Issue 38 Hidden Treasures in the Minor ProphetsBlog | Biography of Dallas Willard, 1935 – 2013
Biography of Dallas Willard, 1935 – 2013
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 31.03.24
Biography of Dallas Willard Dallas Willard, 1935 - 2013
Education
A renowned expert in phenomenology and epistemology and widely respected in the field of psychology, Willard’s wide appeal to Christian audiences came from his understanding of a deeper ‘life with God’ and formation in Christlikeness. Willard held a B.A. in Psychology, and a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, plus a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin with a minor in the History of Science.
Influence
Alongside Richard Foster, he is known as the father of the contemporary spiritual formation movement and has influenced a whole generation of leaders and writers including John Mark Comer. But he was also a world-class professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California from 1965 to 2013.
Widely respected by conservatives like Jim Packer and charismatics like Nicky Gumbel, Willard was also a friend of Pentecostals and Catholics. He supported Richard Foster in establishing the ecumenical renewal ministry Renovaré with a primary emphasis on becoming more like Jesus.
Today a new generation of thinkers, writers and church leaders are discovering his ground-breaking teaching on the availability of the kingdom of God, the reality of discipleship or ‘apprenticeship’, the importance of the Bible and classic Christian writings, and both a balanced vision and practical strategy for becoming more like Jesus.
Can you think of a Christian author whose influence and reach outlived their life on earth? For Willard, it is still growing. More than one observer has said that we will still be studying Dallas Willard in two hundred years’ time.
