Dallas Willard’s Followers (1,132)

Dallas Willard

Born

in Buffalo, Missouri, The United States

September 04, 1935

Died

May 08, 2013

Website

https://dwillard.org/

Genre

Religion & Spirituality

edit data

Dallas 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 min Dallas 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. ...more

Combine Editions
Dallas Willard’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 60,240 ratings · 4,668 reviews · 119 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God 4.24 avg rating — 15,674 ratings — published 1998	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives 4.15 avg rating — 10,971 ratings — published 1988 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ 4.21 avg rating — 8,405 ratings — published 1987 — 50 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God 4.21 avg rating — 6,338 ratings — published 1984 — 41 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship 4.24 avg rating — 2,535 ratings — published 2006 — 33 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23 4.43 avg rating — 2,382 ratings — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Living in Christ's Presence: Final Words on Heaven and the Kingdom of God 4.55 avg rating — 855 ratings — published 2013 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus 4.18 avg rating — 930 ratings — published 2014 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge 4.24 avg rating — 804 ratings — published 2008 — 19 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Scandal of the Kingdom: How the Parables of Jesus Revolutionize Life with God 4.52 avg rating — 690 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Dallas Willard…

Quotes by Dallas Willard (?)

“Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.”
― Dallas Willard, The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship

206 likes

“We live in a culture that has, for centuries now, cultivated the idea that the skeptical person is always smarter than one who believes. You can almost be as stupid as a cabbage as long as you doubt.”
― Dallas Willard, Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God

tags: belief, doubt, faith

156 likes

“The world can no longer be left to mere diplomats, politicians, and business leaders. They have done the best they could, no doubt. But this is an age for spiritual heroes- a time for men and women to be heroic in their faith and in spiritual character and power. The greatest danger to the Christian church today is that of pitching its message too low.”
― Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

tags: christianity, church, dallas-willard, inspirational, religion

76 likes

See all Dallas Willard's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Non Fiction Book ...: * Non-Fiction Book You Are Currently Reading or Just Finished ~ 2016	442	140	Feb 18, 2017 01:07PM
The Seasonal Read...: Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD	4046	368	Nov 30, 2018 09:27PM
All Challenges Al...: Dwindle that TBR List	65	174	Dec 24, 2018 09:45AM
2026 Reading Chal...: Agnieszka's book lists	31	15	Jan 29, 2024 12:10PM
Around the Year i...: CJBookJunkie's 2025 ATY Reading Plans	13	43	Oct 20, 2024 04:09PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Anne's 60 book challenge in 2024	58	63	Dec 24, 2024 02:50PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Agnieszka's 2025 book library	28	16	Oct 15, 2025 08:26PM
Crazy Challenge C...: Scattergories	284	227	Oct 21, 2025 08:31PM

More…

Dallas Willard’s Followers (1,132)

Dallas Willard

Combine EditionsDallas Willard’s books

Topics Mentioning This Author

Combine Editions
Dallas Willard’s books