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The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

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This book, "The Spirit of the Disciplines," is part of a trilogy which includes "In Search of Guidance" (later revised and retitled "Hearing God") and culminates in "The Divine Conspiracy." Do not make the mistake of thinking that the latter book, as good as it is, surpasses and makes obsolete the other two. All three are great books in their own right and supplement each other and should be read together as the author intended. Also, Willard's books are good complimentary companions to those by Richard Foster, especially his "Celebration of Discipline" and "Prayer: Finding The Heart's True Home." In fact, in "The Spirit of the Disciplines," Willard refers readers to "Celebration of Discipline" for more practical application of the disciplines since his book's main thrust is to provide a practical theology of the spiritual disciplines which he felt was lacking in contemporary Christian literature. Another good book on the spiritual disciplines is "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney which takes into consideration Willard's and Foster's insights and adds a few of its own, including the important one that "meditation is the missing link between Bible intake and prayer." I also consider spiritual mentoring to be important and I've found the book by Randy Reese and Keith Anderson entitled "Spiritual Mentoring: A Guide for Seeking and Giving Direction" to be very useful in this regard. Reese and Anderson also value the wisdom of the Christian spiritual masters of old, as do Foster and Willard, and saturate their book with their insights.

Willard's thrust in this book is to emphasize and expound the vital importance of the spiritual disciplines to the Christian life and to clear away popular misconceptions of them. In the preface, he says: "My central claim is that we CAN become like Christ by doing one thing - by following him in the overall style of life he chose for himself. If we have faith in Christ, we must believe that he knew how to live. We can, through faith and grace, become like Christ by practicing the types of activities he engaged in, by arranging our whole lives around the activities he himself practiced in order to remain constantly at home in the fellowship of his Father." He continues: "What activities did Jesus practice? Such things as solitude and silence, prayer, simple and sacrificial living, intense study and meditation upon God's Word and God's ways, and service to others. Some of these will certainly be even more necessary to us than they were to him, because of our greater or different need. But in a balanced life of such activities, we will be constantly enlivened by `The Kingdom Not of This World' - the Kingdom of Truth as seen in John 18:36 - 37." We must go beyond asking "What would Jesus do?" to practicing what Jesus practiced. "Following `in his steps' cannot be equated with behaving as he did when he was `on the spot.' To live as Christ lived is to live as he did all his life."

Some of the misconceptions he exposes, as they relate to practicing the spiritual disciplines, include the denigration of the physical body and confusing it with the fallen human nature, and the elevation of poverty as a virtue and denigration of wealth as a vice. He takes exception to some of the ascetic practices of some of the early Christian monks who went so far as to abuse their bodies. He also states: "to withhold our bodies from religion is to exclude religion from our lives" (pg. 30). Spiritual life is the body's fulfillment. He also respectfully disagrees with such notables as John Wesley and Alastair MacIntyre who more or less see the rich as destined for Hell. Additionally, he argues that salvation is not JUST forgiveness, as popularly taught today, but a new order of life (which includes forgiveness). He expounds more on this disagreement in his book "The Divine Conspiracy" and there takes exception to theologians such as Charles Ryrie. This disagreement is one of the contemporary controversial issues (not only among Arminians and Calvinists but even among those who believe in "eternal security" or "once-saved, always-saved") and involves the relationship of faith and obedience in a true (not just professing) Christian's life. Willard's position seems to be that discipleship and/or obedience to Christ is NOT optional but integral to what it means to be a Christian. But this implies that a lack of discipleship to Christ (which includes a lack of some sort of spiritual discipline in one's life) means a lack of salvation. This is what provokes debate since some see this as promoting the idea that we maintain our salvation by works, an idea that surely Willard would reject because it misunderstands his point about the relational aspect of salvation inherent in discipleship. He sees two great omissions from Christ's great commission in the contemporary Church (that is, among those who profess to be Christians): 1) the omission of making disciples, and 2) the omission of the step of taking our converts through training that will bring them ever increasingly to do what Jesus directed (see Appendix II). This book is intended as a biblical corrective to those omissions and I think it contributes admirably to that purpose. This is essential reading.

Dallas Willard's examination of the disciplines of the Christian life is an unparalleled book on the subject. I have never read its equal. In Christianity today, there is so much emphasis on a quick conversion and the love and mercy of God, but rarely does a teacher speak on the difficult topic of the strain and pain and longevity of the daily walk with Christ. The disciplines of a Christian are similar to the disciplines of one running a marathon, the Apostle Paul teaches, and Dallas Willard has taken a careful examination of these disciplines. He declares that Christianity can only be a relevant guide for modern humanity if it takes the need for human transformation through the Holy Spirit seriously, and clarify and exemplify realistic methods of this transformation by modeling it ourselves as Christians. Willard goes into great detail concerning the disciplines as the method by which Christians model the work of the Spirit in their lives. He declares that they are the very nature of life itself for Christians and that only by consistently teaching and practicing them will Christ's church be the force required for true spiritual change in today's society. A masterful work, this book should be in the library of any Christian that seeks to truly live the life of Christ and be a light in the world today.

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.

Dallas Willard's examination of the disciplines of the Christian life is an unparalelled book on the subject. I have never read its equal. In Christianity today, there is so much emphasis on a quick conversion and the love and mercy of God, but rarely does a teacher speak on the difficult topic of the strain and pain and longevity of the daily walk with Christ. The disciplines of a Christian are similar to the disciplines of one running a marathon, the Apostle Paul teaches, and Dallas Willard has taken a careful examination of these disciplines. He declares that Christianity can only be a relevant guide for modern humanity if it takes the need for human transformation through the Holy Spirit seriously, and clarify and exemplify realistic methods of this transformation by modelling it ourselves as Christians. Willard goes into great detail concerning the disciplines as the method by which Christians model the work of the Spirit in their lives. He declares that they are the very nature of life itself for Christians and that only by consistently teaching and practicing them will Christ's church be the force required for true spiritual change in today's society. A masterful work, this book should be in the library of any Christian who seeks to truly live the life of Christ and be a light in the world today.

The premise of this book is simple. A lack of discipline and spiritual training is a source of weakness and malaise in the church. We seek to act like Christ in a moment, but fail to build a lifestyle that supports such moments. Willard uses a simple example to explain this to us.

We all see the hall of fame type baseball players (Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, etc) and how well they play the game. And we want to emulate them. So when we pray, we copy their rituals and techniques but without the same results they get. Why is that? It is because we don't see all the training that led to the great moments in the game! The diets, exercise, practice after practice, the playbooks, discussions, regimens, and years of playing beforehand.

So we Christians want to act like the true Superstar without first bending our life to look more like his when he wasn't healing and ministering to the public. We want the glory of Christ to shine when we pray, but the rest of our lives tell a different story. And if we want to see the life of Christ manifest in us, as all Christians do, then we must build discipline into our lives of the same nature and character as Jesus did.

This book helps us understand what those disciplines are (there the private disciplines and the public ones) and how to integrate them into our lives. Willard corrects the incorrect theology of how to understand the body of a Christian and its role in discipline. He shows very clearly the need for specific disciplines, but also the understanding that there needs to be flexibility in how it is approached in our lives. This book is an essential one for the modern Christian who wants to get beyond first base in their walk with God.

Dallas Willard has written a compelling argument for a revival of the spiritual disciplines. It's a book that goes beyond "what would Jesus do" into the deeper question of "how would Jesus live." Willard argues that for us to live the life of Jesus "under pressure" we must adopt his overall lifestyle, which was punctuated by the spiritual disciplines. Though individual disciplines are examined, "The Spirit of the Disciplines" isn't primarily a book about "how to" practice the disciplines but "why to" make them a central part of your life. It is challenging, thought provoking, and potentially life changing.

Though I have never met either man, Dallas Willard and AW Tozer are my spiritual role models. Both men have an acute grasp of the philosphical and practical implications of true heart beliefs for walking with Jesus Christ. Whereas Tozer models classic prophet gifting through a blunt, sometimes abrasive, proclamation of truth, Willard tempers his gift with an unusual balance.

Many academic writers of spiritual material tend to be much too erudite. They seem to be more interested in categorizing God than in knowing him. They also seem to be more interested in identifying and pigeon-holing people than in loving them. Willard cuts against the grain of professiorial arrogance and demonstrates instead an excellent balance of love of God, love for people in community and well-thought out philosophy of Christian faith.

Spirit of the Disciplines discusses the role of the body in the development of spiritual maturity. Willard addresses Christianity's fear of the flesh by walking the user through an intellectually challenging discussion on his perception of the importance of bringing the body into relationship with Christ.

If I could reduce Willard's argument to a single concept (at the risk of too much reduction that might offend brother Willard), I would say this: 'No matter where you are, there your body is. For this reason, your body is key to all that you do as a disciple of Jesus.'

Think about it: the essence of faith is love and love is not expressed through abstract ideas or expressions. Love is done in action for someone else. Love can be spoken or it can be acted out but the body is the source of all expressions of love. Love is not merely thinking how nice it would be if I raked my neighbor's yard. Instead, love is expressed when I move my body to grab a rake and step into my neighbor's yard to complete the job.

Likewise, the body is the source of all expressions of sin. It is for this reason that disciplines are required to bring the body into progressive submission to obedience to Christ. I believe Willard to be saying that the degree to which we express love and sin through our bodies is a measure of our maturity in the faith and the depth of our vital love for God and others.

This book, along with Willard's, "In Search of Guidance," has been one of the most formative books for my walk with Christ. I strongly recommend this rigorous book for excellent brain and heart food.

First of all, I am not writing this to argue with all the people that loved it, rather I am reviewing for someone who has not yet read it and want an idea of what they are getting themselves into. I appreciated what this book has to say: Instead of focusing on what Jesus and the Paul did "in the spotlight", more attention should be paid to what they did to prepare for those moments, the Spiritual Disciplines.

However, I felt that was clearly stated in the first chapter, then comes 5 to 6 chapters of study on theology with heavy emphasis on epistemology. The writing style is difficult to read. Sentences are often long: 20-30 words in a single sentence. The headings are enigmatic (I was trying to take notes in a mind map as I went along and had a really hard time). The author also quotes others so often it is hard to follow HIS thoughts. When the time finally came (I wrote in my notes, FINALLY) to talk about the actual disciplines, it was only a chapter in length. I know that is not the main focus of the book, but nonetheless it seemed unbalanced after spending 200 pages promoting the Disciplines.

I was disappointed. My pastor in college really loved his other book: Divine Conspiracy. Therefore I was looking forward to read this author. I know part of the issue is that perhaps I am not used to his style of philosophical writing, but I don't think just because something is deep, it can't be made easy to understand.

Dallas Willard begins by investigating a question: Why does today's Christian church fail to regularly produce mature, disciplined Christians? The book rests on his thesis that it is because the church has failed to teach people how to live like Jesus Christ. If the point of Christianity is to become transformed into the image of Christ, it is astonishing to think that one can strive for that goal without attempting to live as Jesus did. To further illustrate this, imagine how many times you have read the New Testament and been amazed at the response of Jesus or a Christian in certain situations. Usually our response is to say, "I want to be like that in my times of despair and trial." However, we neglect the regularly practices of Jesus (and other early Christians like Paul), and thus we regularly fail to produce the kind of behavior Jesus and Paul did. Do we pray, fast, retreat in solitude, give to the poor, and practice the other things Jesus and his followers did? Most of us do not. Willard's point is that following Jesus' teachings is intimately tied to following His way of life.

This book is intelligently written, and supported by scripture and reason alike. The chapters and subject headings have been set to make his argument cogent to those without doctorates in philosophy. The historical examples and practical advice interwoven in every chapter will challenge all believers, and expose one's personal need for discipline. I recommend this book to all Christians, from the young convert to the experienced clergy, this book will have meaning and application that anyone will be wise to return and read time and time again.

i am determined not to so easily give away 5s. for some reason, it seems like negative ratings are unholy or taboo to give to christian books.

but this one is truly great. perhaps the best christian literature i have ever read, especially because of the western culture that i am in the midst of. christianity is only portrayed as a relationship that gives you peace, and that the burdens are light, for all who are weary and burdened to go to Jesus and He will give you rest... which is all completely true, but we don't hear the rest of the message, that for us who claim to live in God must walk as Jesus did... that we can't continue to sin any longer, or else we are not of God... now does this sound easy?

Dallas Willard hits this head on and systematically shows us why we need to transform our lives. I've read plenty of men's books on discipline, but they never elaborate clearly on why we should do it, they only show how do it, which is needed, of course, but it is more important for us to solidify our foundation and know why we need to transform. If we don't know why we do things, but simply do them, then we just doing discipline for discipline sake, which doesn't transform anyone in the long run.

If we don't change, we are risking the cost of UNDISCIPLESHIP, which is to lead a burdened life which will never taste the true joys of being a disciple of Christ. This is what this book is about.