 2 by discussing the disappearance of moral knowledge within our institutions of higher learning and educational institutions in general. This is because, according to Willard, the worldview which Christ preached has been displaced by a secular one which does not give definite answers in the ethical realm.
Chapters 4 and 5 are where Willard proves his thesis. In Chapter 4 he proves God's existence using a form of the contingency cosmological argument. Without getting too technical, he basically argues that the reason for my existence, your existence, your parents' existence, their parents' existence - lies outside of ourselves and themselves. Now the 'universe' is simply the totality of all of these contingent objects. Therefore, there has to be something that can explain the contingency of the universe outside of the universe itself. This being would be the explanation for not only the universe, but also be self-sufficient to Himself as the first cause of the universe. And then he gives rebuttals to major objections for this argument. In Chapter 5, after making the case for a transcendent creator, he proves that Christ was the revelation of this Transcendent Creator through Christ's resurrection. He shows the possibility of miracles in our universe to make this the case, and he quotes a leading scholar in the New Testament - N.T. Wright - to back up his point.
After proving God's existence and Christ's resurrection, the last three chapters give details of the consequences for these facts. Chapter 6 gives details on what it is to live in Christ's Kingdom (which is probably one of Willard's bests chapters I've read in any of his books), Chapter 7 explains Christian pluralism, or what the consequences are in matters for other religions or people outside of Christ's Kingdom, and Chapter 8 details how pastors must play an influential role in disseminating real knowledge in today's contemporary world - both in the Church and the secular world.
Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars because I felt that Chapters 4 & 5, which are set to prove his main thesis, could've been done better. He could've given a better proof for God's existence in my opinion, and in Chapter 5 he could've gone over more supplemental evidence for Christ's resurrection. I was a bit disappointed by the lack in those areas. Also, I read this with a friend in hopes that he would see the truth values behind the Christian faith, but I feel that he didn't appreciate the style it was written and came out slightly more skeptical. Maybe this book is better for those who are already disciples of Christ and are already believers, or for those who believe but would like a bit more evidence for their beliefs rooted in a firm foundation of knowledge.
In Chapter 1, Willard defines knowledge: "We have knowledge of something when we are representing it (thinking about it, speaking of it, treating it) as it actually is, on an appropriate basis of thought and experience. Knowledge involves truth or accuracy of representation, but it must also be truth based upon adequate evidence or insight. The evidence or insight comes in various ways, depending on the nature of the subject matter. But it must be there." (Pg. 15) He then uses the rest of the chapter to also define belief and commitment; things that are separate from knowledge but can also play a role alongside knowledge. He then sets out to prove that being a Christian is not based off 'blind faith' or a 'leap of faith' (Kierkegaardian type faith), but rather it is based on a firm foundation of knowledge that is available to all who seek after it.
Chapter 2 discusses the consequences for our lack of knowledge, specifically the worldview that society deems as the correct worldview in contrast to the one Jesus gives in the gospels. Chapter 3 elaborates on Chapter 2 by discussing the disappearance of moral knowledge within our institutions of higher learning and educational institutions in general. This is because, according to Willard, the worldview which Christ preached has been displaced by a secular one which does not give definite answers in the ethical realm.
Chapters 4 and 5 are where Willard proves his thesis. In Chapter 4 he proves God's existence using a form of the contingency cosmological argument. Without getting too technical, he basically argues that the reason for my existence, your existence, your parents' existence, their parents' existence - lies outside of ourselves and themselves. Now the 'universe' is simply the totality of all of these contingent objects. Therefore, there has to be something that can explain the contingency of the universe outside of the universe itself. This being would be the explanation for not only the universe, but also be self-sufficient to Himself as the first cause of the universe. And then he gives rebuttals to major objections for this argument. In Chapter 5, after making the case for a transcendent creator, he proves that Christ was the revelation of this Transcendent Creator through Christ's resurrection. He shows the possibility of miracles in our universe to make this the case, and he quotes a leading scholar in the New Testament - N.T. Wright - to back up his point.
After proving God's existence and Christ's resurrection, the last three chapters give details of the consequences for these facts. Chapter 6 gives details on what it is to live in Christ's Kingdom (which is probably one of Willard's bests chapters I've read in any of his books), Chapter 7 explains Christian pluralism, or what the consequences are in matters for other religions or people outside of Christ's Kingdom, and Chapter 8 details how pastors must play an influential role in disseminating real knowledge in today's contemporary world - both in the Church and the secular world.
Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars because I felt that Chapters 4 & 5, which are set to prove his main thesis, could've been done better. He could've given a better proof for God's existence in my opinion, and in Chapter 5 he could've gone over more supplemental evidence for Christ's resurrection. I was a bit disappointed by the lack in those areas. Also, I read this with a friend in hopes that he would see the truth values behind the Christian faith, but I feel that he didn't appreciate the style it was written and came out slightly more skeptical. Maybe this book is better for those who are already disciples of Christ and are already believers, or for those who believe but would like a bit more evidence for their beliefs rooted in a firm foundation of knowledge.
June 24, 2015
Came across this one at the library on an endcap and remembered Willard as a big name for me when I was still into that sort of thing. Had a few hours, so I sat down and read it.
Willard is a lovely writer, though not as complex as he claims to be when he warns readers how complicated and difficult the book will be. He does start out with a thought-provoking discussion about the difference between knowledge, faith, belief, and commitment. And towards the end, he makes a case for a kind of Universalism that is making some Christians (at least in the amazon reviews) uncomfortable. Those are the best parts.
But for me, the book fails in its title premise. He says you have to have spiritual knowledge, but he never makes a convincing case for why we can trust this knowledge.
Along the way, he trots out the usual apologetic arguments for the existence of god, including:
Prime Mover/First Cause
No Morality Without God
Intelligent Design
2000 Years of the Church proves Jesus was resurrected
And so on. (That last one cracks me up. So 1000 years of Islam's world effect proves Mohammad and the Koran are true? 5000 years of Hindusism proves the Gita is true?) He offers nothing new here on the argument front, frequently coming up with "we don't know how things began, therefore god" type answers and starting the discussion with the old standby about how spiritual knowledge is different than material knowledge and thus doesn't follow the same rules for proof. At least he's willing to admit that his arguments for the existence of god don't lead to the Christian god - but then he proceeds on the assumption that the Christian god is the best answer anyway.
Willard also operates on the assumption that the Bible is a trustworthy and true document. He never once that I recall made a case for why it could be trusted - he simply assumes that what it says about Jesus, for instance, is completely accurate. In fact, at one point he even says something along the lines of "if all we had was the Bible for the proof of Jesus, then he could understand people not accepting it." Then he simply states that we have more than the Bible and proceeds as if his case has been proven. LOL whut?
In the end, Willard's argument comes down to subjectivism. Disciples of Jesus will know Jesus, and they will know that they know Jesus. And anyone who doesn't subscribe to this circular reasoning is simply being stubborn and refusing to accept spiritual "truth".
Umm, okay.
Willard is a lovely writer, though not as complex as he claims to be when he warns readers how complicated and difficult the book will be. He does start out with a thought-provoking discussion about the difference between knowledge, faith, belief, and commitment. And towards the end, he makes a case for a kind of Universalism that is making some Christians (at least in the amazon reviews) uncomfortable. Those are the best parts.
But for me, the book fails in its title premise. He says you have to have spiritual knowledge, but he never makes a convincing case for why we can trust this knowledge.
Along the way, he trots out the usual apologetic arguments for the existence of god, including:
Prime Mover/First Cause
No Morality Without God
Intelligent Design
2000 Years of the Church proves Jesus was resurrected
And so on. (That last one cracks me up. So 1000 years of Islam's world effect proves Mohammad and the Koran are true? 5000 years of Hindusism proves the Gita is true?) He offers nothing new here on the argument front, frequently coming up with "we don't know how things began, therefore god" type answers and starting the discussion with the old standby about how spiritual knowledge is different than material knowledge and thus doesn't follow the same rules for proof. At least he's willing to admit that his arguments for the existence of god don't lead to the Christian god - but then he proceeds on the assumption that the Christian god is the best answer anyway.
Willard also operates on the assumption that the Bible is a trustworthy and true document. He never once that I recall made a case for why it could be trusted - he simply assumes that what it says about Jesus, for instance, is completely accurate. In fact, at one point he even says something along the lines of "if all we had was the Bible for the proof of Jesus, then he could understand people not accepting it." Then he simply states that we have more than the Bible and proceeds as if his case has been proven. LOL whut?
In the end, Willard's argument comes down to subjectivism. Disciples of Jesus will know Jesus, and they will know that they know Jesus. And anyone who doesn't subscribe to this circular reasoning is simply being stubborn and refusing to accept spiritual "truth".
Umm, okay.
March 2, 2015
Another wonderful book by Dallas Willard. "Knowing Christ Today" explains in clear fashion how it is that Christians have available to them knowledge that is not available to those that live within the confines of the modern scientific worldview that dominates Western culture and society. In typically Willardian fashion the author writes with both gentleness and humor as he takes apart so much of what passes for deep-thinking on the part of Christianity's (and other faith's) cultured despisers. And, true to the author's deep concern, he goes on to explain how and why this true knowledge of Christ is so crucial to our following Christ in his now available Kingdom. 5 stars.
January 2, 2017
Knowing Christ today by Dallas Willard is a useful, informative understanding of Christian worldview particularly as it pertains to moral knowledge. Willard is a gifted communicator and a clear thinker. In my opinion, chapter 6, "knowledge of Christ in the spiritual life" is worth the price of the book alone.
June 19, 2020
This is a short book filled with great wisdom and inspiration. It is classic Dallas Willard. He is confidently articulate, supremely confident in his material, and yet careful of overstatement. In our post-modern world, when Evangelical thought is highly fractured and there are no authoritative voices, Willards confidence is stunning. He will say things like "these people have no idea what they are talking about," as he says about the "new atheists." Or "there is no reason why anyone cannot live a fully-formed Christian life based on the love of God." This is not bluster or fodder for Twitter. It is his reasoned evaluation of both the current intellectual culture and the knowledge of God available in scripture. He is also generous and concerned mainly with "mere Christianity." He believes that the disputes between denominations are largely about culture and routine. He is focusing on the truths (a bit of over confidence there?). His chapter on Christian pluralism is notable for its compassion, thoroughness and coherence. His final chapter is (gulp) a call to pastors, to teach the nations the true knowledge of God.
April 12, 2021
Willard makes several strong points that really made me think: 1. There are really things we can "know" about Christianity. We should be focusing on sharing those things with others, not the slippery idea of a faith based on personal preference. 2. Evangelism that includes an emotional manipulation is not true evangelism (Now I understand why using "Just as I Am" with altar calls bothers me so much). 3. There is scriptural support for thinking that there are many people outside of Christianity who could be saved based on their desire to find God. 4. The purpose of the church is to be a loving center where Christians can learn to exemplify Christ in the world, which he sees as our work place (defining work rather generally).
I would have given this book a five for deep ideas, but Willard jumps around a lot, and it is sometimes difficult to follow his organizational strategy.
I would have given this book a five for deep ideas, but Willard jumps around a lot, and it is sometimes difficult to follow his organizational strategy.
January 19, 2023
Thank you, Dr. Willard for writing this book.
This was everything I expected to read and more. It is a book about knowledge: epistemology, what counts as knowledge, and importantly, why Christian knowledge should count as knowledge in our modern, secular world. Willard does not fail to show why and how these things have practical implications: living in a dynamic relationship grounded in true knowledge of Jesus Christ.
His final chapter is an exhortation to pastors who should have knowledge, teach it as knowledge and live in accordance with the knowledge they have.
Willard does what every good philosopher does: he presents his view, but responds graciously and humbly to the popular objections, also giving them a fair hearing. No strawmanning. I think Christians have a lot to learn from this book if they can take the time to wrestle with it and understand it.
This was everything I expected to read and more. It is a book about knowledge: epistemology, what counts as knowledge, and importantly, why Christian knowledge should count as knowledge in our modern, secular world. Willard does not fail to show why and how these things have practical implications: living in a dynamic relationship grounded in true knowledge of Jesus Christ.
His final chapter is an exhortation to pastors who should have knowledge, teach it as knowledge and live in accordance with the knowledge they have.
Willard does what every good philosopher does: he presents his view, but responds graciously and humbly to the popular objections, also giving them a fair hearing. No strawmanning. I think Christians have a lot to learn from this book if they can take the time to wrestle with it and understand it.
March 30, 2021
Excellent, especially in today’s world of “personal truths” and newspeak.
I listened to the audiobook, a great way to get the feel of sitting through a superb lecture. Despite taking pages of notes, I definitely want to acquire a paper copy for further study. I missed many references due to not having access to footnotes.
I also plan on using this for theological study with my teenager.
Favorite quote: “When desire conflicts with reality, sooner or later, reality wins.”
I listened to the audiobook, a great way to get the feel of sitting through a superb lecture. Despite taking pages of notes, I definitely want to acquire a paper copy for further study. I missed many references due to not having access to footnotes.
I also plan on using this for theological study with my teenager.
Favorite quote: “When desire conflicts with reality, sooner or later, reality wins.”
June 2, 2017
Great book on knowledge. I'm still grasping some of what he is saying but his argument for the existence of God and thus Jesus is worth the price of the book.
April 10, 2023
Shockingly good. Not literally.
June 27, 2022
One of the absolute best theology books I've ever read in my life Dallas Willard is comparable to CS Lewis knowing Christ today is essential for any Christ follower Americans would benefit greatly from the wisdom inside these pages. I will be returning to this book frequently!
August 15, 2009
As always, Dallas Willard is brilliant in this latest book. Unlike most of his books, spiritual formation occupies only one (very good) chapter, while the bulk of this volume deals with the more philosophical question of spiritual knowledge.
Willard is responding to the pervasive assumption in society and the academy that when it comes to religious faith, a person can believe whatever they want because we can’t really know anything about God (if he even exists). So what does it matter what one believes? Religious faith is treated as an optional extra (either cute or sinister, depending on one’s perspective) some might entertain, but not regarded seriously as actual knowledge. Faith is equated with opinion.
Willard, however, argues that in the same way one can have knowledge of anything which exists in reality, if God does exist then there can be actual knowledge about him. Such knowledge may not be comprehensive, but one may evaluate their beliefs to see whether or not they are tied to actual knowledge. Willard goes on to talk about the good reasons to believe that the God of the Bible is indeed real and the reasons we can trust the knowledge we have of him. Willard asserts that having knowledge, and treating that knowledge as knowledge, is indispensible as a foundation to life in Christ.
I found his perspective here to be unique, and very helpful. As a pastor, I couldn’t help but think of many I lead who see their own religious knowledge much as the world sees it – as a collection of quaint notions about something no one really knows anything about. How much more robust our faith would be if we did the intellectual work needed to see how our beliefs are grounded in knowledge! And his exhortations to pastors, as having the important calling of imparting knowledge of God to others, was very enriching.
One chapter will likely be somewhat controversial, as he outlines a form of “Christian pluralism” which speaks to the issue of whether those outside of Christianity have any hope of salvation. Willard does not assert that such people can, but based on God as revealed in Christ as perfectly loving and just, he leaves open the possibility that some may encounter and trust in the cosmic Christ without knowing him as such. His perspective is very close here to that of C. S. Lewis, as he maintains that no one is saved apart from Christ and no one is saved apart from grace (aka no one can earn salvation by their good behavior), and ultimately expresses a hopeful agnosticism on the issue. This is a difficult issue, and I’m yet to encounter a position on it which I am entirely comfortable with, but Willard’s position is grounded in both Scripture and reason and is very challenging.
An excellent book – highly recommended!
Willard is responding to the pervasive assumption in society and the academy that when it comes to religious faith, a person can believe whatever they want because we can’t really know anything about God (if he even exists). So what does it matter what one believes? Religious faith is treated as an optional extra (either cute or sinister, depending on one’s perspective) some might entertain, but not regarded seriously as actual knowledge. Faith is equated with opinion.
Willard, however, argues that in the same way one can have knowledge of anything which exists in reality, if God does exist then there can be actual knowledge about him. Such knowledge may not be comprehensive, but one may evaluate their beliefs to see whether or not they are tied to actual knowledge. Willard goes on to talk about the good reasons to believe that the God of the Bible is indeed real and the reasons we can trust the knowledge we have of him. Willard asserts that having knowledge, and treating that knowledge as knowledge, is indispensible as a foundation to life in Christ.
I found his perspective here to be unique, and very helpful. As a pastor, I couldn’t help but think of many I lead who see their own religious knowledge much as the world sees it – as a collection of quaint notions about something no one really knows anything about. How much more robust our faith would be if we did the intellectual work needed to see how our beliefs are grounded in knowledge! And his exhortations to pastors, as having the important calling of imparting knowledge of God to others, was very enriching.
One chapter will likely be somewhat controversial, as he outlines a form of “Christian pluralism” which speaks to the issue of whether those outside of Christianity have any hope of salvation. Willard does not assert that such people can, but based on God as revealed in Christ as perfectly loving and just, he leaves open the possibility that some may encounter and trust in the cosmic Christ without knowing him as such. His perspective is very close here to that of C. S. Lewis, as he maintains that no one is saved apart from Christ and no one is saved apart from grace (aka no one can earn salvation by their good behavior), and ultimately expresses a hopeful agnosticism on the issue. This is a difficult issue, and I’m yet to encounter a position on it which I am entirely comfortable with, but Willard’s position is grounded in both Scripture and reason and is very challenging.
An excellent book – highly recommended!
April 26, 2018
Willard utilizes his philosophical skills by arguing that religious knowledge is true knowledge, and deserves a hearing equal with that of physics, mathematics, sociology, and other intellectual endeavors. Religious truth is not mere opinion, but truth that applies to reality. This is true for all major religions. For example, he writes, "One cannot seriously imagine the Buddha, for example, presenting his teachings merely as his sentiments, guesses, 'personal commitments,' or a 'leap of faith.' Nor did those who heard him and followed him understand him in that way. They understood him as conveying a true picture of profound realities, and as doing so on the basis of knowledge he had gained from his thought and experiences." The same holds true for Moses, Jesus, and others. Knowledge is not our enemy, but our friend. In this book, Willard seeks "to show the way in which knowledge is a friend of faith, essential to faith and to our relationship with God in the spiritual life." This is not to say there isn't "bad" religious truth or truth that is applied in "bad" ways - just as exists in any field of knowledge. Jesus himself was the greatest critic of "bad religion." But the fact that religion offers genuine knowledge has great practical import to those who seek to live in accordance with that truth.
To this end, I quote an extensive passage from Willard: "To know Christ in the modern world is to know him in your world now. To know him in your world now is to live interactively with him right where you are in your daily activities. This is the spiritual life in Christ. He is, in fact, your contemporary, and he is now about his business of moving humanity along toward its destiny in this amazing universe. You don’t want to miss out on being a part—your part—of that great project. You want to be sure to take your life into his life, and in that way to find your life to be 'eternal,' as God intended it. There is a real danger that you will miss out on this involvement with eternity and thereby miss the entire point of your existence. Eternity is now in process. Silently it moves along. But it will not run over you. You have to really want it—deep down—or you will miss it. That is why Jesus said to seek it more than anything else. Today, given the prevailing intellectual and cultural atmosphere, you are likely to pick up from your surroundings, with no special thought on your part, the conviction that there is no knowledge to be had of good and evil, no knowledge of God, and no divine presence in our world that enables us to transcend its merciless regularities. If that conviction settles in on you, you will live in terms of it and never enter the kingdom of God. 'Let it be done for you according to your faith' (Matt. 8:13).
To this end, I quote an extensive passage from Willard: "To know Christ in the modern world is to know him in your world now. To know him in your world now is to live interactively with him right where you are in your daily activities. This is the spiritual life in Christ. He is, in fact, your contemporary, and he is now about his business of moving humanity along toward its destiny in this amazing universe. You don’t want to miss out on being a part—your part—of that great project. You want to be sure to take your life into his life, and in that way to find your life to be 'eternal,' as God intended it. There is a real danger that you will miss out on this involvement with eternity and thereby miss the entire point of your existence. Eternity is now in process. Silently it moves along. But it will not run over you. You have to really want it—deep down—or you will miss it. That is why Jesus said to seek it more than anything else. Today, given the prevailing intellectual and cultural atmosphere, you are likely to pick up from your surroundings, with no special thought on your part, the conviction that there is no knowledge to be had of good and evil, no knowledge of God, and no divine presence in our world that enables us to transcend its merciless regularities. If that conviction settles in on you, you will live in terms of it and never enter the kingdom of God. 'Let it be done for you according to your faith' (Matt. 8:13).
September 25, 2018
Yikes. I've never read Willard before. A friend has been recommending him to me. Maybe this was not the one to start with. I liked a couple of chapters near the end, but the first 2/3 fell completely flat with me. How can one write a book about "knowledge" without discussing the many ways we know (or don't) the many things that we think we know? Even a short treatment would take three chapters at least. I appreciated when he discussed how we "know" Christ through primarily "heart" knowledge, or experiential knowledge. However, he spent the first half of the book declaring how you can teach spiritual knowledge in a classroom, a case he reiterated at the close of the book. I had many other sharp disagreements as well. I don't want to go to the trouble to pull quotes, but jeez. Furthermore, my stomach rolls over anyway whenever anyone says "worldview" in the first place, and his take on what that means is *extra* colonial. Anyway, maybe I'll try The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God and keep my expectations low.
February 9, 2011
An excellent intellectual defense of the foundational truths of the Christian worldview, beginning with the logical necessity of postulating a supernatural intelligence as the source of the universe. Willard at his most thorough and understandable. Digest this book, really grapple with the arguments and make them your own, believers! We need to be able to speak persuasively for the truth of what we KNOW..."belief" or "faith" is NOT divorced from knowledge and reality.
February 10, 2010
Willard's book is largely unhelpful. His apologetic method is a weak version of Thomism, he appears to argue for religious pluralism, and he makes a number of pseudo-Gnostic sorts of statements. I disagreed with Willard a lot and found his arguments and his methods of arguing unpersuasive and floppy. Overall I was disappointed in this book, which seems content to lead its readers to a vague theistic version of Christianity rather than to truly "Knowing Christ Today."
May 31, 2015
The fact that the Lord has taken Dallas Willard home to be with him is a testament to Willard's finished work for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. In "knowing Christ Today" Dallas Willard gives us perhaps his most important work today--teaching and showing that Christian knowledge can truly be known and that knowledge of Christ deserves and must be recognized as truth in the public domain of knowledge world wide. An amazing and poignant read!
October 7, 2012
Loved it! This is not an easy read, but definitely worth the effort. A combination of spiritual formation plus foundational apologetics. I highly recommend it if you would like encouragement and deeper understanding about standing up for Christ in a reasonable and calm way. Many will wrestle with chapter 7, but it is helpful to wrestle with it.
March 25, 2018
I inhaled sharply
I found myself intently reading every word, not skimming as I sometimes do. This message of knowledge in Christ is crucial for an honest walk with God. Please read with the Holy Spirit helping to give you eyes to see and ears to hear.
I found myself intently reading every word, not skimming as I sometimes do. This message of knowledge in Christ is crucial for an honest walk with God. Please read with the Holy Spirit helping to give you eyes to see and ears to hear.
June 8, 2022
After reading his book Dallas Willard met my expectations when he revealed his purpose in the Introduction:
“My hope here is to enable intellectually serious people, Christians or not, to understand the indispensable role of knowledge in faith and life. I also want to make it clear that there is a body of uniquely Christian knowledge, one that is available to all who would appropriately seek it and receive it—again, whether Christian or not. Like all knowledge of any complexity and depth, that body of knowledge does not jump down one’s throat, and no one can force it upon another. It has to be welcomed to process.”
I have found that this is so true as I have read thru the book. Although, this turns out to be one of the most difficult books to discern, just as the author himself states at one point, “it is hard to bring it before the mind”. He made that statement speaking specifically of the vast transformation of what is considered moral knowledge in our world today. In any event in the last chapter Willard states “why we have made the issue of knowledge the whole point of this book. Jesus said to his covert friend Nicodemus, ‘We speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen (John 3:11).’” He is saying that witnesses know something and make that knowledge available to others. And I understand if you are going to be a witness for Christ you must speak from knowledge.
I find that “Knowing Christ Today” with accuracy is so vital even as I listen to those talking on social media and even in the media in general. So many times, I get into the trap of trying to correct inaccurate quotes of Jesus, absolute statements contrary to His Word, and even thoughts presented from moral ideas that have no connection with Him. It is so unworthy to try to “speak the truth in love” against the strawmen so often presented to support a political point. I suggest that if anyone is to invoke the Lord in any conversation or discussion they must first “know” Him and His ways in every aspect. In order to do that as Willard points out here and in so many other writings, you must be an apprentice of Christ in His kingdom. Then you speak with knowledge. Dallas Willard is very clear in that one should “be careful not to claim to know what they do not know and must never pretend to have knowledge they do not have.” That is a good rule to follow in any field of thought or discussion!
Here in the opening paragraph of Chapter Six, Knowledge of Christ in the Spiritual Life, I found a good foundation of the truth of life in Christ:
“Those who really do know Christ in the modern world do so by seeking and entering the kingdom of God… To know Christ in the modern world is to know him in your world now. To know Him in your world now is to live interactively with Him right where you are in your daily activities. This is the spiritual life of Christ. He is, in fact, your contemporary, and He is now about His business of moving humanity along toward its destiny in this amazing universe. You don’t want to miss out on being a part—your part—of that great project. You want to be sure to take your life into His life, and in that way to find your life to be ‘eternal’ as God intended it.”
Supporting this I look to Jesus’ words in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” And the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 3:8, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Read the book to find Jesus’ answers to the four basic worldview questions: What is reality? Who is well off, blessed? Who is a really good person? How do we become a really good person?
There is so much more in “Knowing Christ Today” to digest and apply to the reader’s life making it a worthwhile read. Chapter Four, Can We Know God Exist, presents a systematic approach to the subject based on knowledge of the physical world; absolutely astounding reasoning from a most brilliant scholar. And to think Dr. Willard was a professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Oh, to have studied under him… I thank God that he has left us with so much wisdom in the many books published on life, even eternal life.
“My hope here is to enable intellectually serious people, Christians or not, to understand the indispensable role of knowledge in faith and life. I also want to make it clear that there is a body of uniquely Christian knowledge, one that is available to all who would appropriately seek it and receive it—again, whether Christian or not. Like all knowledge of any complexity and depth, that body of knowledge does not jump down one’s throat, and no one can force it upon another. It has to be welcomed to process.”
I have found that this is so true as I have read thru the book. Although, this turns out to be one of the most difficult books to discern, just as the author himself states at one point, “it is hard to bring it before the mind”. He made that statement speaking specifically of the vast transformation of what is considered moral knowledge in our world today. In any event in the last chapter Willard states “why we have made the issue of knowledge the whole point of this book. Jesus said to his covert friend Nicodemus, ‘We speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen (John 3:11).’” He is saying that witnesses know something and make that knowledge available to others. And I understand if you are going to be a witness for Christ you must speak from knowledge.
I find that “Knowing Christ Today” with accuracy is so vital even as I listen to those talking on social media and even in the media in general. So many times, I get into the trap of trying to correct inaccurate quotes of Jesus, absolute statements contrary to His Word, and even thoughts presented from moral ideas that have no connection with Him. It is so unworthy to try to “speak the truth in love” against the strawmen so often presented to support a political point. I suggest that if anyone is to invoke the Lord in any conversation or discussion they must first “know” Him and His ways in every aspect. In order to do that as Willard points out here and in so many other writings, you must be an apprentice of Christ in His kingdom. Then you speak with knowledge. Dallas Willard is very clear in that one should “be careful not to claim to know what they do not know and must never pretend to have knowledge they do not have.” That is a good rule to follow in any field of thought or discussion!
Here in the opening paragraph of Chapter Six, Knowledge of Christ in the Spiritual Life, I found a good foundation of the truth of life in Christ:
“Those who really do know Christ in the modern world do so by seeking and entering the kingdom of God… To know Christ in the modern world is to know him in your world now. To know Him in your world now is to live interactively with Him right where you are in your daily activities. This is the spiritual life of Christ. He is, in fact, your contemporary, and He is now about His business of moving humanity along toward its destiny in this amazing universe. You don’t want to miss out on being a part—your part—of that great project. You want to be sure to take your life into His life, and in that way to find your life to be ‘eternal’ as God intended it.”
Supporting this I look to Jesus’ words in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” And the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 3:8, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
Read the book to find Jesus’ answers to the four basic worldview questions: What is reality? Who is well off, blessed? Who is a really good person? How do we become a really good person?
There is so much more in “Knowing Christ Today” to digest and apply to the reader’s life making it a worthwhile read. Chapter Four, Can We Know God Exist, presents a systematic approach to the subject based on knowledge of the physical world; absolutely astounding reasoning from a most brilliant scholar. And to think Dr. Willard was a professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California. Oh, to have studied under him… I thank God that he has left us with so much wisdom in the many books published on life, even eternal life.
May 2, 2020
We have knowledge of something when we are representing it, thinking about it, speaking of it, treating it as it actually is, on an appropriate basis of thought and experience. Knowledge involves truth, but it must be truth based on evidence or insight. Knowledge is what we require in service people, professionals, leaders, to know and be right, not just lucky! (brain surgeon, electrician, government official, car repair) Belief in contrast has no necessary tie to truth or good evidence. We can believe what is false. Belief involves the will in a way that knowledge does not. (e.g. Believing we are out of gas) Commitment is not the same as belief. You can commit yourself to something you don’t believe or know. It is choosing and implementing an action. (e.g. rollercoaster, relationship) Profession is even less, you can profess without belief or commitment. Knowledge then confers upon its possessor an authority or right or responsibility to act, to direct action, to establish and supervise policy and to teach. Knowledge depends on truth, secured by experience, method, and evidence generally available. We want people to know what they are doing!
James 1:6-8. The problem is on the receiving side. Because the double-minded are on again off again, they can’t get what they ask for, they are unable to act upon it. One day they are asking for wisdom, and the next day or hour they are relying on themselves or others. They are really relying on two different things, incompatible. They aren’t fully relying on God. They are limping between two opinions (Elijah).
Evidence for a miraculous event is also to be derived from its consequences.
How will we enter into this interactive relationship with Christ, knowing him in the kingdom of God? The first is humility. We must humble ourselves and become like children. Turned around and converted from the normal human attitude that says, We are in charge of our life and that we are quite competent and capable of managing it on our own. Little children on the other hand come to others for guidance and help and presume upon them for it. They do not think they have another option, except for occasional outbursts of self-will.
Living life with Jesus in the kingdom of God: Humility. The intention of inward transformation and the practice of Christ’s constant presence and progressive overall obedience. Taking together, these are the Christ focus.
We must live an ordered life that focuses on 4: Humility. Pursuit of inner transformation. Constant receptivity to the presence of God. Unqualified obedience to Jesus. In this way, the life of a disciple takes shape. To come to Jesus, means to enroll, to go to school as his student. Our faith grows as our knowledge grows along with time tested practices.
Settled intention carried into practice to become good and righteous on the inside, in the hidden dimensions of self that make up human character, not just outward behavior. This is what Jesus called going beyond the goodness of the Scribes and Pharisees. This is more about making it into heaven, though it takes care of that at the appropriate time. It’s about interacting with the kingdom in your life now. It’s God’s gift of himself to humans, referred to being born from above. You receive it, welcoming God into every dimension of our character and life, holding nothing back. It is to be total surrender. God is actually looking for people to do this.
We must abandon ourselves to a total transformation of who we are on the inside, to taking on the character of Christ through living with him day by day, hour by hour. Only that is trust in Christ.
Apologetics: What about John 14:6? Where there really is a way to God, where there is truth about God, where there is genuine life of God, Christ is there. That helps us to know better who Jesus is (without specifically knowing Jesus of Nazareth).
Obeying Christ is scary, but with Him with us, we can see and do what is best. It is deciding by God’s grace to do what He said.
James 1:6-8. The problem is on the receiving side. Because the double-minded are on again off again, they can’t get what they ask for, they are unable to act upon it. One day they are asking for wisdom, and the next day or hour they are relying on themselves or others. They are really relying on two different things, incompatible. They aren’t fully relying on God. They are limping between two opinions (Elijah).
Evidence for a miraculous event is also to be derived from its consequences.
How will we enter into this interactive relationship with Christ, knowing him in the kingdom of God? The first is humility. We must humble ourselves and become like children. Turned around and converted from the normal human attitude that says, We are in charge of our life and that we are quite competent and capable of managing it on our own. Little children on the other hand come to others for guidance and help and presume upon them for it. They do not think they have another option, except for occasional outbursts of self-will.
Living life with Jesus in the kingdom of God: Humility. The intention of inward transformation and the practice of Christ’s constant presence and progressive overall obedience. Taking together, these are the Christ focus.
We must live an ordered life that focuses on 4: Humility. Pursuit of inner transformation. Constant receptivity to the presence of God. Unqualified obedience to Jesus. In this way, the life of a disciple takes shape. To come to Jesus, means to enroll, to go to school as his student. Our faith grows as our knowledge grows along with time tested practices.
Settled intention carried into practice to become good and righteous on the inside, in the hidden dimensions of self that make up human character, not just outward behavior. This is what Jesus called going beyond the goodness of the Scribes and Pharisees. This is more about making it into heaven, though it takes care of that at the appropriate time. It’s about interacting with the kingdom in your life now. It’s God’s gift of himself to humans, referred to being born from above. You receive it, welcoming God into every dimension of our character and life, holding nothing back. It is to be total surrender. God is actually looking for people to do this.
We must abandon ourselves to a total transformation of who we are on the inside, to taking on the character of Christ through living with him day by day, hour by hour. Only that is trust in Christ.
Apologetics: What about John 14:6? Where there really is a way to God, where there is truth about God, where there is genuine life of God, Christ is there. That helps us to know better who Jesus is (without specifically knowing Jesus of Nazareth).
Obeying Christ is scary, but with Him with us, we can see and do what is best. It is deciding by God’s grace to do what He said.
September 9, 2020
This is a book of Christian philosophy that is taken quite intentionally in the style of C.S. Lewis and other related thinkers who did not think it either right or wise to concede the common belief that matters of religion are not matters of knowledge at all. The author engages in the difficult and tricky philosophical business of dealing with the unwarranted assumptions that lie at the basis of so much thinking about science and knowledge and also comments on the sad state of logic in the contemporary world and how that has made our thinking dangerously sloppy when it comes to matters of great intellectual and moral importance. As a work of logic and reason this book certainly ranks highly, but as a book of rhetoric in terms of seeking to appeal to its audience, this is a book that will be far more successful at converting the faithful than it will be at bringing the disobedient to repentance. Whether or not this failure is to be credit to the author or not is not a matter that I feel qualified to judge, despite the fact that this book is definitely within my own personal wheelhouse as a writer.
This book is a bit more than 200 pages long and is divided into eight chapters. The book begins with an introduction. After that the author discusses whether faith can ever be knowledge (1) and comes to the conclusion that they are ultimately different things. This leads to a discussion of how we can perish for a lack of knowledge (2), and how it is that moral knowledge disappeared within Western society over the past couple hundred years (3), not least because of the failures of Christian leaders to uphold that knowledge and apply it to the conditions of their world. After that comes a discussion on how we can know that God exists (4), as well as know the miraculous and Christ's presence in our world (5). AFter this comes a discussion of the knowledge of Christ in the Spiritual life (6), as well as what Christian pluralism means (7) and how it offers an escape from the follies of so much thinking about God and about pluralism that exist in general. Finally the author talks about pastors in their role as teachers of the nations (8), before ending the book with notes, acknowledgements, a subject index, and a scripture index.
What does it mean to make a claim that God's word is a matter of knowledge? It means that it has truth and relevance and that it is something to be taken seriously. It means that there is something there there when we read the Bible rather than simply being human thinking that does not have to be taken seriously. The author, as is entirely appropriate to do, makes truth claims for scripture even when he does not always understand this correctly. And the author is quick to note in this book, and also correct in so noting, that there are a lot of ways that many ministers have failed in their job as teachers of the nations, with the responsibility of explaining the responsibility that people and authorities have in this world according to the laws and Word of God. This is a high responsibility, and the fact that so many Christian leaders have sought to dodge that responsibility because it is not politically popular speaks poorly for the moral sense of many who which to be seen as scriptural authorities. And yet the failure of people to live up to the biblical demands of giving a prophetic warning to the world as to where the world falls short of obedience does not make the Bible itself of no importance; it merely speaks to the failure of those who claim to follow God.
This book is a bit more than 200 pages long and is divided into eight chapters. The book begins with an introduction. After that the author discusses whether faith can ever be knowledge (1) and comes to the conclusion that they are ultimately different things. This leads to a discussion of how we can perish for a lack of knowledge (2), and how it is that moral knowledge disappeared within Western society over the past couple hundred years (3), not least because of the failures of Christian leaders to uphold that knowledge and apply it to the conditions of their world. After that comes a discussion on how we can know that God exists (4), as well as know the miraculous and Christ's presence in our world (5). AFter this comes a discussion of the knowledge of Christ in the Spiritual life (6), as well as what Christian pluralism means (7) and how it offers an escape from the follies of so much thinking about God and about pluralism that exist in general. Finally the author talks about pastors in their role as teachers of the nations (8), before ending the book with notes, acknowledgements, a subject index, and a scripture index.
What does it mean to make a claim that God's word is a matter of knowledge? It means that it has truth and relevance and that it is something to be taken seriously. It means that there is something there there when we read the Bible rather than simply being human thinking that does not have to be taken seriously. The author, as is entirely appropriate to do, makes truth claims for scripture even when he does not always understand this correctly. And the author is quick to note in this book, and also correct in so noting, that there are a lot of ways that many ministers have failed in their job as teachers of the nations, with the responsibility of explaining the responsibility that people and authorities have in this world according to the laws and Word of God. This is a high responsibility, and the fact that so many Christian leaders have sought to dodge that responsibility because it is not politically popular speaks poorly for the moral sense of many who which to be seen as scriptural authorities. And yet the failure of people to live up to the biblical demands of giving a prophetic warning to the world as to where the world falls short of obedience does not make the Bible itself of no importance; it merely speaks to the failure of those who claim to follow God.
July 14, 2017
First off, if you are to read Mere Christianity by Lewis and wonder what book should you read next, this would be it.
First, Willard goes after faith and knowledge. Too often people separate the two and live their lives. Willard argues this as a huge fault, and demonstrates how higher ed was held responsible for displaying what knowledge is; including moral knowledge. The church embraced a leap of faith route and became skeptical of knowledge. Well both institutions have failed.
Willard then goes on to argue that we have failed to know because if we did, we would have to face the facts of what we don't want. Bingo. He cites examples, but this is 100% true. The sin here is idolatry (he cites Hosea). A mistake about reality, and an error in worldview level is idolatry. He says,"it arises from the crying need of human beings to gain control over their lives." He further goes on citing how modern today it could be government, marketplace, technology, etc. World views are dangerous.
Further trust in our idols has led us to put our trust in feeling good, and further idolatry. We put trust in our government, or our justices that we like, further promoting our feelings and not putting in something like knowledge and truth. Willard puts forth Jesus' worldview answers.
He then goes toward somewhat apologetically on can we know God exists, the miraculous, etc. Then, spiritual formation. This is what a person needs to step toward after Lewis. Willard has stood by formation and spiritual disciplines as tools to be Christlike; to be his students and disciples. I don't know how much this is catching on in the church, but by appearances I would lean toward not much. Spiritual formation connects knowledge and faith quite well. To not want to be more Christlike or just thinking that you will magically have character formation is wrong. You might as well be an atheist.
He discusses pluralism and Christianity. I get the vibe he follows a weak pluralism over a strong one. It's important to note that Jesus is after the hearts of people, not people who say they believe in a creed and then act like jerks.
His final chapter is on pastors/teachers being teachers of the nations. He firmly believes this is the pastors job and I agree. If your a pastor, it's your job to be aware of Christ and conflicting views. It's your job to present it without manipulation, because God's word should be able to stand up for itself, right? Otherwise you don't really believe it yourself. It's your job to be present with all you can muster. If you think you need Greek/Hebrew to better serve, do it.
Willard argues against discipleship only for the church, as that way leads to death. Discipleship, being a student of Christ, applied to all life. If I spend most of my time at my job, that's where discipleship ought to happen. None of this double life crap. This is why Christians have come across is hypocritical; of saying they believe one thing and then doing another if not the opposite. Jesus did not come to make Christians or churches. He ends it with discipleship is for all the world to be lived purely.
The book is a gem. I'm happy to know that truth is still out there, and yet I'm saddened to find so little of it in reality. Here's hoping.
First, Willard goes after faith and knowledge. Too often people separate the two and live their lives. Willard argues this as a huge fault, and demonstrates how higher ed was held responsible for displaying what knowledge is; including moral knowledge. The church embraced a leap of faith route and became skeptical of knowledge. Well both institutions have failed.
Willard then goes on to argue that we have failed to know because if we did, we would have to face the facts of what we don't want. Bingo. He cites examples, but this is 100% true. The sin here is idolatry (he cites Hosea). A mistake about reality, and an error in worldview level is idolatry. He says,"it arises from the crying need of human beings to gain control over their lives." He further goes on citing how modern today it could be government, marketplace, technology, etc. World views are dangerous.
Further trust in our idols has led us to put our trust in feeling good, and further idolatry. We put trust in our government, or our justices that we like, further promoting our feelings and not putting in something like knowledge and truth. Willard puts forth Jesus' worldview answers.
He then goes toward somewhat apologetically on can we know God exists, the miraculous, etc. Then, spiritual formation. This is what a person needs to step toward after Lewis. Willard has stood by formation and spiritual disciplines as tools to be Christlike; to be his students and disciples. I don't know how much this is catching on in the church, but by appearances I would lean toward not much. Spiritual formation connects knowledge and faith quite well. To not want to be more Christlike or just thinking that you will magically have character formation is wrong. You might as well be an atheist.
He discusses pluralism and Christianity. I get the vibe he follows a weak pluralism over a strong one. It's important to note that Jesus is after the hearts of people, not people who say they believe in a creed and then act like jerks.
His final chapter is on pastors/teachers being teachers of the nations. He firmly believes this is the pastors job and I agree. If your a pastor, it's your job to be aware of Christ and conflicting views. It's your job to present it without manipulation, because God's word should be able to stand up for itself, right? Otherwise you don't really believe it yourself. It's your job to be present with all you can muster. If you think you need Greek/Hebrew to better serve, do it.
Willard argues against discipleship only for the church, as that way leads to death. Discipleship, being a student of Christ, applied to all life. If I spend most of my time at my job, that's where discipleship ought to happen. None of this double life crap. This is why Christians have come across is hypocritical; of saying they believe one thing and then doing another if not the opposite. Jesus did not come to make Christians or churches. He ends it with discipleship is for all the world to be lived purely.
The book is a gem. I'm happy to know that truth is still out there, and yet I'm saddened to find so little of it in reality. Here's hoping.
December 3, 2018
This wasn't the book I was expecting. You hear Dallas Willard talked a lot about in regards to his work on the spiritual disciplines and I expected a book that was somewhat related to that. Knowing God through the daily and trusting in the spiritual knowledge of Christ and the Gospel. This wasn't that book. This book is more of a defense of the faith kind of book, an apologetic work, much more than a spiritual formation or Christian life kind of book.
This doesn't make it a bad book, but I do feel that it is something I should state. Not so much because I think it influenced my thoughts on the book, but more because I can't imagine I'm the only one who could make a mistake like this. Personally I thought this book was decent. I wavered between reviewing it either a three or four stars while I was reading it, but by the end I thought that too much was off and rated it a three.
In general this is one of those books that I don't find myself so much disagreeing with the main ideas and thoughts, but more how those thoughts are argued and presented. I agree that some have placed knowledge within a rather small box (usually the physical world and what is considered "scientific" or testable), however I feel that Willard beats this drum perhaps too much and presents more of an us vs. them picture than he really needs to.
I also agree with his ideas behind why belief in God is reasonable, but I'm not sure that such a brisk presentation of those ideas will convince much of anyone else. I also think his work on saying why the Christian view is most likely is rather weak here and could have used to be fleshed out more than what he did.
These are a couple examples of ideas that I don't disagree with, but just don't quite jive with how he lays out everything. Add to this that I'm just not sure who this kind of book is for. It's fairly academic, but not what I would consider a major academic work on refuting the philosophical challenges to Christianity. It's more for geared towards Christians, as I doubt many skeptics would really resonate with the tone of the book. So this leaves fairly educated Christians, but I wonder how many wouldn't have already run into most or at least some of the ideas Willard presents here. It would seem like a very narrow group.
Overall, I can't say this is a bad book, but it's not one I'd call that good either. It's decent, but I'd say it's very uneven. I don't disagree with Willard on a lot of his main points, but don't always agree with how he presents things or how far he pushes some of his thoughts. I also think this book will be hard to access for many people, but won't really be super informative to those who would be able to understand him easily.
This doesn't make it a bad book, but I do feel that it is something I should state. Not so much because I think it influenced my thoughts on the book, but more because I can't imagine I'm the only one who could make a mistake like this. Personally I thought this book was decent. I wavered between reviewing it either a three or four stars while I was reading it, but by the end I thought that too much was off and rated it a three.
In general this is one of those books that I don't find myself so much disagreeing with the main ideas and thoughts, but more how those thoughts are argued and presented. I agree that some have placed knowledge within a rather small box (usually the physical world and what is considered "scientific" or testable), however I feel that Willard beats this drum perhaps too much and presents more of an us vs. them picture than he really needs to.
I also agree with his ideas behind why belief in God is reasonable, but I'm not sure that such a brisk presentation of those ideas will convince much of anyone else. I also think his work on saying why the Christian view is most likely is rather weak here and could have used to be fleshed out more than what he did.
These are a couple examples of ideas that I don't disagree with, but just don't quite jive with how he lays out everything. Add to this that I'm just not sure who this kind of book is for. It's fairly academic, but not what I would consider a major academic work on refuting the philosophical challenges to Christianity. It's more for geared towards Christians, as I doubt many skeptics would really resonate with the tone of the book. So this leaves fairly educated Christians, but I wonder how many wouldn't have already run into most or at least some of the ideas Willard presents here. It would seem like a very narrow group.
Overall, I can't say this is a bad book, but it's not one I'd call that good either. It's decent, but I'd say it's very uneven. I don't disagree with Willard on a lot of his main points, but don't always agree with how he presents things or how far he pushes some of his thoughts. I also think this book will be hard to access for many people, but won't really be super informative to those who would be able to understand him easily.
April 29, 2025
Dallas Willard is a thoughtful, Christian philosopher who wrote numerous books, many of them on Christian formation and disciplines. In this book, he attempts a book of apologetics, focused on reasons to believe that there is a God and why it is important what faith tradition you choose to follow.
The beginning of the book emphasizes that the fact that faith and knowledge are not mutually exclusive categories. Somehow, the fact that something enters the realm of "faith" has meant that people claim that it is impossible to know anything concrete about it. Willard pushes back on this, saying that just because something is in the realm of faith does not mean that it is unknowable.
He moves from to this to some general discussions of how we know that there is a God and a few things we can know about this God based on general revelation. I have heard/read most of these arguments before and since I am a Christian, I suppose that means I have accepted them. I do wonder how convincing non-religious people would find them.
From this point, Willard shifts to an explanation of differences of Christianity from other religions. In our pluralistic society, some treat all religions as equivalent, but Willard makes the point that most of the similarities are superficial while at the core there are fairly significant differences among the world's major religions.
Willard believed that THE predominant feature of Christianity is agape love -- a self giving love that cares deeply about the one who is loved. He believed that those who claimed to be Christian who didn't exhibit this form of love were in danger and he wondered if there were those who weren't Christian who would still enter in because of the love they exhibited. Here, I suppose I diverge from him, but I will let that go.
His final chapter is an exhortation to pastors to share the knowledge they have with others.
I like Dallas Willard's books, but I wouldn't rank this among the better ones. It feels as though there is little new here and you can get similar writing from many other apologists of the faith. He says in the beginning that he thinks the book is full of deeply complex ideas, but I guess I have read similar enough ideas in the past that I didn't struggle to comprehend them here.
The beginning of the book emphasizes that the fact that faith and knowledge are not mutually exclusive categories. Somehow, the fact that something enters the realm of "faith" has meant that people claim that it is impossible to know anything concrete about it. Willard pushes back on this, saying that just because something is in the realm of faith does not mean that it is unknowable.
He moves from to this to some general discussions of how we know that there is a God and a few things we can know about this God based on general revelation. I have heard/read most of these arguments before and since I am a Christian, I suppose that means I have accepted them. I do wonder how convincing non-religious people would find them.
From this point, Willard shifts to an explanation of differences of Christianity from other religions. In our pluralistic society, some treat all religions as equivalent, but Willard makes the point that most of the similarities are superficial while at the core there are fairly significant differences among the world's major religions.
Willard believed that THE predominant feature of Christianity is agape love -- a self giving love that cares deeply about the one who is loved. He believed that those who claimed to be Christian who didn't exhibit this form of love were in danger and he wondered if there were those who weren't Christian who would still enter in because of the love they exhibited. Here, I suppose I diverge from him, but I will let that go.
His final chapter is an exhortation to pastors to share the knowledge they have with others.
I like Dallas Willard's books, but I wouldn't rank this among the better ones. It feels as though there is little new here and you can get similar writing from many other apologists of the faith. He says in the beginning that he thinks the book is full of deeply complex ideas, but I guess I have read similar enough ideas in the past that I didn't struggle to comprehend them here.
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February 4, 2024This was…not very good tbh. Especially considering how good Divine Conspiracy was. The first few chapters seem totally out of order, feels like they should be at the end after he has made his case.
Did n not think he made a good case for religion/Christianity as knowledge. Plantinga did far better in Warranted Christian Belief, which was never referenced at all despite being out for almost a decade before this book.
Annoyed that he never talked about how religious knowledge is different from scientific knowledge or at least not well. Scientists have a standardized way of deciding on knowledge and extremely high bar of proof that he never acknowledges or discusses how that would be different for religious knowledge.
Also annoying is his ranting against ‘experts’. While I think I agree with what he was trying to convey (experts should be trusted in their own field of knowledge but that expertise doesn’t mean they should automatically be trusted outside of it) he does not make this point very well. Plenty of people could come away from this thinking experts should never be trusted.
While he does have a good chapter or 2 towards the end about pluralism, multiple times he seems to be arguing for governmental theocracy. He talks about the decline of Christian knowledge/influence in public without at least talking about the centuries of oppression/war between Christians disagreeing on which type is the’true/real’ one. That fighting is a huge reason why we don’t make religious knowledge the cornerstone of society/government anymore.
Did n not think he made a good case for religion/Christianity as knowledge. Plantinga did far better in Warranted Christian Belief, which was never referenced at all despite being out for almost a decade before this book.
Annoyed that he never talked about how religious knowledge is different from scientific knowledge or at least not well. Scientists have a standardized way of deciding on knowledge and extremely high bar of proof that he never acknowledges or discusses how that would be different for religious knowledge.
Also annoying is his ranting against ‘experts’. While I think I agree with what he was trying to convey (experts should be trusted in their own field of knowledge but that expertise doesn’t mean they should automatically be trusted outside of it) he does not make this point very well. Plenty of people could come away from this thinking experts should never be trusted.
While he does have a good chapter or 2 towards the end about pluralism, multiple times he seems to be arguing for governmental theocracy. He talks about the decline of Christian knowledge/influence in public without at least talking about the centuries of oppression/war between Christians disagreeing on which type is the’true/real’ one. That fighting is a huge reason why we don’t make religious knowledge the cornerstone of society/government anymore.
November 27, 2024
"The reason many people around [Jesus] concluded that he really was one with the Father was that his words and his deeds had a power that was not human. For example, they saw him take a few little loaves of bread and some fishes and turn them into a huge banquet with baskets full of remnants left over. How could he do that? Well, energy converts into mass, we now know. And if you know how to do it and have the energy available, you can turn a little matter into a lot of it. You can make anything you want, even turning water into wine, or calming a storm at sea, or returning the dead to life. This certainly seems to be like God, who in the first place created all of nature by his word."
I was enjoying this book until I reached this passage. This is complete nonsense and it's hard to overlook that he is willing to make such a claim.
Before reaching this argument he was making a solid case for embracing a Christian worldview, going through his famous four questions:
What is reality? (God and His Kingdom)
Who is well-off? (Anyone who is alive in the Kingdom of God)
What is a good person? (Anyone pervaded by love)
How does one become a good person? (By becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ)
I'm still open to reading more of his work but I have to set this one off to the side. Looking forward to working with his former colleagues Soames and McCann next semester. If only I were born a decade prior and he would have been one of my professors as well!
I was enjoying this book until I reached this passage. This is complete nonsense and it's hard to overlook that he is willing to make such a claim.
Before reaching this argument he was making a solid case for embracing a Christian worldview, going through his famous four questions:
What is reality? (God and His Kingdom)
Who is well-off? (Anyone who is alive in the Kingdom of God)
What is a good person? (Anyone pervaded by love)
How does one become a good person? (By becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ)
I'm still open to reading more of his work but I have to set this one off to the side. Looking forward to working with his former colleagues Soames and McCann next semester. If only I were born a decade prior and he would have been one of my professors as well!
January 23, 2020
3 & 1/2 stars
Not Willard's best book, it is nonetheless helpful. Here is a Christian apologetic addressed to Christians. As someone who is very interested and well-read in Christian apologetics, I was not aware that Willard had made a contribution, but this is his, one that is logically ordered and cumulative by chapter-being based upon a series of talks he gave.
The overall takeaway is that Christians do not just possess a set of beliefs but knowledge of reality. If Christianity is true, for which there is evidence, then this is certainly the case.
I said this was not Willard's best book, but given the greatness of some of his works, such as the divine conspiracy and renovation of the heart, that's not really a terrible slight. It is nevertheless an excellent book, very thoughtful and insightful. (What else would you expect from a philosopher?!)
I recommend the book to deep thinkers, those seeking after the truth, and those Christians or agnostics skeptical of the church and much of Christian culture. I'm glad I read it.
Not Willard's best book, it is nonetheless helpful. Here is a Christian apologetic addressed to Christians. As someone who is very interested and well-read in Christian apologetics, I was not aware that Willard had made a contribution, but this is his, one that is logically ordered and cumulative by chapter-being based upon a series of talks he gave.
The overall takeaway is that Christians do not just possess a set of beliefs but knowledge of reality. If Christianity is true, for which there is evidence, then this is certainly the case.
I said this was not Willard's best book, but given the greatness of some of his works, such as the divine conspiracy and renovation of the heart, that's not really a terrible slight. It is nevertheless an excellent book, very thoughtful and insightful. (What else would you expect from a philosopher?!)
I recommend the book to deep thinkers, those seeking after the truth, and those Christians or agnostics skeptical of the church and much of Christian culture. I'm glad I read it.
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