The Allure of Gentleness

The revered Christian author whose bestselling classics include The Divine Conspiracy and The Spirit of the Disciplines provides a new model for how we can present the Christian faith to others.

When Christians share their faith, they often appeal to reason, logic, and the truth of doctrine. But these tactics often are not effective. A better approach to spread Christ’s word, Dallas Willard suggests, is to use the example of our own lives. To demonstrate Jesus’s message, we must be transformed people living out a life reflective of Jesus himself, a life of love, humility, and gentleness.

This beautiful model of life—this allure of gentleness—Willard argues, is the foundation for making the most compelling argument for Christianity, one that will convince others that there is something special about Christianity and the Jesus we follow.

In his final work, Willard lays out a framework for this life-based witness:

• Answering Hard Questions: Move beyond intellectual debates to address the honest doubts about pain, evil, and God’s nature that burden believers and seekers alike.
• Reason and Faith: Discover how to love God with your mind, using reason not as a weapon, but as a God-given tool to gently lead others toward truth.
• A New Model for Evangelism: Learn why a life transformed by love, humility, and gentleness is the most compelling and effective argument for the Christian faith.
• A Personal Relationship with God: Explore what it means to truly live and act with God, learning to hear His voice and interact with Him in the daily moments of your existence.