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The Divine Conspiracy Continued: Fulfilling God's Kingdom on Earth
Dallas Willard, the author of the bestselling spiritual classic, The Divine Conspiracy , now fulfills his revolutionary vision of how the kingdom of God is made real on earth in this sequel, the last book he was working on before his recent death. In The Divine Conspiracy , revered Christian philosopher and scholar Dallas Willard critiqued the church's obsession with "sin management" and revolutionized our understanding of true Christian discipleship. Jesus is not a remote savior, waiting to welcome us into heaven after we die, Willard argued. He is a dynamic living force, a leader and teacher to whom we apprentice ourselves to learn the sacred skills God wants us to embrace, and to fulfill His son's vision when Christ declared that the "kingdom of God has come." In The Divine Conspiracy Continued , co-written with theologian Gary Black, Willard lays out the next stage in God's plan as this generation of disciples, including ordained and lay leaders, step into positions of authority across our culture and begin to transform the world from the inside out. To fulfill the Christian calling is not to remove oneself from the outside world and take shelter from its shortcomings, Willard reminds us, but to step into the world to lead and serve as agents of change.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 27, 2014
141 people are currently reading
745 people want to read
About the author
Dallas Willard
120 books1,152 followersDallas 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 19, 2019
“Christian educators can work to alleviate the harsh, shame-based judgmentalism that marks so much moral teaching and replace it with teachings that give life, hope, and grace. Christian educators can give their full, critical, and honest effort to comparing, measuring, and discerning which traditions and teachings are most life-giving.”
― Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy Continued: Fulfilling God's Kingdom on Earth
I think there was a lot of potential in this book, but also several glaring weaknesses. I like it when people (religious or otherwise) are thinking about big, transformative, ideas. Dallas Willard, along with Gary Black, Jr., explores how leaders and professionals both within the Christian Church and in the professions (law, medicine, etc) can carry the positive message of Christianity forward.
It is a very optimistic book and seems to have invested its whole pile betting on evangelicalism RIGHT as the US evangelical movement doubled down on Donald Trump. I'm not an evangelical and wouldn't even be considered a Christian by many evangelicals. But I love the teachings of Jesus and see a lot of potential in Christianity. However, I think there is something desperately wrong in US Christianity (or at least how it is messaging). Troubling and wrong. The results can be seen as the youth run for the door. Before the Church (or its leaders) can worry about transforming economics, medicine, law, and business... it needs to get its house in order. Moral leadership is not something most Americans would equate right now with the evangelical movement. That is unfortunate. Willard and Black argue correctly that an educated ministry would help. I'm just afraid that a book like this and a thinker like Willard (who taught philosophy at USC) is a bit too little a lot too late.
The book was Willard's last work, and he died before it was finished. Gary Black, one of Dallas Willard's acolytes finished the book and completed the work. Having not read much of Black or Willard, it is hard to know whose voice is whose. I find it interesting to gather tidbits from many faith traditions to see where they are as a movement. I've heard good things about Willard. This might not have been the best one to start with since it is more of an unfinished, or hybrid work than his others.
― Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy Continued: Fulfilling God's Kingdom on Earth
I think there was a lot of potential in this book, but also several glaring weaknesses. I like it when people (religious or otherwise) are thinking about big, transformative, ideas. Dallas Willard, along with Gary Black, Jr., explores how leaders and professionals both within the Christian Church and in the professions (law, medicine, etc) can carry the positive message of Christianity forward.
It is a very optimistic book and seems to have invested its whole pile betting on evangelicalism RIGHT as the US evangelical movement doubled down on Donald Trump. I'm not an evangelical and wouldn't even be considered a Christian by many evangelicals. But I love the teachings of Jesus and see a lot of potential in Christianity. However, I think there is something desperately wrong in US Christianity (or at least how it is messaging). Troubling and wrong. The results can be seen as the youth run for the door. Before the Church (or its leaders) can worry about transforming economics, medicine, law, and business... it needs to get its house in order. Moral leadership is not something most Americans would equate right now with the evangelical movement. That is unfortunate. Willard and Black argue correctly that an educated ministry would help. I'm just afraid that a book like this and a thinker like Willard (who taught philosophy at USC) is a bit too little a lot too late.
The book was Willard's last work, and he died before it was finished. Gary Black, one of Dallas Willard's acolytes finished the book and completed the work. Having not read much of Black or Willard, it is hard to know whose voice is whose. I find it interesting to gather tidbits from many faith traditions to see where they are as a movement. I've heard good things about Willard. This might not have been the best one to start with since it is more of an unfinished, or hybrid work than his others.
June 20, 2014
While the title for this book is appropriate, it is not only a continuation of Willard’s work in The Divine Conspiracy, but it is an extension of all of his works. As one who has read and re-read Willard’s previous books for years, I always found myself fascinated with the summary implications he tended to sketch toward the end of his books. Particularly in the final chapter of The Spirit of the Disciplines, titled “The Disciplines and the Power Structures of This World,” Willard intriguingly used broadly descriptive language to portray how disciples of Jesus in all walks of life would affect the entire world for good. Whereas that chapter was the brief, general description of how that would happen, this book is the detail that I and many readers of Willard’s previous work have been longing for.
Some readers who expect another “spiritual formation” book similar to Willard’s previous work may find themselves initially disappointed. Even though it is thoroughly consistent with Dallas’ previous writings, it is also very different. However, the book should be very appropriately be found on the shelves of readers of spiritual formation classics, because it is the most thorough, inspiring, and thought-provoking explanation yet available on how true Christian spiritual formation is always, inevitably for the sake of others. “If there is to be a next stage to the so-called spiritual formation movement, this must be it.” (Kindle loc. 711)
Following Willard’s death, when I first heard that this book was to be released and had been co-authored with Gary Black, Jr., I was initially skeptical. I’m not alone in saying that The Divine Conspiracy transformed my understanding and practice of Christianity, so to have a follow-up to such a masterful book to be co-authored by someone I didn’t know of and released after Dallas’ death made me expect a letdown. However, Black proves himself to be up to the task of coauthoring a book whose title will invite such high expectations. Having been a close friend of Willard, as well as having focused on Willard’s theology for the subject of his PhD studies and first book, The Theology of Dallas Willard, there is no one better qualified.
As anyone familiar with Willard would hope and expect, this book will make the reader think and requires willingness to do mental work and be challenged. It is well worth the effort, though, for it is a gift for all of us who long and hope for the day when the kingdoms of this world will conform to the kingdom of our God and Christ.
Some readers who expect another “spiritual formation” book similar to Willard’s previous work may find themselves initially disappointed. Even though it is thoroughly consistent with Dallas’ previous writings, it is also very different. However, the book should be very appropriately be found on the shelves of readers of spiritual formation classics, because it is the most thorough, inspiring, and thought-provoking explanation yet available on how true Christian spiritual formation is always, inevitably for the sake of others. “If there is to be a next stage to the so-called spiritual formation movement, this must be it.” (Kindle loc. 711)
Following Willard’s death, when I first heard that this book was to be released and had been co-authored with Gary Black, Jr., I was initially skeptical. I’m not alone in saying that The Divine Conspiracy transformed my understanding and practice of Christianity, so to have a follow-up to such a masterful book to be co-authored by someone I didn’t know of and released after Dallas’ death made me expect a letdown. However, Black proves himself to be up to the task of coauthoring a book whose title will invite such high expectations. Having been a close friend of Willard, as well as having focused on Willard’s theology for the subject of his PhD studies and first book, The Theology of Dallas Willard, there is no one better qualified.
As anyone familiar with Willard would hope and expect, this book will make the reader think and requires willingness to do mental work and be challenged. It is well worth the effort, though, for it is a gift for all of us who long and hope for the day when the kingdoms of this world will conform to the kingdom of our God and Christ.
September 30, 2019
It isn’t fair to criticize this book for not having the same impact that Willard’s earlier books did. Much of it was published posthumously while other relevant parts simply echoed “worldview concerns.” Good stuff, no doubt, but no different than what Charles Colson said years ago. Nonetheless, there are key areas that shed light for the Christian thinker today.
The thesis of the book follows the title: continuing the Divine Conspiracy by applying Christian knowledge in the marketplace. Unlike other worldview, “let’s reclaim culture” books, this one actually engages in epistemology.
Any kind of public theology or ministry follows from Plato’s insights on the City. It is the division of labor. Not everyone in the city can be a “jack-of-all trades.” Public leadership, therefore, recognizes that we divide our labors in the pursuit of goods (51).
Moral Theory
1. A right action is one that is not wrong (94ff).
2. An action is right if it is the kind of action a good person would do.
3. A morally good person cultivates understanding of the various “goods.”
What are goods? “These are things and qualities that represent, illustrate, and point us to what the Good is like” (102). Goods are “noble and virtuous ways of acting and being in both individual and communal life.”
Knowledge: “the capacity to represent things as they are on an appropriate basis of thought and experience” (139). Knowledge gives one authority to speak in an area.
“Take-home points”
*We are participants in God’s grace, not merely passive recipients. Willard, though not Reformed, isn’t saying this in a “see my good works for salvation” sense. We are coworking with God in his programme for the world (21).
*Shalom: the enduring, “encompassing experience and expectation of restful, secure, holistic wellbeing” (30).
Justice: simply, the greater good (Plato). It is shown and understood by the consequences of its presence (49).
"I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good becomes honorable by being necessary."
~Captain Nathan Hale, 1776
The thesis of the book follows the title: continuing the Divine Conspiracy by applying Christian knowledge in the marketplace. Unlike other worldview, “let’s reclaim culture” books, this one actually engages in epistemology.
Any kind of public theology or ministry follows from Plato’s insights on the City. It is the division of labor. Not everyone in the city can be a “jack-of-all trades.” Public leadership, therefore, recognizes that we divide our labors in the pursuit of goods (51).
Moral Theory
1. A right action is one that is not wrong (94ff).
2. An action is right if it is the kind of action a good person would do.
3. A morally good person cultivates understanding of the various “goods.”
What are goods? “These are things and qualities that represent, illustrate, and point us to what the Good is like” (102). Goods are “noble and virtuous ways of acting and being in both individual and communal life.”
Knowledge: “the capacity to represent things as they are on an appropriate basis of thought and experience” (139). Knowledge gives one authority to speak in an area.
“Take-home points”
*We are participants in God’s grace, not merely passive recipients. Willard, though not Reformed, isn’t saying this in a “see my good works for salvation” sense. We are coworking with God in his programme for the world (21).
*Shalom: the enduring, “encompassing experience and expectation of restful, secure, holistic wellbeing” (30).
Justice: simply, the greater good (Plato). It is shown and understood by the consequences of its presence (49).
"I am not influenced by the expectation of promotion or pecuniary reward. I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary for the public good becomes honorable by being necessary."
~Captain Nathan Hale, 1776
June 13, 2025
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This is now my favorite DW book. Brilliant social and political theology.
This is now my favorite DW book. Brilliant social and political theology.
February 12, 2015
Dallas Willard will be missed. I read The Divine Conspiracy in seminary and it changed me in ways I'm still figuring out. Over a decade later Willard is still challenging me and changing me from glory to glory through this, his last book.
In many ways this is a much different book and you should know that before you start. Whereas the original helped us understand how a call to build the Kingdom of Christ affects us individually this book focuses more on how leaders of all stripes must live this out with our society in mind. Ministers are actually the last group to be discussed so the authors can spend more time talking about how doctors, lawyers, professionals, retailers and the like have an immense calling to live out the Kingdom THROUGH the work they do each day. There's been a wave of late to assume that the only work that is meaningful in life must be directly done in some sort of overseas missions capacity. Or the work has to be directly focused in some ministerial capacity (social work, justice work, etc.) Willard smashes this and brings us back to center. All of that work is great and necessary. But the Kingdom is built every day as each of us seeks to honor Christ in the daily work that the Lord has given us, right here, right now. If we ignore this fact we will see a bright spark at the edge of society where a few of us can do full time ministry and the rest of society will go to seed as we fail to bring the kind of intentionality and integrity to our workplaces that is necessary if our society is to thrive and the Kingdom is to be built here as well as overseas. This is crucial!
That being said this is a Willard book so it's heavy on the philosophy. If you're looking for devotional reading this is not it. And the payoff comes at the very end, not in the middle so you have to be committed to finishing if you want to truly enjoy it. But this has been true of almost every Willard book so if you've read his past works this will walk in the same vein.
I am deeply saddened that there won't be more books by our brother. But I'm profoundly grateful for what he's left behind. It will continue to do just what he hoped for a long time to come.
In many ways this is a much different book and you should know that before you start. Whereas the original helped us understand how a call to build the Kingdom of Christ affects us individually this book focuses more on how leaders of all stripes must live this out with our society in mind. Ministers are actually the last group to be discussed so the authors can spend more time talking about how doctors, lawyers, professionals, retailers and the like have an immense calling to live out the Kingdom THROUGH the work they do each day. There's been a wave of late to assume that the only work that is meaningful in life must be directly done in some sort of overseas missions capacity. Or the work has to be directly focused in some ministerial capacity (social work, justice work, etc.) Willard smashes this and brings us back to center. All of that work is great and necessary. But the Kingdom is built every day as each of us seeks to honor Christ in the daily work that the Lord has given us, right here, right now. If we ignore this fact we will see a bright spark at the edge of society where a few of us can do full time ministry and the rest of society will go to seed as we fail to bring the kind of intentionality and integrity to our workplaces that is necessary if our society is to thrive and the Kingdom is to be built here as well as overseas. This is crucial!
That being said this is a Willard book so it's heavy on the philosophy. If you're looking for devotional reading this is not it. And the payoff comes at the very end, not in the middle so you have to be committed to finishing if you want to truly enjoy it. But this has been true of almost every Willard book so if you've read his past works this will walk in the same vein.
I am deeply saddened that there won't be more books by our brother. But I'm profoundly grateful for what he's left behind. It will continue to do just what he hoped for a long time to come.
August 9, 2014
In comparison to the main body of Dallas Willard's work (Renovation of the Heart, The Divine Conspiracy, The Spirit of the Disciplines, Hearing God), the massage of this book falls far short. The gripping, compelling message that Willard hones in his main works emphasizes the fact that the Kingdom of God is with us everywhere, whoever we are, in whatever situation we face. It is the presence of this Kingdom that can change the world, as we look around us to see where God is at work and to join Him in it.
The "continuation" of the Divine Conspiracy, however, emphasizes leadership positions as being roles that are necessary and important to spread God's Kingdom, limiting the spread of the Kingdom to those areas where Christian leaders are at work to follow and listen to God. This argument not is not only inconsistent with biblical teachings, but it is inconsistent with the tenants that Willard embraces and promotes so clearly in all the rest of his teachings.
In the defense of the authors, this book was written in haste, during Willard's last days. I am certain that if he had been able to be part of the editing process that many of the ideas early in the book would have been tightened and clarified. The arguments for moral knowledge are extremely well developed and well executed, and the chapters that address specific professions are insightful.
This book is worth reading if you are a devoted Willard fan, but do note that it is different in tone. If you are interested in learning more about Willard's main teachings (which extend from the teachings of Jesus Christ), begin with his main body of work, not this installment.
The "continuation" of the Divine Conspiracy, however, emphasizes leadership positions as being roles that are necessary and important to spread God's Kingdom, limiting the spread of the Kingdom to those areas where Christian leaders are at work to follow and listen to God. This argument not is not only inconsistent with biblical teachings, but it is inconsistent with the tenants that Willard embraces and promotes so clearly in all the rest of his teachings.
In the defense of the authors, this book was written in haste, during Willard's last days. I am certain that if he had been able to be part of the editing process that many of the ideas early in the book would have been tightened and clarified. The arguments for moral knowledge are extremely well developed and well executed, and the chapters that address specific professions are insightful.
This book is worth reading if you are a devoted Willard fan, but do note that it is different in tone. If you are interested in learning more about Willard's main teachings (which extend from the teachings of Jesus Christ), begin with his main body of work, not this installment.
December 9, 2014
Since I read his book “The Divine Conspiracy” shortly after its publication almost 20 years ago, Dallas Willard has been my favourite author. As a result, I could not resist purchasing this book that was published posthumously. While the book contained glimpses of the brilliance that I have come to expect from Willard, the book was overall a disappointment to me. Instead of being challenged personally, I felt as if I was being preached at: “go out and change the world”. The difficulty with the directive was that I felt the book contained little or no concrete advice about what this might look like! Thus, I often found myself feeling more depressed than challenged.
As a European reader, the book was also disappointing due to its unnecessary obsession with the politics and culture of the USA. The basic message could have been written to a larger group and culture, so this seemed sloppy to me. In addition, there were some straight forward scientific mistakes that could be spotted by any undergraduate of science. For example, the author claims the energy required to form a single atom of uranium is far more than we can make or have access to. In fact, the total mass energy of a single uranium atom is not very large at all.
From a scriptural or spiritual level I would agree with all that was written in the book. The focus on knowing and loving God was and is right on. I certainly appreciated the occasional moments of brilliance that shone through. But ultimately I was disappointed with the book, and cannot really recommend it.
As a European reader, the book was also disappointing due to its unnecessary obsession with the politics and culture of the USA. The basic message could have been written to a larger group and culture, so this seemed sloppy to me. In addition, there were some straight forward scientific mistakes that could be spotted by any undergraduate of science. For example, the author claims the energy required to form a single atom of uranium is far more than we can make or have access to. In fact, the total mass energy of a single uranium atom is not very large at all.
From a scriptural or spiritual level I would agree with all that was written in the book. The focus on knowing and loving God was and is right on. I certainly appreciated the occasional moments of brilliance that shone through. But ultimately I was disappointed with the book, and cannot really recommend it.
November 20, 2023
This book grew on me as I read it. It was slow reading at first, covering familiar ground. Having first read The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God many years ago I felt compelled to read what more Dallas Willard (and Gary Black) had to say in this book. The prior book seriously reoriented my experience as a Christian. It invigorated my stale faith with greater hope for personal transformation and a renewed and unanticipated quality of relationship with God. It fed my desire to seek seminary training in spiritual formation and to seek spiritual direction and training as a spiritual director. The power of God to transform human lives–mine in particular–became real to me at a time when stagnation characterized my faith; it helped me to endure in hope an extended time of severe testing that would come.
So what more would these authors have to say in a book called, The Divine Conspiracy Continued? I think it is that spiritual formation is not just for our own personal renewal and relationship with God as individuals though that is necessary, even foundational, for the work of God in the world. But God's work of redemption is more expansive than this. God's desire is for a world where human beings can live flourish in truly loving (agapé) relationship with Him and with each other. His goal for eternity is not just one big everlasting worship service but a society whose citizens work out their particular callings and professions for the mutual benefit of everyone, starting right now, right here where we live and work. This is not a utopian vision in the human sense. It relies on the will and power of God working through the intentional and willing cooperation of his people. Nor is it some triumphalist crusade to be worked out through coercive political or social programs. It relies completely on the transforming power if God's agapé love to overcome evil in all its insidious and overt forms that hinder human flourishing. It is an acknowledgment that God does his work not only through the Church, but through secular callings and professions worked by all good people. Christians, of all people, should be at the forefront of this instead of, all too often, being absent or a hinderance.
This book is a needed critique of our shortcomings in this effort and a hopeful encouragement to seek better ways of engaging and transforming the culture. It is a much needed call for Christians to serve God and others in loving and effective ways, being blessed to be a blessing to others as an invitation to be part of Kingdom of God that Jesus has proclaimed, lived, died for, and triumphed over death to finally establish in our hearts, minds and every aspect of our very existence so far as it can be done on Earth and until it is fully realized in the eternal realm.
So what more would these authors have to say in a book called, The Divine Conspiracy Continued? I think it is that spiritual formation is not just for our own personal renewal and relationship with God as individuals though that is necessary, even foundational, for the work of God in the world. But God's work of redemption is more expansive than this. God's desire is for a world where human beings can live flourish in truly loving (agapé) relationship with Him and with each other. His goal for eternity is not just one big everlasting worship service but a society whose citizens work out their particular callings and professions for the mutual benefit of everyone, starting right now, right here where we live and work. This is not a utopian vision in the human sense. It relies on the will and power of God working through the intentional and willing cooperation of his people. Nor is it some triumphalist crusade to be worked out through coercive political or social programs. It relies completely on the transforming power if God's agapé love to overcome evil in all its insidious and overt forms that hinder human flourishing. It is an acknowledgment that God does his work not only through the Church, but through secular callings and professions worked by all good people. Christians, of all people, should be at the forefront of this instead of, all too often, being absent or a hinderance.
This book is a needed critique of our shortcomings in this effort and a hopeful encouragement to seek better ways of engaging and transforming the culture. It is a much needed call for Christians to serve God and others in loving and effective ways, being blessed to be a blessing to others as an invitation to be part of Kingdom of God that Jesus has proclaimed, lived, died for, and triumphed over death to finally establish in our hearts, minds and every aspect of our very existence so far as it can be done on Earth and until it is fully realized in the eternal realm.
April 23, 2020
The kingdom of God is formed in you, but is never limited to the human heart.
The kingdoms of our world run on fear, but the kingdom of God runs on grace. (Perfect love casts out fear, like a good shepherd).
Leaders must continually recast the vision of what God’s kingdom is and can do in our lives and societies today, now, right where we are.
First responsibility of a leader is to define reality, the last is to say thank you, in between, the leader is a servant.
Good leaders are committed to excellence and mentoring other leaders; Devoted to both effectiveness and Christlike character.
For Jesus, the good person is one who is appropriately concerned about and committed to the wellbeing of others (Mark 12:31, John 13:34-35). The bad person is one who is intentionally destructive or indifferent to the wellbeing of others. (Matthew 15:18-20, John 3:30, 7:7)
We have a binge and purge mentality, indicative of addictive behaviors like self-gratification, consumerism, greed, lust for power and position, that threaten to overwhelm our political and economic systems.
(Concerning political government and the good life) TS Eliot noted, the secular mind is looking for a system so perfect that we don’t have to be good.
Demonstration not dictation is the preferred means of Christian influence. We must not play the political game the way others do. We must not denigrate the witness of the church. We must be distinct.
Worship is placing the mind rightly on God, and allowing the reality to spill over into the entirety of the soul. Entertainment is focused on the self to pass time and create a sense of contrived drama that can be used as substitute for actual meaning and purpose in our lives. The church must distinguish the differences!
God’s divine conspiracy is to overwhelm the kingdoms of this world with love, justice, and knowledge of truth (Rev. 11:15).
Love is goodwill in action. Joy is a positive outlook of hopefulness based upon a pervasive overall sense of well-being. Joy like love has a feeling component, and maintains a positive posture in life that assumes good will triumph. Therefore, joy is fully compatible with pain, disappointment, sorrow. Joy takes a wider lens view of circumstances. Joy enables patience, faithfulness, and deferred gratification. Joy gives one the ability to say no, or not yet.
Peace is a kind of rest that comes from confidence in the holistic, universal provision of what is necessary and good. A person of peace does not attack others, and faces attacks with calmness, with an assurance of abundance from God (Ja. 3:17-18).
The kingdoms of our world run on fear, but the kingdom of God runs on grace. (Perfect love casts out fear, like a good shepherd).
Leaders must continually recast the vision of what God’s kingdom is and can do in our lives and societies today, now, right where we are.
First responsibility of a leader is to define reality, the last is to say thank you, in between, the leader is a servant.
Good leaders are committed to excellence and mentoring other leaders; Devoted to both effectiveness and Christlike character.
For Jesus, the good person is one who is appropriately concerned about and committed to the wellbeing of others (Mark 12:31, John 13:34-35). The bad person is one who is intentionally destructive or indifferent to the wellbeing of others. (Matthew 15:18-20, John 3:30, 7:7)
We have a binge and purge mentality, indicative of addictive behaviors like self-gratification, consumerism, greed, lust for power and position, that threaten to overwhelm our political and economic systems.
(Concerning political government and the good life) TS Eliot noted, the secular mind is looking for a system so perfect that we don’t have to be good.
Demonstration not dictation is the preferred means of Christian influence. We must not play the political game the way others do. We must not denigrate the witness of the church. We must be distinct.
Worship is placing the mind rightly on God, and allowing the reality to spill over into the entirety of the soul. Entertainment is focused on the self to pass time and create a sense of contrived drama that can be used as substitute for actual meaning and purpose in our lives. The church must distinguish the differences!
God’s divine conspiracy is to overwhelm the kingdoms of this world with love, justice, and knowledge of truth (Rev. 11:15).
Love is goodwill in action. Joy is a positive outlook of hopefulness based upon a pervasive overall sense of well-being. Joy like love has a feeling component, and maintains a positive posture in life that assumes good will triumph. Therefore, joy is fully compatible with pain, disappointment, sorrow. Joy takes a wider lens view of circumstances. Joy enables patience, faithfulness, and deferred gratification. Joy gives one the ability to say no, or not yet.
Peace is a kind of rest that comes from confidence in the holistic, universal provision of what is necessary and good. A person of peace does not attack others, and faces attacks with calmness, with an assurance of abundance from God (Ja. 3:17-18).
April 22, 2023
I am fortunate enough to now own this book, thanks to my Pastor Dave Bonselaar and his spiritual director Jane Willard. I had the book for sometime before taking the time to read it. Having read some of Dallas’s work before I knew it would not be a quick read.
I rated this, a five star book – the highest rating on Goodreads available – for a number of reasons. First because if you are in a leadership role in your church, this is a must read. I somehow cannot imagine anyone attending seminary not being required to read this book and its predecessor as a requirement.
Even if you are not active in a church, but a Christian in the business world, you need to read and follow what this book offers in terms of returning God to our culture be it in a religious environment or a business or yes even athletic environment. We must lead by example.
There are 14 chapters to this book and everyone is chock full of pithy, but real life direction and advice on how to manage our faith and draw people close to Christ whether it is in following Christ, providing moral leadership, education, politics economics or professions including doctors, attorneys, pastors/priests or church leadership at any level.
Christian leaders need to step into positions of authority through out our culture and transform the world from the inside out. To meet this calling, we must not remove ourselves outside world, but to step INTO the world to lead and serve as agents of change.
For many Christians, there is a disconnect between their faith and their work. The authors remind us that “God’s divine conspiracy is to overcome the human kingdoms of this world with love, justice, and truth.” Live and act out our faith in our real world of family, community and our work.
Work should no longer be viewed as just a job that pays the bills; it should be viewed as the natural place where we seek and find God. Work should be a place for demonstrating the goodness and peace (shalom) of God to a world that searches for those things.
I rated this, a five star book – the highest rating on Goodreads available – for a number of reasons. First because if you are in a leadership role in your church, this is a must read. I somehow cannot imagine anyone attending seminary not being required to read this book and its predecessor as a requirement.
Even if you are not active in a church, but a Christian in the business world, you need to read and follow what this book offers in terms of returning God to our culture be it in a religious environment or a business or yes even athletic environment. We must lead by example.
There are 14 chapters to this book and everyone is chock full of pithy, but real life direction and advice on how to manage our faith and draw people close to Christ whether it is in following Christ, providing moral leadership, education, politics economics or professions including doctors, attorneys, pastors/priests or church leadership at any level.
Christian leaders need to step into positions of authority through out our culture and transform the world from the inside out. To meet this calling, we must not remove ourselves outside world, but to step INTO the world to lead and serve as agents of change.
For many Christians, there is a disconnect between their faith and their work. The authors remind us that “God’s divine conspiracy is to overcome the human kingdoms of this world with love, justice, and truth.” Live and act out our faith in our real world of family, community and our work.
Work should no longer be viewed as just a job that pays the bills; it should be viewed as the natural place where we seek and find God. Work should be a place for demonstrating the goodness and peace (shalom) of God to a world that searches for those things.
March 14, 2020
Very good, must read along with the ‘Part 1’ however you need to be ready for, when that will be, I don’t know.
I gave it 5 stars although it’s not an easy read because it clearly differentiates itself from other books about morality and ethical behaviour in that, the first and foremost thing for man to get to great behaviour is to know it’s Creator.
We will never have a lasting moral change without this, it’s critical, the only eternal foundation, love.
It’s only from this relationship do we pick up what’s true about ourselves and our neighbours, in turn we treat them as we should, thus infusing all of our activities with the gift of love.
I particularly like the ‘indictment’ on the church, o how I long and will continue to pray for a change, in the mean time, there’s much love work to do!
Thanks Willard & Black jr
I gave it 5 stars although it’s not an easy read because it clearly differentiates itself from other books about morality and ethical behaviour in that, the first and foremost thing for man to get to great behaviour is to know it’s Creator.
We will never have a lasting moral change without this, it’s critical, the only eternal foundation, love.
It’s only from this relationship do we pick up what’s true about ourselves and our neighbours, in turn we treat them as we should, thus infusing all of our activities with the gift of love.
I particularly like the ‘indictment’ on the church, o how I long and will continue to pray for a change, in the mean time, there’s much love work to do!
Thanks Willard & Black jr
January 31, 2021
I SUPPOSE I NEED TO GO BACK AND READ SOME OF THE AUTHOR'S EARLIER WORKS TO APPRECIATE HIS STYLE AND HIS MESSAGE. AT THE VERY LEAST THIS BOOKS RAISES A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS ON JUST ABOUT EVERY LEVEL THAT IS INTRODUCED AND EXPONDED UPON IN EACH CHAPTER. I WOULD SAY THIS BOOK SHOULD BE READ IN A GROUP STUDY WITH SOME VERY SMART PEOPLE THAT CAN WEIGH THROUGH THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES OF LIVING A LIFE THAT FULFILLS THE GREAT COMMISSION SO WE CAN SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD FULFILLED HERE ON EARTH. I MAY HAVE TO TAKE MY TIME AND GO BACK AND READ IT AGAIN, MUCH SLOWER THE SECOND TIME AROUND.
August 25, 2018
Not nearly as good as the first. A little too much gospel as agent of societal change... the gospel should definitely inform our daily lives and transform the environment that we affect and have influence over, but this book takes that too far.
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February 18, 2022Ethics in the workplace is needed now as much as ever. That section stands out the most while the current Olympic games are devastated by doping violations by ROC. We need the leadership of believers in the workplace globally.
January 3, 2023
I liked this book a lot. . . deep, but clear, simple to understand content. I highly recommend. It's the only book I've ever read that upon completion, I went back to page 1 and read it a second time.
June 10, 2018
An amazing book on leadership and how we bring the Kingdom to inhabit our worlds. Amazing.
June 18, 2021
Was a little late in finishing my Lenten book. Excellent companion to the Divine Conspiracy. Would love to reread and discuss this in a small group.
March 13, 2015
Willard is rarely an easy read. John Ortberg once subtitled one of his books 'Dallas for Dummies'and has since written several more popularising Willard's thought. In this volume Gary Black takes forward Willard's sketches for a sequel to the Divine Conspiracy. Those who have read Black's 'Theology of Dallas Willard' will be confident that he knows his teacher, but cautious about his writing style too.
So we have an ambitious extension of 'private discipleship' to discuss what following Christ would mean in the public sphere. The authors take an unusual approach, thinking through the contributions professionals should be making, rather than each and every Christian. They even dare to identify the chief professionals: physician, lawyers and pastors. Such a top-down approach is controversial but intriguing.
There are many good things in this book - but the writing style is laborious. It is extremely hard to see the wood for the trees. Being earthed in the N American context means that a fair amount of the detailed discussion is beside the point in the United Kingdom.
I hope that someone else will come along an rework the material and make it more accessible. 'Dallas for Dummies continued'?
So we have an ambitious extension of 'private discipleship' to discuss what following Christ would mean in the public sphere. The authors take an unusual approach, thinking through the contributions professionals should be making, rather than each and every Christian. They even dare to identify the chief professionals: physician, lawyers and pastors. Such a top-down approach is controversial but intriguing.
There are many good things in this book - but the writing style is laborious. It is extremely hard to see the wood for the trees. Being earthed in the N American context means that a fair amount of the detailed discussion is beside the point in the United Kingdom.
I hope that someone else will come along an rework the material and make it more accessible. 'Dallas for Dummies continued'?
November 26, 2015
Finally! I'm finally finished. It was slow going at first (I had similar types of issues with the original Divine Conspiracy when I got to around page 80), but the mid-section of my book is now marked up like crazy with underlining scattered in the front section and the last section. Here's why I so appreciate the book. Typically in a church, a pastor hopes to get the followers to sign up for church activities. Folks go to church and activities and they've done their Christian duty (plus we're supposed to convert people, too). Along come Willard and Black teaching that following Jesus means following after good (Jesus) and flourishing in whatever we're called to do: janitor, dancer, teacher, businessman, politician, lawyer, doctor, researcher, parent, bricklayer. Do all with the skills of Jesus, the mind of Christ, seek after the good of oneself, one's employees (if you have employees), and your customers/clients. And, just a note: the title is "fulfilling" God's kingdom. No one is saying that any human beings are "bringing about" the kingdom. I highly recommend the book.
January 21, 2015
I highlighted so many thought-provoking and downright convicting statements in The Divine Conspiracy Continued, some of which I shared either on FB or Amazon. The content of this book is so relevant to contemporary times and to all the multitudes of peoples and cultures alive on the earth right now in the 21st century. Some of the passages are absolutely an indictment (in best sense) of contemporary Christian culture in America and deserves the audience of all religious and spiritual leaders of our time. Dallas' s insights and knowledge on spiritual matters are not to be ignored nor discounted but studied and pondered on. Even if it can be said that not one particular culture or religous group has all the answers, Dallas and Mr. Black teach us how it is possible to apply Kingdom principles to our lives now that would result in a harmonious existence with all cultures and that is what is truly pleasing to God ultimately. There is so much to learn here and those of us who read it are increasingly blessed. Dallas has left his God-honoring legacy and thank God for him.
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May 21, 2016pg 216 "Ruskin proceeded to emphasize that the other primary responsibility of merchants is to care for the well-being and success o those in their employ. Merchants have direct governance over their employees. Therefore, it becomes the merchants duty not only to be always considering how to produce what he sells in the purest and cheapest forms, but how to make the various employments involved in the productions or transference of it most beneficial to the men employed. Hence the function of business requires, "the highest intelligence, as well as patient, kindness, and tact, ... all his energy...and to give up, if need be, his life in such a way as it may demand of him." As the captain of a ship is duty-bound to be the last to leave the ship in disaster, "so the manufacturer, in any commercial crisis or distress, is bound to take the suffering of it with his men, and even to take more of it for himself that he allows his men to feel; as a father would in a famine, shipwreck, or battle, sacrifice himself for his son."
January 19, 2015
I really wanted to like this book. I love Dallas Willard and the Divine Conspiracy was transformational for my faith.
Maybe I had expectations that were too hight, but I struggled greatly with this one. For a long book it says very little. The chapters are big on descriptions, but they don't really say much other than we need people transformed by the Spirit living out their calling in every area of public life.
If you are unfamiliar with Willard read the Divine Conspiracy or any number of his other books to start. Even if you are a Willard fan skip this one. (I hate saying that)
Maybe I had expectations that were too hight, but I struggled greatly with this one. For a long book it says very little. The chapters are big on descriptions, but they don't really say much other than we need people transformed by the Spirit living out their calling in every area of public life.
If you are unfamiliar with Willard read the Divine Conspiracy or any number of his other books to start. Even if you are a Willard fan skip this one. (I hate saying that)
November 12, 2015
How to participate in the "Divine Conspiracy" in which God is overcoming the human kingdoms of this world with love, justice and the knowledge of truth (p.307). This book is an appropriate capstone to the career and life of Dallas Willard. As such it follows on his previous work going on to cover new ground as to how disciples can begin to fill the present void in moral and servant oriented leadership thus serving effectively God's Kingdom purposes
January 4, 2015
The follow up to the Divine Conspiracy Willard's masterpiece this volume finished after his death by Gary Black Jr. continues with an examination of what is needed from leaders in all phases of society to overcome the impasse that we are currently mired in. Packed with insightful and useful information and food for thought. Very good.
April 6, 2015
Dallas's voice still rings clearly in this book, lending weight to Gary Black's efforts to extend on personal correspondence with him about the application of his ideas from Divine Conspiracy. While not as impactful as Dallas's individual work, the book was still helpful and remains true to Dallas's core ideas.
September 7, 2015
A little cumbersome to get through...though it serves its stated purpose well. I love Willards writing - thorough, thoughtful, but very relevant. Having not read the Divine Conspiracy yet, I am confident I missed some of this book's impact(hence the lower rating). Still, I'm glad to have read it.
January 4, 2015
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I have a high regard for Dallas Willard's writing but this book was very disappointing.
January 11, 2015
Absolutely profound and transformational. There is nothing this insightful on the life of Christ in the life of a believer -- nothing. This is a must read for anyone serious about their faith.
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