Knowing Christ Today:
Why We Can Trust
Spiritual Knowledge

This book deals with the disastrous effects of divorcing the teachings of Jesus Christ and his people from the domain of human knowledge. Its aim is to reposition the substantial teachings of Christianity ("Mere" Christianity) as a body of knowledge in the contemporary world. In the process it explains what knowledge is, as compared to belief, commitment and profession, and clarifies the difference it makes whether or not an area of thought and practice is regarded as an area of knowledge. Then it proceeds to deal with some of the most basic points of Christian teaching from the viewpoint of knowledge.

It is Dr. Willard's hope that this book will put those who practice Christian discipleship in a different and much stronger position, and that it will be helpful for all areas of education, but especially for Christian schools, colleges and universities.

From the Preface:
I should alert the reader to the fact that this is not a devotional book, and that it will require considerable mental effort to understand. This lies in the nature of the problems to be dealt with. I have tried to ease the pain as much as possible. One effect of the displacement of faith from knowledge, which we are dealing with in this book, is that many people now believe you do not need to think deeply and carefully to follow Christ. C. S. Lewis has a very penetrating comment to make about this matter: "God has room for people with very little sense, but He wants every one to use what sense they have. The proper motto is not 'Be good, sweet maid, and let who can be clever,' but 'Be good, sweet maid, and don't forget that this involves being as clever as you can.' God is no fonder of intellectual slackers than of any other slackers. If you are thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you you are embarking on something which is going to take the whole of you, brains and all…. One reason why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself." (From Mere Christianity)

240 pages, hardcover. Available at ChristianBook.com, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com.

The unabridged audio book (10 hours) is available from christianaudio.com, where you can also LISTEN to a 3 minute preview of the book.

The audio copy of "Knowledge of Christ in Today's World" mentioned in the acknowledgments of the book can be found at Heart, Mind and Soul.

 

 

The difference between belief and knowledge is huge and affects every area of life. Not having knowledge of the central truths of Christianity is certainly one reason for the great disparity between what Christians profess and how they behave—a well-known and disturbing phenomenon.
  
     
 

 
 
Materialism & Personality OR: What Physics Can't Do
 
 
Language, Being, God, and the Three Stages of Theistic Evidence
     
 
 

  Okoboji Lakes Bible and Missionary Conference :
  Dr. Willard will be participating in a portion of this conference which marks the 75th Anniversary of its founding by R.R. Brown. Full conference dates are July 31 - August 9.
Information and Schedule
Arnolds Park, IA
8/3/2009
     
  Bel Air Presbyterian Church :
  Sunday Morning Adult Sunday School Class, 10:30 a.m.
Church Information
Bel Air, CA
9/13/2009
     
 
 
Fellowship and Study Opportunities

If your church or fellowship group is participating in the Curriculum for Christlikeness series above or studying the concepts in one of Dr. Willard's books in another way, we'd like to help you spread the word to others in your area. Send information about your meetings to Feedback@dwillard.org, including the dates, time and location of your meetings. We'll post these in our Resources section under Fellowship and Study Opportunities.

Please note: We receive many requests for correspondence with Dr. Willard. Unfortunately, the volume of requests for his involvement or correspondence and his increased speaking and travel schedule have caused us to acknowledge that a personal response to each request is no longer feasible. Please accept our apologies.