What’s up with Dallas Willard?

As of late, my concern has been about Dallas Willard, his written and preached theology, and how it is infiltrating into the minds of people I love.

See his recommended reading list: do you see anything wrong with what’s listed?

Or…how about his view of salvation? Concerning ‘very good Buddhists’ and their destiny… and explaining Romans 2:6-10:

What Paul is clearly saying is that if anyone is worthy of being saved, they will be saved. At that point many Christians get very anxious, saying that absolutely no one is worthy of being saved. The implication of that is that a person can be almost totally good, but miss the message about Jesus, and be sent to hell. What kind of a God would do that? I am not going to stand in the way of anyone whom God wants to save. I am not going to say “he can’t save them.” I am happy for God to save anyone he wants in any way he can. It is possible for someone who does not know Jesus to be saved. But anyone who is going to be saved is going to be saved by Jesus: “There is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved.”

(From Apologetics in Action, emphasis mine)

And somebody please explain to me why he is on “a quiet quest to subvert nominal Christianity“!?!

What else? In the same September 2006 issue of Christianity Today (which is about how Calvinism/Reformed theology is making a comeback in the church)… I am very disappointed that the president of Calvin Theological Seminary has agreed with Willard that sanctification is NOT by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone:

It’s important to see that this program of renewal has nothing to do with “works righteousness” as the Reformers used that term. In the wonderful world of Willard’s theology of Christian living, justification is still entirely by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But sanctification is another story. Mortification of the old self and vivification of the new one take not only God’s gift, but also our effort. No theologian should try to get us off the hook here. Patience, for example, is not only a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5; it’s also our calling in Colossians 3. And nobody ever became patient without the daily exercise of self-control, especially in the left lane behind a poky driver.

This synergistic theology makes me sick–apparently God’s grace wasn’t enough to really set us free and empower us to live a life of holiness that glorifies Him… it seems Willard believes we really need to put our effort into it! That’s just apostasy.

As far as the content of what I try to present is concerned it focuses on the gospel of the kingdom of God and becoming a disciple of Jesus in the kingdom of God. SO it doesn’t merely have an emphasis on the forgiveness of sins and assurance of heaven as you are apt to find in most evangelical circles. I think that is vital but it is not the whole story. The issue is whole life, other issues are subordinate to that. After all Jesus said, “I came that you might have life to the full,” which is more than life beyond death.

I think what Willard means is that sanctification is more important than justification… that forgiveness of sin and the assurance of eternal life is subordinate to the issue of the “whole life”. ~sighs~ Anybody agree with this guy??!

Larker

Just a friendly question. Have you read his book(s) before? I read the Divine Conspiracy, but that’s it. I’m not too sure about what he thinks about everything, but from what I read, well, a lot of it seemed to check out… I’m not saying I agree with everything he said/says/might have to say, but I guess, take what everyone puts out with a grain of salt and compare with what the Bible says. He might have completely opposite views as you on certain topics, but I don’t see why other parts of what he has to say would not be valid or at least worth thinking about. The Divine Conspiracy was pretty interesting, if not anything else, and I think there are some good Biblical teachings/interpretations in there. O.o I dunno, I thought parts of it good, but what do I know. What do you think?

Jan 22, 2007 @ 9:04 pm

Alex Leung

Hello Larker,
No - I have not read “Divine Conspiracy”, nor have any intention to do so.

I believe Willard to be a true Christian if he has put his faith in Christ alone, and hope that he is a shining light for Christ in the campus where he is a professor.

However, I can’t not be weary about his provocative remarks that seem to deny Solus Christus. Our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. It is Christ’s sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone that is sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.

I believe this to be the heart and center of the Good News, and that is why all Christians stand united together for the Gospel. Everything else is subordinate to that.

In regards to what Willard has said that may be valid, philosophically / logically / biblically or otherwise, just because he has written in support of the kingdom of God does not necessarily mean he affirms the non-negotiable doctrines of historic orthodox Christianity.

This goes for everything we read… we must be discerning in everything we hear and read against the standard of what is written in the Bible. Hebrews 5:11-14; 1 Thess 5:19-21.

Grace to you, brother.

Jan 22, 2007 @ 10:16 pm

Sharon Clemens

Alex,
I appreciated your comments to Larker. Willard’s book The Divine Conspiracy is recommended reading by a “new” teacher at our church. This teacher is setting us straight about the “real” meaning of words such as “kingdom” and “repent.” He downplays repentance saying it cannot be the good news in the Gospel as repentance is certainly not something that makes us happy… Funny, I thought turning from sin and going in the direction of a new life in Christ was very happy. “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” [2 Corinthians 5:17]

This teacher speaks obscessively about “the emerging, overwhelming power” that can be ours if we embrace “the kingdom.” There is little mention of Christ and our Lord’s instruction to abide or cleave to Him alone if we wish to bear fruit–not to our own glory, but to the Father’s glory [John 15:5ff]. This power he calls “it” and “the.” I thought all power from God comes from the Holy Spirit, Christ in us. To call the power of the Holy Spirit “it” or “the” is to make God a thing, not a divine person of the Trinity.

This teacher follows Willard and Willard is closer to New Age Spirituality than Christianity. Willard writes some truth but with enough deceptive lies that the leaven leavens the whole lump–it all becomes man-centered mysticism. One look at who shares Willard’s fellowship should tell a discerning Christian that he is in the false teacher category.

Jun 25, 2007 @ 1:25 am

Sharon,
Thanks for your comments on this old post.

I praise God hearing that His Spirit has opened the eyes of your heart to carefully and biblically discern Willard. In today’s emerging culture, few are taking the effort to measure teachers of supposed Christianity with the rule of Scripture.

I am warmed in my heart that even in this dark age, there are brothers and sisters like yourself who stand together with me in contending for the true Faith and the true Gospel

I am praying for your “new” teacher & your church. May Christ and His Spirit empower you to speak the truth in love, to bring those who have fallen away back into fellowship with the Father.

With brotherly affection,
Alex S. Leung

Jun 25, 2007 @ 8:14 am