Who was Dallas Willard?
Dallas Albert Willard was an American Christian philosopher and author who had a profound influence on the spiritual formation movement. He was born in Buffalo, Missouri on September 4, 1935 and passed away on May 8, 2013 at the age of 77 after a battle with cancer.
Early Life and Education
Willard grew up in a Baptist family in Missouri. He professed faith in Christ at age 18 and was baptized. He attended Tennessee Temple University, a Christian liberal arts college, where he met his wife Jane. He received a B.A. in psychology in 1965 and went on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1967, writing his dissertation on logic and the philosophy of time.
Career and Ministry
After completing his Ph.D., Willard taught philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for one year before moving to the University of Southern California, where he was professor of philosophy for nearly 40 years from 1967 to 2006.
While at USC, Willard and his wife Jane became involved in a small group Bible study, which grew into a church called The Way International. This group emphasized discipleship and spiritual growth. Willard began integrating his Christian faith with his teaching and writing on philosophy.
In 1972, he published a book titled In Search of Guidance: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God, which was ahead of its time in emphasizing having a conversational, intimate relationship with God. This relational focus influenced the spiritual formation movement away from just emphasizing spiritual disciplines and toward emphasizing closeness with Christ.
The book that first brought Willard widespread prominence was The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, published in 1988. In this work, Willard pushed back against the legalistic way some Christians approach spiritual disciplines like prayer, fasting, and Bible study. Willard emphasized that the disciplines are meant to be training in godliness and channels of God’s grace. The aim is to encounter Jesus and be transformed into His likeness, not just follow rules.
In addition to his teaching and writing, Willard gave lectures and led retreats on spiritual formation and discipleship. He focused on what it means to live as an apprentice of Jesus 24/7, pursuing inward character change through dependence on the Holy Spirit. Some common Willard teachings included:
– Grace is opposed to earning, not effort. We rely on God’s power, not just our own striving, to become like Christ.
– The goal is Christlikeness of character, not just behavioral change or spiritual knowledge.
– True disciples live in conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit daily.
– Solitude, silence, prayer, fasting, and other disciplines train us to live in God’s Kingdom as Jesus’ apprentices.
– Eternal life starts now in God’s Kingdom, not just after we die. It’s a Kingdom among us and within us.
Willard influenced the teaching of other thinkers like Richard Foster and was instrumental in the formation of Renovaré, an ecumenical Christian organization promoting personal and church renewal. Willard also impacted John Ortberg and Ruth Haley Barton among many others. Dallas Willard Ministries and the Dallas Willard Center at Westmont College continue teaching his principles after his death.
Major Writings and Influence
In addition to The Spirit of the Disciplines, some of Willard’s most influential books included:
– The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (1998): Willard’s magnum opus argued that discipleship to Jesus is not just for the religious elite but for ordinary people living extraordinary lives in God’s Kingdom daily through dependence on Jesus. This book articulated Willard’s vision for discipleship and what life looks like when we live in God’s Kingdom under Jesus’ Lordship.
– Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ (2002): This book focused on the importance of character transformation by cooperating with the Holy Spirit to renovate the heart to become like Jesus. Willard pushed back against superficial outward behaviors and knowledge as the focus of discipleship.
– The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship (2006): Willard argued that the church has neglected Jesus’ clear teachings on discipleship for doctrinal sparring, programs, and activities. He called Christians back to the apprenticeship model of disciples staying constantly with Jesus.
– Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge (2009): This book addressed epistemology and ways of knowing, arguing that we can have real spiritual knowledge of Christ today through personal experience and revelation from the Holy Spirit.
– Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God (2012): Willard built on his earlier book on guidance developing how to recognize God’s voice in daily life through intimate conversational relationship.
Willard’s unique influence on the spiritual formation movement and evangelical Christianity came through his rigorous intellectual engagement with philosophy and spiritual theology coupled with his lived experience as a beloved professor investing in spiritual transformation. He exemplified a thoughtful, listening, lifelong apprenticeship to Jesus through dependence on the Holy Spirit. Dallas Willard left a legacy of calling Christians back to discipleship as apprenticeship to Jesus to live now as Kingdom dwellers marked by Christlike character. His vision lives on through those who seek to follow Jesus as Master of their minds, bodies, social relations, and souls.
