Attorneys of Dallas

The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

Description

How to Live as Jesus Lived

Dallas Willard, one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers and author of The Divine Conspiracy (Christianity Today's 1999 Book of the Year), presents a way of living that enables ordinary men and women to enjoy the fruit of the Christian life. He reveals how the key to self-transformation resides in the practice of the spiritual disciplines, and how their practice affirms human life to the fullest. The Spirit of the Disciplines is for everyone who strives to be a disciple of Jesus in thought and action as well as intention.

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-06-07
Summary: "Foundational"

This is a foundational book for me. It's as relevant now as when originally published. It's more about the necessity for Christians being real disciples of Jesus Christ and the need for spiritual disciplines to train disciples whose character and lives resemble those of Jesus than it is about how to practice the spiritual disciplines. The problem addressed by this book is the tendency to equate being a Christian with holding certain beliefs about Jesus Christ rather than seeking to imitate him in one's whole life and character. The imitation of Christ isn't a matter of our own will power but it does require effort on our part to enable God's grace to do the work of transformation. The chapter on the spirituality of poverty is very well reasoned an balanced while still presenting a tremendous challenge to the way many Christians think (or don't think) about wealth and poverty. The final chapter on the disciplines and worldly power structures effectively argues that personal and social evils are inseparably connected. Remedies that focus on one while ignoring the other are bound to be ineffective. This is a philosophical book, written by a philosopher, not an "inspirational" one (unless you're inspired by philosophical thinking). Those first coming to it might want to read the 2nd appendix first as an introduction. The audio version of The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives is very well read by Robertson Dean. It takes a very skilled narrator to read aloud and well a book like this.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-01-06
Summary: "The How, What, & Why of Spiritual Disciplines"

This is a comprehensive look at how and why to practice spiritual disciplines. It's a call to get back to the basics of the disciplines in order to be transformed and in order to obey God. As Willard puts it, "Jesus calls us to follow him - to follow him now, not after death." I very timely finished this on New Year's Eve - good time to set some resolutions and put some of these disciplines into action for 2010.

Dallas Willard breaks down the disciplines like this:

DISCIPLINES OF ABSTINENCE:
solitude
silence
fasting
frugality
chastity
secrecy
sacrifice

DISCIPLINES OF ENGAGEMENT:
study
worship
celebration
service
prayer
fellowship
confession
submission

Which ones do you need to work on this year?

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Rating: 3 / 5
Date: 2009-09-07
Summary: "Interesting review of the spirit disciplines"

Dr. Willard presents a comprehensive examination of the historical and theological basis of the spiritual disciplines. Excellent blend of biblical examples and personal experiental to compliment the theme of this body of work. I believe this text would be most helpful to those questioning the roots for the exercise of the spiritual disciplines. It is not intended as a practical guide for the spiritual disciplines, it encourages the believer towards the challenges of discipleship and to realize the value as well as cost of discipleship. I enjoy Dr. Willard's perspectives and his observations, I look forward to read more of his books.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-05-22
Summary: "Theological basis for spiritual disciplines"

Dallas Willard has written an outstanding book exploring the question of how God transforms our lives, as he seeks to help us understand a way of life that is both practical and theologically grounded in producing the fruit of the spirit, and finding contentment in the process. He makes the case that the key to this self-transformation resides in the practice of spiritual disciplines. Throughout the book he lays the biblical foundation for how God sanctifies the believer, what His role is, and what our role is. Christ's yoke is easy, and yet not many choose to follow.

He devotes a large chapter to several of the key spiritual disciplines, which he divides in two categories. Disciplines of abstinence include solitude, silence, fasting, frugality, chastity, secrecy and sacrifice. The Disciplines of Engagement include study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession and submission. Although he describes each of these briefly, the reader wanting to know much more about the disciplines themselves should turn to Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life.

The book may be considered a 'must read' for anyone seriously exploring the spiritual disciplines, although he may not adequately address objections to the central thesis. If the spiritual disciplines are so central to my sanctification, why are they not more explicitly encouraged in scripture? Why are they not described as such? Why is the pathway of spiritual disciplines so strewn with bodies of those who collapsed under the weight of legalism? Read it, but also take the time to read criticisms of spiritual disciplines as well as other authors who take a more contemplative and relational approach to spiritual growth.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-04-20
Summary: "Wonderful Concept"

The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard is a book of obedience to God and to the scriptures. According to the author we can become like Jesus if we follow exactly the way He lived and practiced the activities he engaged in. It seems to make sense, if one lives exactly the way Jesus did and arranged their life around the way Jesus lived than one would become as close to the fellowship with God as Jesus was. Ask yourself "what would Jesus do" than follow in His steps.


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Are you a spiritual retard, or are you on the path to ENLIGHTENMENT?
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