The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God

Very disappointing. The forward promised much and and the book has garnered wide praise. I found this to be poorly argued, when argued at all rather than simply asserted, lacking coherence, rambling and often either trite or simply false. I am not sure when I saw quite so many logical fallacies produced in one space. Strawmen are knocked down right and left, the obvious presented as great insight, appeals to authority--trust me on this one. I could go on but won't. I note a number of reviewer found it to be complex reading; perhaps because they could not understand they assumed it was because it was over their head and possibly brilliant as opposed to simply nonsensical? The occasional nuggets of truth and sense were not worth wading show more through the rest. show less

About all I can say is, "WOW!"

Never before have I got less than half-way through an audio book and said to myself "I have got to get a dead tree version of this for future reference"

I got this from a used book sale at the local library and based on the title I had a completely different idea of what this book was about. What I got was a deep edifying look at life as a disciple of Christ in the 21st century.

I "had" to stop reading this several times because it was very challenging that it "made" me feel like I'm not a very good Christian.

I ended up with 4.5 rather than 5 stars because I think he may have gone off the rails at the end with his discussion of the life after death

Great and reread-worthy. Highly recommended for preachers and teachers in the church, especially for these topics: the Kingdom heart of Jesus' Gospel as he preached and taught it; the Sermon on the Mount; theology and practice of Christian discipleship; spiritual disciplines; loving God with all your heart and *mind.* You really could get solid, Scriptural text-based sermon series on each of these (and more) pretty easily.

Be warned, though: it is a dense and long read. I read paper but recommended a friend get the audiobook, because that can help pull you along.

It's a classic, but this book is blowing my mind and giving me a lot to think about and rethink when it comes to what it means to live the Christian life. It's rich and deep, so don't try to go through it quickly.

The Kingdom of the Heavens is not then and there, but here and now. Jesus’ radical reordering of society in His ‘sermon on the mount,’ offers a sustained and penetrating look into this new reality. Willard provides a methodical and immensely practical examination of this profound sermon. Although at times drifting into questionable exegesis, Willard’s central thesis is rock solid. In particular, Willard’s explanation of the Kingdom of God and discipleship make this a must-read. A-

A long, sometimes complex and overall very thought-provoking book. The theme is understanding the Kingdom of God, with us now. Readers are encouraged to take Jesus seriously, and the first few chapters enlarge on the Sermon on the Mount, with an entire chapter devoted to the Beatitudes.

I only read a few pages each day, with some breaks, so it took me a long time to finish; if I was tired, I found it quite difficult to read. Yet the overall feel is both encouraging and challenging, and the final chapter - on what we might expect after leaving our earthly bodies behind - one of the best I have read on the topic.

A book I hope to read again before too long, and one which I would recommend to anyone interested in knowing more about the show more Christian life.

Somewhat longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-divine-conspiracy-by-dallas-wil... show less

If you are a Christian and want to take in something that will challenge you to live a radically Christlike life, then this is one book you must read. Willard, a professor of philosophy at USC, uses the Sermon on the Mount of Matthew 5-7 as the basis for this 1997 work that is already widely recognized in evangelical circles as a classic in the genre of Christian spiritual formation. He gives practical, concrete teaching on living as subjects of the King in the “kingdom of the heavens” (Willard’s preferred rendering of the Greek). While his understanding of Christian theology at times seems to be influenced more by Plato than Moses – and this is a shortcoming in my opinion – he skillfully explains discipleship in terms of show more present kingdom realities. His “curriculum for Christlikeness” (chapter 9) is worth the price of the book alone.

Willard’s syntax is sometimes complex, even cumbersome, which means it may not be the easiest reading for some. However, those willing to work slowly and carefully through the book, as I did, will enjoy an abundant feast of spiritual nourishment. There is an ample index and a wealth of endnotes. show less