Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge

From Publishers Weekly In prose that is both decisive and austere, Willard ( The Spirit of the Disciplines) throws down the gauntlet to those in both the secular and religious realms who claim it is impossible to know Christian truths. A professor at the University of Southern California's School of Philosophy, Willard attempts to demonstrate how knowledge and faith can support each other. Arguing that the standard of knowledge is truth and proper evidence, the writer leads readers through his proofs for the existence of God, the resurrection of Jesus, God's ongoing intervention in the world and the then logical possibility of a vital spiritual practice centered on interactive life with Christ. Christian discipleship, as the author sees it, includes such crucial elements as humility, intent to be inwardly transformed, the practice of the presence of Christ and obedience. As Willard admits in his introduction, the book is a mental workout—even the questions at the end of the chapters are challenging. Woven through with the ideas of classical and contemporary philosophers, theologians and sociologists, this volume will engage readers who are willing to follow Willard on his self-assured way, and trust him as a guide. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. “A spiritual defense of the proposition that faith and reason are not contradictory.” (Peter L. Berger, Director, Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, Boston University )“Dallas Willard focuses like a laser beam on the issue of moral knowledge as a legitimate source for understanding reality and applying it to daily life. It is a must read.” (Richard Foster )“In prose that is both decisive and austere...this volume will engage readers who are willing to follow Willard on his self-assured way, and trust him as a guide.” (Publishers Weekly )“This is clear, lucid thinking about what matters most, as is desperately needed today. Only Dallas Willard could have written this, but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t need to read it.” (John Ortberg, Pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and author of Faith & Doubt ) What does it mean to “know” God today? Philosopher and Christian leader, Dallas Willard takes the reader on an intellectual journey showing how our culture has downgraded “spiritual knowledge” to something less than real, making many believers begin to doubt their faith or opt out of the culture altogether. Willard corrects this trend by explaining the case for seeing what the Bible teaches as “true knowledge” and so provides a basis for how Christians can most effectively engage their cultures. Here Willard tackles the roles of science, reason, and faith in the Christian life and how believers should engage the church, work, and the entertainment culture we live in. In the end, much of what Jesus taught us is a new way to think and act; here Willard updates Jesus’s message for our day and age. Theologian and scholar Dallas Willard has long been an eloquent voice for the relevance of God in our daily lives. His groundbreaking books Hearing God , Renovation of the Heart , and The Spirit of the Disciplines forever changed the way thousands of Christians experience their faith. He is a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Philosophy and has held visiting appointments at UCLA and the University of Colorado. He lives in southern California. Read more