Thinking Christianly

Thinking Christianly


#23: Dallas Willard, Husserl, and the Future of Spiritual Formation

July 15, 2023

Most of us know Dallas Willard as a brilliant and pastoral writer on spiritual formation. In his writing, you can sense a man of great thought, but the depth of his knowledge can be hidden from the reader of his more popular works. In this episode, Stan and J.P. discuss the life, scholarship, and legacy of Dallas Willard. They also share thoughts on spiritual formation gleaned from Dallas.



In this podcast, we discuss:


  • The work of Dallas Willard in his academic vocation as a philosopher
  • Why metaphysics and epistemology are essential to the messages of Dr. Willard
  • Why Dallas Willard’s study and translation of Edmund Husserl is so important
  • The legacy of Dr. Willard–how J.P. and Stan have been inspired to continue promoting his ideas
  • Willard’s hopes for future scholarship and predictions for challenges ahead
  • Insights from Dallas on spiritual disciplines leading to spiritual formation
  • How to avoid being satisfied with “Church-ianity”
  • Thoughts on being faithful to your calling when tempted to be discouraged

Resources and Citations: