The Divine Conspiracy Continued - by Dallas Willard & Gary Black (Paperback)

About the Book

Dallas Willard, the author of the bestselling spiritual classic, The Divine Conspiracy, now fulfills his revolutionary vision of how the kingdom of God is made real on earth in this sequel, the last book he was working on before his recent death.

In The Divine Conspiracy, revered Christian philosopher and scholar Dallas Willard critiqued the church's obsession with "sin management" and revolutionized our understanding of true Christian discipleship. Jesus is not a remote savior, waiting to welcome us into heaven after we die, Willard argued. He is a dynamic living force, a leader and teacher to whom we apprentice ourselves to learn the sacred skills God wants us to embrace, and to fulfill His son's vision when Christ declared that the "kingdom of God has come."

In The Divine Conspiracy Continued, co-written with theologian Gary Black, Willard lays out the next stage in God's plan as this generation of disciples, including ordained and lay leaders, step into positions of authority across our culture and begin to transform the world from the inside out. To fulfill the Christian calling is not to remove oneself from the outside world and take shelter from its shortcomings, Willard reminds us, but to step into the world to lead and serve as agents of change.

Book Synopsis

Dallas Willard, the author of the bestselling spiritual classic, The Divine Conspiracy, now fulfills his revolutionary vision of how the kingdom of God is made real on earth in this sequel, the last book he was working on before his recent death.

In The Divine Conspiracy, revered Christian philosopher and scholar Dallas Willard critiqued the church's obsession with "sin management" and revolutionized our understanding of true Christian discipleship and spiritual formation. Jesus is not a remote savior, waiting to welcome us into heaven after we die, Willard argued. He is a dynamic living force, a leader and teacher to whom we apprentice ourselves to learn the sacred skills God wants us to embrace, and to fulfill His son's vision when Christ declared that the "kingdom of God has come."

In The Divine Conspiracy Continued, co-written with theologian Gary Black, Willard lays out the next stage in God's plan as this generation of disciples, including ordained and lay leaders, step into positions of authority across our culture and begin to transform the world from the inside out. To fulfill the Christian calling through servant leadership is not to remove oneself from the outside world and take shelter from its shortcomings, Willard reminds us, but to step into the world to lead and serve as agents of change, equipped with a deep understanding of moral knowledge.

This final work from a beloved teacher offers a practical blueprint for leaders ready to transform their sphere of influence:

• Christian Ethics in Practice: Move beyond theory to see how the kingdom of God reshapes leadership in business, law, medicine, and ministry.
• A Vision for the Common Good: Discover a Christ-centered framework for making decisions that foster shalom and true human flourishing in our communities.
• For Pastors and Lay Leaders: Bridge the sacred-secular divide and equip the saints--in the pulpit and the boardroom--for the real work of the ministry.
• Discipleship to Jesus: Learn what it means to be an apprentice to the Master, not just a believer in a religion, and become a true agent of change from the inside out.

From the Back Cover

God's Plan for Leaders

Dallas Willard's bestselling book The Divine Conspiracy revolutionized how we understand Christian discipleship. Jesus is not a remote savior, waiting for us in heaven after we die, Willard taught, but a leader and teacher to whom we apprentice ourselves to fulfill what Jesus had in mind when he declared that the "kingdom of God has come." In The Divine Conspiracy Continued, Willard and theologian Gary Black Jr. lay out the next stage in God's plan as this generation's disciples enter into positions of leadership and transform the world from the inside out. Christians are not called to protect themselves from the world but to step into the world to lead and serve, and in doing so, bring the kingdom of God to earth.

Review Quotes

"Divine Conspiracy, [Willard's] most famous study, showed how a kingdom theology oriented Christians toward such a spiritual formation process of transformation into Christlikeness. . . . The Divine Conspiracy Continued takes his divine conspiracy theory into the public realm, [specifically] into the realm of leadership and influence." - --Scot McKnight, Jesus Creed

"Helps us know better how leaders can mobilize as disciples of Christ to renew truth and justice within the modern world. Don't miss this book." - Greg Forster, author of Joy for the World

"Dallas once said 'True social activists are those who live as apprentices of Jesus in their ordinary relationships.' While many try to change society by laws, Willard and Black illustrate that changing society requires leaders, in every area of life, to live a Christ-like life." - Ihab Beblawi, M.D.

"An invaluable resource that can help pastors enter more fully into their congregation's world and discover together the wisdom of Jesus and the way to real life." - Mike Lueken, coauthor of Renovation of the Church

"I know of no more important voice on spiritual truth in our day than that of Dallas Willard. To be able to receive fresh words from him along with Gary Black on the reality of the kingdom in our midst is a priceless gift to every follower of Jesus." - John Ortberg, author of Who Is This Man?

"The Divine Conspiracy shaped an entire generation. Now Willard and Black have turned their attention to leaders becoming Christ-like disciples instead of institutionalized church members . . . reshaping our thinking at an even wider and deeper level." - Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary

"For every follower of Christ who seeks to be a light in and through every vocational and professional arena of contemporary life. Willard and Black tell us all how we can live truly significant lives in God's Kingdom--now." - Bob Buford, author of Halftime and Drucker & Me

"Willard and Black offer leaders a hopeful vision that steers the wobbly structures of this world onto the road of love, justice, and truth." - Richard Swenson, M.D., author of Margin

"Willard and Black have given us a prophetic writing, so bold that if embraced and embodied might just produce a Christian community that actually is 'salt and light' to a world in desperate need of it!" - Keith J. Matthews, Azusa Pacific University

"Good, new, surprising, and challenging ideas at every turn." - Robert F. Cochran, Jr., Pepperdine University School of Law

"A fantastic book ... a grand masterpiece for how to pursue and embrace personal transformation in order to be God's transforming agents in the world. These pages are filled with the great themes that call us to pursue and embrace the with-God life that is life indeed." - Gayle Beebe, President, Westmont College

"I consider The Divine Conspiracy to be the most important book in the field of Christian spirituality written in my lifetime. In The Divine Conspiracy Continued Dallas Willard and Gary Black Jr. expand and enrich the themes that moved us so deeply." - Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline

"The name 'Dallas Willard' is one you hear a lot in our house. He's somewhere between a family member and a saint to us, as we've been so deeply, totally shaped by his words and ideas. I'm so thankful for this beautiful book." - Shauna Niequist, author of Bread & Wine

"I will return to [this book's] teachings again and again. May the Kingdom come!" - Joseph Maciariello, The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University

"For those of us who desire to influence the culture in a distinctively Christian way, this is must reading." - JP Moreland, author of The Kingdom Triangle