The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God
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The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God

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4.26 of 5 stars 4.26  ·  rating details  ·  1,375 ratings  ·  151 reviews

A renowned teacher and writer of the acclaimed "The Spirit of the Disciplines, "Dallas Willard, one of today's most brilliant Christian thinkers now offers a timely and challenging call back to the true meaning of Christian discipleship. In "The Divine Conspiracy, "Willard gracefully weaves biblical teaching, popular culture, science, scholarship, and s

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Hardcover, 448 pages
Published April 15th 1998 by HarperOne
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Nathan
Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars
Willard continues to challenge me: from ministry, to the importance of Christ's bodily (not just spiritual) resurrection. A difficult read though, and I his "program for discipleship" was not among my favorite features. Overall, a thought-provoking, enlightening book.

First review: I just began reading Willard's book, but already it has me thinking. Within the first paragraph, he lays out his philosophy: "Presumed familiarity has led to unfamiliarity, unfamiliarity h...more
Dave Oliver
If you are uncomfortable with the theology of the Fundamentalists and their emphasis on "getting into heaven is the most important thing, and the only way to get there is to believe what we believe"...

and if you find that there is something lacking in the Liberal's theological conclusion that it is all about social justice...

then here is a book which digs into the heart of Jesus's message and challenge to us living in the world today.

We can never pass enou...more
Chauncey Lattimer
It was as early as the introduction that I realized I was in for a good read when Willard stated, "Whatever the ultimate explanation of it, the most telling thing about the comtemporary Christian is that he or she simply has no compelling sense that understanding of and conformity with the clear teachings of Christ is of any vital importance to his or her life, and certainly not that it is in any way essential." There is no doubt that the influence of the church has been weakened in t...more
James Korsmo
In The Divine Conspiracy, philosopher Dallas Willard paints a compelling picture of the Christian Life by investigating what God is doing in the world, and how humans can experience it.

Willard begins by laying out some of the problems he sees in our world, and in Christianity, today. These include the erosion of "truth" and abosolutes in our culture, and the loss of the depth of the meaning of the gospel message. He then sets out to reconstruct a clear picture of what it means to be a ...more
Danny
Danny rated it 5 of 5 stars
Enjoyed this challenge of discipleship to Jesus as the very heart of the gospel, and these favorite quotes:
More than any other single thing, in any case, the practical irrelevance of actual obedience to Christ accounts for the weakened effect of Christianity on the world today, with its increasing tendency to emphasize political and social action as the primary way to serve God. It also accounts for the practical irrelevance of Christian faith to individual character development and overall...more
Douglas R.
The Divine Conspiracy is a book of reflections on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel. It is less a traditional commentary than a theological reconsideration of the text for the sake of modern readers. In the introduction, Willard says that his hope is too “gain a fresh hearing for Jesus especially among those who believed they already understand him.” This is a good and worthy goal considering that so many Christians today understand Jesus primarily through their reading of the New Te...more
Randall Pratt
I've seen this book referenced by so many authors and speakers over the last couple of years -- I just had to pick it up and read it for myself. It is well worth it!



It took me a while to finish this book. Not so much because it is long (though at 400 pages it's not exactly short!), but because it is so deep. It is a look at "how to actually live in the reality of God's present kingdom." It is quoted so much by others because there are so many nuggets to quote!



The "guts" of...more
Elaine
Elaine marked it as started-reading-but-didn-t-finish  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: audio
This one was spoken of on "The God Journey" podcast "Books That Have Touched Our Lives."

The first chapter is quite deep (Wayne Jacobsen says about the author "I know he's a bit heady for some people.") and includes many quotes and notes.

The first two chapters are very long. It tends to be difficult to follow on audio as it's not always possible to tell whether what's being said is the author's point of view on the subject or if he's telling ...more
Kris
Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: followers of Jesus
Recommended to Kris by: Nathan Baxter
Perhaps the most formative book of my adult life. I remember the first time I read this how unimpressed I was. But some kind of switch was flipped and the second, third, fourth.....it became my handbook. No one in our day has more important things to say than Dallas Willard concerning discipleship and spiritual formation. I see him as my grandfather, at least spiritually. His book inspired me to memorize the Sermon on the Mount. I led near twenty college students through this book over a 5 year ...more
Kelly Belvis
For me this was a very thought provoking book. I was asked to look at familiar passages of the bible in a new way. There is also a voice here not often heard from mainstream pulpits. One that explains the reason Christians (especially this Christian) often from the outside appear no more loving, no less angry and no more Christlike than non-Christians. And rather than just quote a true heart change as the answer, Dallas Willard advises the best ways to achieve that heart change.

Some p...more
Gwen Shipley
Gwen Shipley rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Gwen by: Richard Foster
Divine Conspiracy is a masterful work, giving new life to the breadth and depth of Christian spiritual ideas. Among writers in the field of spirituality, Willard's respect for the intellect of the reader is refreshing. Pleasant reading, though long and challenging--and worth every minute. Divine Conspiracy revived a Christian faith that was sagging--mine. I refer to it often and will read it again (and likely again, etc.). Should be required reading for everyone who cares a whit about the story ...more
David Takle
Probably the single most important book I have ever read. It felt like drinking from a crystal pure mountain stream.

Better than any other book I know of, this volume lays out a true understanding of the Kingdom of God. Willard's insight and wisdom is unsurpassed in how he lays out the foundations of our faith with clarity and a sense of meaning and purpose that is missing from so much of modern Christian writing and theology.

This book should be required reading for anyo...more
Paul
Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2011
I had started and stopped reading this book several times before and as the end of 2011 approached with it once again sitting partially read on my nightstand I determined to finish it before the year was through. I didn't quite do that but January 1st is pretty close.

The book is not light reading, it is deep and challenging and yet it is books like these that have the power to deeply impact your life if you let them. In The Divine Conspiracy, Willard explores Jesus Sermon on the Mo...more
Laura
Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars
This was the second book I've read by Dallas Willard, and like the first one, Renovation of the Heart, it's a book that can be transforming if taken to heart. I had to reflect on it a while. I was frequently captivated by the author's insight ... though at other times I found him challenging, which I suppose is a necessary step toward transformation. At first, the author's message seemed occasionally at odds with itself, but once I accepted his fondness for the word "obedience" (or at ...more
Kathy Robbins
In the New Testament Gospels, people marveled at how Jesus taught as someone who had authority. When I read the writings of Paul, I am impressed by his spiritual understanding and knowledge. He wrote, taught and preached as someone who had authority and knowledge that is beyond the average Christian.

I see not as much, but the same understanding in the writings of C.S. Lewis, and now in the writing of Dallas Willard, a present-day philosopher and theologian who wrote The Divine Conspira...more
Garland Vance
Willard instructs Christians what it means to live in the kingdom of God. He begins by explaining that all of creation is part of God's kingdom and then comparing left-wing and right-wing theology to show how we have fallen far short of understanding God's kingdom.
He then exposits the Sermon on the Mount to show how God's kingdom infiltrates the life of all believers through the Holy Spirit and, therefore, how our lives will be characterized.
His second to last chapter focuses on how G...more
Amy
Well, after over 3 months I finally finished this book, and it was excellent. It took me a long time to read, not because it is particularly difficult or long (although it's definitely not a light read) - but because I read it slowly, little by little, and took lots of notes. The main focus is discipleship - us as Christians specifically setting out to be disciples of Christ, truly making it a focus of our lives to learn and follow Jesus' teachings and his life.

In delving into the ...more
Y.I. Lee
I've given The Divine Conspiracy 4 stars, because I'm sure it's an encouraging and enlightening book. But not for me. I found it hard going and at times not easy to understand.
I initially bought it because I watched a series of interviews with Dallas Willard and they were brill and really helped me. So I decided to get the book. Unfortunately it's way above my head. I did glean an occasional gem, but not enough to encourage me to persevere.
I've given the book to my pastor, I know he w...more
Janet
Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: spirituality
This is one of the best books I've ever read about Christian spiritality, spiritual formation and maturity, and what "kingdom living" is about. Dallas Willard is scholarly, compassionate, and challenging all at once, slowly and thoroughly building a case that one of Jesus' central teachings, The Sermon on the Mount, is not a list of rules but an illustration of what happens, what kind of life and attitudes a person has, when they have a transformed life. And then he goes on to describe...more
Crossroads Ecc
Crossroads Ecc marked it as to-read
Christianity Today editors' description: With this call to discipleship, "Willard joins the line of Thomas a Kempis, Luther, Fenelon, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, Zinzendorf, Wesley, Frank Laubach, Dorothy Day, and other master apprentices of Jesus," wrote Books and Culture editor John Wilson in a review, praising the University of Southern California professor's "philosophical depth" and "penetrating understanding of Scripture."
Marina Bergmann
One of the most influential books for my spiritual growth and understanding of the kingdom of God, the involvement of the christian faith in our daily life, our culture and developing a character of integrity.
"The short answer is, it's the inner transformation of will, mind, and emotins into likeness to Christ's will, mind and emotions. We think like Christ, we feel like Christ, we choose Christ's character, and it moves out into our body, our surroundings, and everything we do."...more
Timothy L.
This book is a monster! I love it as well has I have to wade through it. Its not a light book for airheads. It is meat and potatoes like those restaurants that have the "dare ya" menu item that IF you can eat it you get it free... Willard out did himself on this book. The average person can get through it but I would recommend a discussion group to keep you on track and to enrich your read.
Marisa Bennett
Ok. I have heard Willard twice in person, and, although I am a fast writer, I could hardly scribble fast enough. I was fortunate to hear a seminar by him as he was preparing to write this book. I am a super-fast reader, and comprehend very well. THIS book is brilliant. I sure couldn't read it quickly! But what a gift to the world. And Willard is a very humble, sweet soul.
Starr
Starr rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Know ABOUT God, so that you can Know HIM Better as a Friend, Father, and Protector.
Recommended to Starr by: I heard Mike Erre talk about it.
Willard states we must accept that God loves US, that he loves YOU, that he loves ME, that his desire is for NO MAN TO PERISH. Until we accept his Love For Us as the only Reality, we cannot have a relationship with the God who created all things. The depth of this concept is revolutionary in my life. How could I trust a God I fear? Why would I even want to obey or respect a God that is anything less than loving, let alone kind? It has been said that perfect love drives out fear. Hope, Patience,...more
Nancy Moffett
Nancy Moffett rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: all thinking christians
Recommended to Nancy by: christmas gift from my daughter-in-law
This book was life-changing for me. Willard is eloquent about God's love for all, reinterprets the sermon on the mount, strongly encourages spiritual disciplines. I refer very often to his chapter "A Curriculum for Christlikeness" as I prepare to preach from the gospels. It is a book that is always in my office - not on the shelf!
Karen Vincent
Karen Vincent rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: faith
A completely different take on 'The Sermon on the Mount' - one that dares to suggest that we are actually supposed to be living it. Brilliant. August 08 - finished re-reading a second time, got more out of it again. It will be put back on the shelf for another year or so, but I will be thrilled to take it down again some day
Emily
Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars
i LOVED this book. well, i think i was pre-disposed to love it because i had so much anticipation built up since i had been hearing about it for a long time. and i really like dallas willard. but this book is a masterpiece, really deep...like where you have to re-read sentences and paragraphs several times before they really sink in. willard focuses mainly on Jesus' sermon on the mount as the blueprint of this "conspiracy" of kingdom-life that we're invited into. he breaks it down, ...more
Betsy Brown
Dallas Willard is by far one of the very best Christian non fiction authors. His books are classics and meant to be 'chewed', not just read.
I love this book! Willard reminds us that Jesus didn't intend for us to only live a Godly life in heaven. He has equipped us with everything necessary to live it now!
Jerry Fultz
One of the most important and significant books I have read in my adult life. His treatment of the kingdom of God and his discussions of the Sermon on the Mount were (and are) game changers for me. Fully deserving of its "Book of the Year" designation. Probably the book of the decade.
Matthew
Dallas Willard is a genius!!! Once again, he rocks my world with a book on how to help me actually begin to behave and live as Jesus did. While not an easy book to work my way through, it is nonetheless a classic, and one that I will undoubtedly return to again and again.
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DALLAS WILLARD is a Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He has taught at USC since 1965, where he was Director of the School of Philosophy from 1982-1985. He has also taught at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, 1960-1965), and has held visiting appointments at UCLA (1969) and the University of Colorado (1984).

His undergrad...more
More about Dallas Willard...
The Spirit of the Disciplines : Understanding How God Changes Lives Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God The Great Omission: Rediscovering Jesus' Essential Teachings on Discipleship Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge

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“Suppose our failures occur, not in spite of what we are doing, but precisely because of it.” 9 people liked it
“Kingdom praying and its efficacy is entirely a matter of the innermost heart's being totally open and honest before God. It is a matter of what we are saying with our whole being, moving with resolute intent and clarity of mind into the flow of God's action.” 5 people liked it
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