Christianity Today has just released a couple of articles on Dallas Willard. For those of you who don’t know me too terribly well, I can tell you plainly that Willard’s writings have impacted me more than probably any other. In an evangelical culture that is wary — and sometimes outright hostile towards — higher education, he gave me the courage to pursue it. This is because he displays in his own writings that it is possible to be a faithful Christian while still fully engaging with philosophy and higher learning.
I suggest that any evangelical Christian should read his masterpiece The Divine Conspiracy. From there on I’m sure you’ll read anything else by him that you can get your hands on.
So, thank you Dallas Willard for your mentorship of so many through your writings. I look forward to your “The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge” that you’re currently working on!
So read, the following articles. The first focuses on the man, and the second on his message.
Hey Matt, Been wanting to read some Dallas Willard for a while now, I may have to pick it up some day soon.
On another very different not, Steve and I are dreaming of Europe. Did you camp there instead of staying in hostels? I seem to remember you mentioning camping on your Europe blog. Just wondering if you thought it was cheaper/better than hostels.
Hope things go well for your first days back in class.
I did my best to read Renovation of the Heart, but his language didn’t work with my brain. Maybe my brain is better now?
I’ll definitely have me a good look at the Divine Conspiracy.
For me this year it’s definitely been Frederick Beuckner and Telling the Truth.
Tiff: I couldn’t recommend Divine Conspiracy more. As to Europe, Jac and I did camp. It was cheaper — especially for a big group of us — but I don’t think that I’d recommend it for just you and Steve. You’re usually staying outside of the city somewhere and relying on shuttle buses, taxis or public transit (if you’re lucky) to get into the city itself. Staying right in the city in a hostel would almost always be preferable. Most of the savings for camping are negated once you factor in the transportation cost to and from the campsites. Plus you’d be lugging a lot of extra gear.
Cam: Yeah, Willard’s slow chuggin to read, but worth it. You’ve can’t be in a hurry to get through him. And maybe your brain is better now ;)
It may not, in fact, be! This will be evidenced by my gradual and then increasingly rapid decline into reading popular science fiction as soon as I’m done Preacher School. ;)