Becoming Dallas Willard: The Formation of a Philosopher, Teacher, and Christ Follower

"I knew Dallas Willard very well. He supervised my dissertation at USC, and upon graduation in 1985, he and Jane seemed to adopt my wife and me as their children. Those who did not know Dallas in person can get a good sense of him from his lectures and writings. But what has been a gnawing omission is the details of his life made available to the public—until now. Gary Moon’s incredible book Becoming Dallas Willard fills this void and more. It is a first-rate, accurate, honest, timely, and riveting biography. If you enjoy Dallas’s lectures and writings, you need to read this book. I am so thankful to Gary for doing such a careful and painstakingly accurate treatment of the life of the greatest man I ever met."

"I will treasure this book for the rest of my life because Dallas is truly present in it."

"This is the best book I’ve read in a while—no exaggeration! I heartily recommend it, but with a warning wrapped in a prayer: get ready to weep, both in empathy for your friend’s suffering and in gratitude for the beautiful life God fashioned through it. The eyes are the window of the soul. Jesus’ ancient followers remind us that tears are a gift that cleans the window and allows light to flood the inner self. I’m a little brighter inside for having read this book. My prayer is that our Father may grant you the same gift through these pages."

"Gary Moon has provided a detailed and intimate depiction of the life of Dallas Willard from his inauspicious beginnings in rural Missouri to his full stature as a philosophical and spiritual thinker of extraordinary intelligence, wisdom, and clarity. In addition to sharing numerous and often heart-rending stories of Dallas’s accomplishments, setbacks, and defining experiences, Moon describes the development of Willard’s philosophical and religious thought and how it informed, and was informed by, his experiences and actions. What emerges is a well-rounded description of a man whose humility, immense knowledge, commitment to truth, and dedication to the well-being of others left those whose lives he touched forever improved. This is the story of a good man, and we are indebted to Gary Moon for telling it."

"An exceptional thinker and person whose work and example had a profound influence on so many, Dallas Willard was one of the truly wise men I have known. Gary Moon has written an engaging biography of this philosopher, university professor, and religious thinker who, though an ordinary man of the people, had an extraordinary impact. Moon weaves together the intriguing details of Willard’s life, career, ideas, and writings to present an engaging portrait of a philosopher who made a real difference in our understanding of our times, in the lives of his students, for his many readers, and especially for those of us who were fortunate enough to know and work with him."

"The Willard wit and charm appear on nearly every page of this edifying book. Those who knew Dallas well will learn more besides, much of it truly captivating. Gary Moon manages to weave what is anecdotally interesting with what is spiritually compelling, and the whole thing is layered with philosophical richness without which there would be no Dallas Willard. "

"I think many people will surprised, encouraged and, yes, pained by Dallas’s journey. Still, this is a story that will prolong his important legacy."

"Only a man of Gary Moon’s astute perspective, intellectual acumen, and spiritual insight could write a biography that accomplishes what most don’t. Becoming Dallas Willard combines Dallas’s ordinary but compelling life events with a thoughtful grasp of Willard’s intellectual journey through spirituality, philosophy, and psychology. This is a rare accomplishment for a biographer, but reading this story has a third benefit beyond knowledge and understanding, which is the ability to change us as readers. Moon’s words can move us so deeply that we are not just reading a book, but participating in our own personal transformation. This is an amazing biography for a time such as ours."

"‘Dallas was a wonderfully disruptive presence in the world,’ may be the best description of the man whose theology has helped all of us understand and experience God and his kingdom in clear, hopeful, and magnificent ways. But Dallas’s humanity was, to me, as strong a draw to him as his mind. Gary has managed to capture both the brilliance and the brokenness of Dallas, and I think the weaving of those two threads together is what God used to shape this most unique and winsome of men. This story is ministering to some of the most broken and wounded parts of my soul."

"C. S. Lewis once wrote, ‘no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has ever been recorded of the greatest saints is beyond what He [God] is determined to produce in every one of us in the end.’ In Becoming Dallas Willard, Dr. Gary Moon presents in narrative a developing portrait of a modern saint, a man who both believed and lived the sober truth that real change is possible for all of us. Gratefully, Gary does not write a hagiographic account of one great man’s life that awakens desire to become a truly good person but frustrates us with no idea of what to do. I intend to reread what Dallas wrote. His thoughts just might light the path to where I long to go."