Rating: 
Summary: essential for those interested in a genuine Christianity
Review: I read this book over the summer and could not put it down. It has been food for my soul, a definite help in my thinking and practice of the spiritual disciplines. This has profoundly changed my life and has helped me become the kind of person that I have always wanted to be. Because of this book, I have drawn closer to the living God and am becoming like Him more each day. What could be a better testimony to this man's work?
Rating: 
Summary: 'Why do we do the things we do?' Mercyme
Review: I was going to give this book away but have decided to hold onto it. It had been given to me by a friend who didn't feel she needed it anymore and maybe she didn't. In my walk with Christ right now, I feel like I need to go back to the very, very basics of my faith. I've had highs and lows; right now I feel like I'm hovering at a low altitude. I remembered this book and picked it out of the pile of others to be given away! Skimming through the pages, I found myself reading things that I needed to reflect on, to reexamine in my own life. I remember not agreeing with everything, (but I usually never do anyway), and a lot of the information I had either heard before or reflected on myself. This book is one that other christian friends have read and speak of and one that many pastors that I've heard mention. It's a great reference book for christians. Dallas Willard explains why, as christians, 'we do the things we do'. Why should I fast, what is the biblical basis for that behavior? Why do we read the bible, meditate, pray, share our faith, seek other christians' friendship, confess sins, go to church etc.? The goal is to reflect Christ, to have His spirit pervade everything we say or do or think, to truly be indwelt with His Holy Spirit, to be born again. What counts is a new creation that the apostle Paul speaks of in II Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 6:15. The process is called sanctification, becoming holy as He is holy, Leviticus 19:2. Dallas Willard raises the spectre of nondiscipleship in his appendices. He says "the cost of nondiscipleship is far greater...than the price to walk with Jesus. Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace..love...faith...hope...power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil...it costs exactly that abundance of life Jesus said He came to bring." Hmm, well worth the read; this one's a keeper and one to be shared with others.
'How can we sing when there seems no reason to? How can we smile when there's not much to smile about?' 'It's all because of this: we've tasted LOVE, we've tasted HOPE, we've tasted HOLINESS. And they wonder why we do the things we do.' Words from Mercyme's song "All Because of This" on their album, Spoken For.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking and highly engaging
Review: In the doctrine of sanctification, or Christian growth, it is customary to distinguish between God's role and man's role. Spirit of the Disciplines is focused exclusively on man's role in sanctification, or his own spiritual growth. As long as you keep that in mind and read from that perspective, this book is dynamite. However, it is useful to point out that this book is not the last word in Christian growth, or sanctification, simply because it does not deal with God's role in our sanctification. For study on God's role in sanctification you need to look to books like "Transforming Grace," by Jerry Bridges, or "Holiness by Grace," by Brian Chappel. Both books do an excellent job of bringing out the fact that God's grace is the thing that enables a man to engage in spiritual disciplines. Also, Jerry Bridges book "The Discipline of Grace," is probably the best book dealing with both God's role and man's role. I give these commercials for other books simply to prevent the reader from thinking that Willard's book is the whole story on sanctification. If this is the only, or the main book that you read, frustration is inevitable, simply because Willard does not point you back to the source of our sanctification, or the source of our ability to practice spiritual disciplines, which is the grace of God. Having said all of that, I heartily recommend the book. I think the most useful thing that Willard said was his comparison of the Christian life to athletics. He has a great illustration of how kids will idolize a major league baseball player (this illustration will work for any sport). They will copy his stance, his swing, his position in the batter's box (I'm thinking of Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds and his famous double elbow pump as the pitch was being thrown), and any number of his mannerisms. However, they will never be able to perform like their idol unless they enter into the same kind of life of their idol. The star didn't get to be a star by performing that way on the spot. He adopted an entire style of life that enables him to perform the way he does on the field. He adopts a certain exercise, diet, and practice regimen that enables him to perform the way he wants to on gameday. So it is with the Christian - we can not behave "Christianly" on the spot, at a time of crisis, unless we have conformed our entire life to the pattern of Christ. We cannot turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, be merciful, etc., at a time of crisis unless all of our life, before the crisis has been devoted to following Christ. Willard gives Peter as the example of this. When Peter denied Jesus three times, it was not because Peter did not love Christ, for he did. It was not because Jesus had not warned him, for He did. Peter denied Christ because the habitual pattern of his life till that point was one of saving his own skin. Peter needed to develop new habits and a new way of life. I think that in this example Willard neglects the role of the spirit in Peter's transformation, but the point is well taken. We who are accustomed to self-indulgence, must often learn self-denial through a long period of training. This is where the spiritual disciplines come in - it is through the practice of spiritual disciplines that we become like Christ. Most of the book is a kind of philosophy, or apology for the spiritual disciplines, rather than an explanation of the disciplines themselves. He only spends one short chapter on the disciplines themselves. The bulk of the book is concerned with persuading you and me why we need the disciplines. In doing so He does make the disciplines seem attractive rather than restrictive. This is one of the great strengths of the book. He shows that disciplines don't restrict freedom, they enable it. Disciplines are not harsh, punitive things, but are the means of knowing and becoming like Christ. In large part, he makes an apology for Christian asceticism. He does a good job of distinguishing biblical asceticism from many of its historical abuses. As someone from the Reformed tradition I have always looked at asceticism as a dirty word, but Willard's take on it is balanced and biblical. Willard's concern is to show that salvation is unto a new way of life, not merely unto heaven. He shows that the church has pretty much failed in helping people live for Christ on this earth because we have been so focused on getting them to heaven. This is a good, well taken point. But, this leads to what I think is a very unfortunate statement in the chapter "History and the Meaning of the Disciplines" in the sub-section called "The Continuing Error." He says that we have replaced salvation, which he defines as a new way of life, with one of its effects, or components, which is forgiveness of sins. This is a glaring error, since salvation is at its essence the forgiveness of sins. In fact, the new way of life is an effect of salvation, or the forgiveness of sins, not vice versa. Willard's statement is pure Romanism, or works righteousness. Because of his soundness in other areas I choose to believe that this was either carelessness in wording or that I may not fully understand what he is getting at here. Still, though it is one sentence, it is crucial in the scheme of things. It is forgiveness of sins that makes possible all that Willard talks about in this book in the realm of spiritual disciplines. All in all I would say this is a book that should be read by the Christian as long as you balance it with some of the other books I mentioned. Willard's writing style is dense, he packs a lot of content into a few words. This is meaty stuff and well worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: Good, thought provoking look at one aspect of sanctification
Review: In the doctrine of sanctification, or Christian growth, it is customary to distinguish between God's role and man's role. Spirit of the Disciplines is focused exclusively on man's role in sanctification, or his own spiritual growth. As long as you keep that in mind and read from that perspective, this book is dynamite. However, it is useful to point out that this book is not the last word in Christian growth, or sanctification, simply because it does not deal with God's role in our sanctification. For study on God's role in sanctification you need to look to books like "Transforming Grace," by Jerry Bridges, or "Holiness by Grace," by Brian Chappel. Both books do an excellent job of bringing out the fact that God's grace is the thing that enables a man to engage in spiritual disciplines. Also, Jerry Bridges book "The Discipline of Grace," is probably the best book dealing with both God's role and man's role. I give these commercials for other books simply to prevent the reader from thinking that Willard's book is the whole story on sanctification. If this is the only, or the main book that you read, frustration is inevitable, simply because Willard does not point you back to the source of our sanctification, or the source of our ability to practice spiritual disciplines, which is the grace of God. Having said all of that, I heartily recommend the book. I think the most useful thing that Willard said was his comparison of the Christian life to athletics. He has a great illustration of how kids will idolize a major league baseball player (this illustration will work for any sport). They will copy his stance, his swing, his position in the batter's box (I'm thinking of Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds and his famous double elbow pump as the pitch was being thrown), and any number of his mannerisms. However, they will never be able to perform like their idol unless they enter into the same kind of life of their idol. The star didn't get to be a star by performing that way on the spot. He adopted an entire style of life that enables him to perform the way he does on the field. He adopts a certain exercise, diet, and practice regimen that enables him to perform the way he wants to on gameday. So it is with the Christian - we can not behave "Christianly" on the spot, at a time of crisis, unless we have conformed our entire life to the pattern of Christ. We cannot turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, be merciful, etc., at a time of crisis unless all of our life, before the crisis has been devoted to following Christ. Willard gives Peter as the example of this. When Peter denied Jesus three times, it was not because Peter did not love Christ, for he did. It was not because Jesus had not warned him, for He did. Peter denied Christ because the habitual pattern of his life till that point was one of saving his own skin. Peter needed to develop new habits and a new way of life. I think that in this example Willard neglects the role of the spirit in Peter's transformation, but the point is well taken. We who are accustomed to self-indulgence, must often learn self-denial through a long period of training. This is where the spiritual disciplines come in - it is through the practice of spiritual disciplines that we become like Christ. Most of the book is a kind of philosophy, or apology for the spiritual disciplines, rather than an explanation of the disciplines themselves. He only spends one short chapter on the disciplines themselves. The bulk of the book is concerned with persuading you and me why we need the disciplines. In doing so He does make the disciplines seem attractive rather than restrictive. This is one of the great strengths of the book. He shows that disciplines don't restrict freedom, they enable it. Disciplines are not harsh, punitive things, but are the means of knowing and becoming like Christ. In large part, he makes an apology for Christian asceticism. He does a good job of distinguishing biblical asceticism from many of its historical abuses. As someone from the Reformed tradition I have always looked at asceticism as a dirty word, but Willard's take on it is balanced and biblical. Willard's concern is to show that salvation is unto a new way of life, not merely unto heaven. He shows that the church has pretty much failed in helping people live for Christ on this earth because we have been so focused on getting them to heaven. This is a good, well taken point. But, this leads to what I think is a very unfortunate statement in the chapter "History and the Meaning of the Disciplines" in the sub-section called "The Continuing Error." He says that we have replaced salvation, which he defines as a new way of life, with one of its effects, or components, which is forgiveness of sins. This is a glaring error, since salvation is at its essence the forgiveness of sins. In fact, the new way of life is an effect of salvation, or the forgiveness of sins, not vice versa. Willard's statement is pure Romanism, or works righteousness. Because of his soundness in other areas I choose to believe that this was either carelessness in wording or that I may not fully understand what he is getting at here. Still, though it is one sentence, it is crucial in the scheme of things. It is forgiveness of sins that makes possible all that Willard talks about in this book in the realm of spiritual disciplines. All in all I would say this is a book that should be read by the Christian as long as you balance it with some of the other books I mentioned. Willard's writing style is dense, he packs a lot of content into a few words. This is meaty stuff and well worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: It will change your life.
Review: It redefines, or should I say returns to the proper definition of living abundantly through Christ.
Rating:
Summary: From "doing" to "being"
Review: One of the essential shifts that Willard has worked to recover in the evangelical Church is the shift from "doing" to "being," that is, from running amok trying to serve Christ, to simply sitting still in his presence (akin to the comparison made in the Gospels between Mary and Martha, or what Jesus calls us to in John 15). Spirit of the Disciplines takes us back to what the early Christian mystics, such as the desert fathers, sought-- communion, intimacy, with God. Not programs, not more things on a list of "things to do." Simply being. It is in this "being" still and knowing God that God transforms the disciple-- and, ironically, empowers the diciple to do more than they could have done just by doing. The odd thing... we tend to look on the practices that Willard (and others like him, for instance, Richard Foster) suggests as "doing" the wrong things... or doing things that don't make much of a difference, since, at first, they seem so unquantifiable (how can you measure fasting? time spent in prayer? solitude? service?). At any rate, Willard helps us take this important journey, this shift, in this book. A definite tool for the journey.
Rating:
Summary: A Christian Path to the Good Life
Review: Professor Willard argues persuasively for a return to the true calling of scripture, to become disciples of Christ and to lead a Good Life. He points out where Biblical explanations of how Jesus lived his human life and performed his good works have been interpreted and redirected in ways counter to the philosophy of Christ. His presentation of Biblical Psychology restores a Christian outlook to the mental life of the modern soul. An important addition to literature on how to live as a human being.
Rating:
Summary: All I have to say is WOW
Review: Really changed my relationship with Jesus. I did not understand how fasting, prayering, giving, and solitude figured into the Christian walk.
Rating:
Summary: Challenging book
Review: The natural progression of Apostle Paul's declaration that Christian ought to run the race for our everlasting crown is that we need to keep spiritual disciplines much like an athlete has to keep strict diet, training schedule, and so forth. Dallas Willard does a great job summarizing the most important of these spiritual disciplines. Some caught me by surprise, such as solitude, but nonetheless he gives compelling reasons for each. Professor Willard's list is by no means a complete one. But he does provide a great starting point for many Christians.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource for seeking the disciplines of Jesus
Review: The only place I have ever seen where all the disciplines practiced by Jesus are listed in one work. Hope to be able to put into practice what I read. Would like to hear how others have faired in their applications. God Bless You, Mike.
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