Dallas Willard to Talk About 'How God is With Us'

Dallas Willard, professor of philosophy at USC, discusses “How God is With Us? How We Can Know It?” during a Mayterm lecture Thursday, May 26, at 7 p.m. in Westmont’s Porter Theatre (map). The lecture, sponsored by the Westmont Office of the Provost and the Office of the President, is free and open to the public.

Willard has taught at USC since 1965, where he was director of the School of Philosophy from 1982-1985. He also taught at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, 1960-1965), and has held visiting appointments at UCLA (1969) and the University of Colorado (1984). He has written many spiritual formation books including “Renovation of the Heart,” “The Spirit of the Disciplines” and “The Divine Conspiracy.”

At Westmont’s graduation ceremony May 7, Willard delivered the Commencement address, imploring the 341 graduates to remember who they are. “You are an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God’s great universe,” he said to the more than 4,000 in attendance at Russell Carr Field. “When you seize that truth and put it into practice, you are living eternally in the moment.”

The lecture follows the recent announcement that Gary W. Moon, executive vice president/provost and professor of psychology and spirituality at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, will be the first director of the Martin Family Institute and Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation at Westmont.

“I believe history will judge the life and writings of Dallas Willard to be among the truly exceptional contributions of our generation,” Moon said.