A review by theologiaviatorum
The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus's Essential Teachings on Discipleship by Dallas Willard

informative fast-paced

3.75

This is the most popular level of all Willard's works I've read. This book is not written as its own whole but is a collection of lectures, sermons, interviews, etc. This prohibits him from developing themes in a more nuanced or technical way but it also means that he is forced to simplify and get to the heart of the matter this creating an easier more accessible read. It also means, however, that a lot of the material is repeated. Here you get classic Willard. "Grace is not opposed to effort; It is opposed to earning. Effort is an action. Earning is an attitude." Or "Some are vampire Christians—they just want a little of Jesus' blood." Or again, "Disciplines are deeds within our power that make it possible to do things which are not presently in our power." For those who feel overwhelmed by his more technical "The Spirit of the Disciplines" or his much larger and much more intimidating "Divine Conspiracy," this works as a good introduction to his thought. Perhaps no one is more responsible in our time for reintroducing Protestant churches to the spiritual disciplines and the transformative power of God's Spirit whom we meet there.