Renovation of the Heart, by Dallas Willard

This is the most recent of Dallas Willard's four main works on taking Jesus Christ seriously (my definition of the word "faith" - the opposite of faith being, not atheism, but religion). There are a growing number of pastors, teachers and authors (not to mention so-called "laypersons" - the ones on whom all human history truly depends) that are unabashed in their acknowledgment of Dallas Willard's life-changing influence.

Not that Dallas invites anything that would even remotely resemble a so-called cult following. The contrary is so true that anyone who knows the man chuckles at the thought. It is not even primarily any belief system that leads to the life change. More radically, Dallas Willard reintroduces - in a remarkably profound way - what the serious hard follower after spiritual Truth has known for at least 4,000 years: to be remarkably connected to the radical, unconventional Spirit of the one One Jesus called "Father" is a matter of many very minor decisions on a regular basis over a long period of time - decisions that can be made by anyone with even a slightly honest soul, decisions that change the very way our muscles twitch and our nerve synapses fire.

Christian "faith" as a mere rhetorical covering for some political agenda? ...as a bumper sticker-like excuse to be willfully disobedient but still "forgiven" and "bound for heaven"? ...as a way for preachers to manipulate willingly naive followers who just want to give their money and be done with it? ...as a righteous standard of behavior that turns to mere joyless and hypocritical legalism?

Escape from it all - through the shared journey of one who took the New Testament seriously. I can recommend *nothing* more eagerly.