by Dallas Willard and Don Simpson

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review by Nathan Neiman

FANS OF Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy or Renovation of the Heart will greet the announcement of Revolution of Character with enthusiasm. But if the reader expects Revolution of Character to be brand-new material from Willard, be braced for dashed hopes. The material is neither new nor was it written by Willard. Revolution of Character is a distillation of Renovation of the Heart, with the entire text being composed by editor Don Simpson. (Simpson has produced a “Cliffs Notes–type version” of Renovation of the Heart.) After that disappointment, you will find Revolution of Character to be a practical guide for immediate application. The result is an easily accessible, user-friendly version of the longer work, but without any notable enhancement.

The slender volume urges the pursuit of spiritual formation. According to Simpson, “Spiritual formation for the Christian refers to the Holy Spirit-driven process of forming the inner world of the human self in such a way that it becomes like the inner being of Christ himself.…Transformation is possible because our inner being is an orderly realm where, even in the disorder of its brokenness, God has provided a methodical path of recovery....” Directing the reader along this “methodical path of recovery” is Simpson's primary objective.

Precisely following Renovation of the Heart, Simpson writes that life is composed of: (1) thoughts, (2) feelings, (3) heart (also called spirit or will), (4) physical body, (5) social context, and the integration of these to form (6) the soul. “At this moment, the dimension of you that is running your life is your soul. Not external circumstances, not your thoughts, not your intentions, not even your feelings, but your soul. The soul is that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates and enlivens everything going on in the various dimensions of your self....It lies almost totally beyond conscious awareness.”

“In a person with a ‘well-kept heart,' the soul is properly ordered under God and in harmony with reality.” By contrast, a “lost soul” is a condition where “our whole life is no longer under the direction of our inner stream of life because it has been taken over by exteriors....Reconnected to the Spirit of God, lost souls discover they have power and capacity beyond anything they could have dreamed. The restoration of soul is more than a recovery of connectedness. Significant strength, ability to achieve, guidance and awareness are imparted.…The soul, if it can only acknowledge its wounded condition, manifests amazing capacities for recovery when it receives God's grace.”

Starting with our thought life, Simpson admonishes: “The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to choose what we let our minds dwell on.…We first turned away from God in our thoughts, so it is in our thought life that we must ignite the revolution of our character. In our thoughts dwell powerful ideas, images, and information—and these three things will become crucial in our pursuit of spiritual transformation.”

In like manner, each of the six components is thoughtfully discussed. Simpson follows Willard's VIM approach by: casting a Vision of the transformed component, by inspiring the reader to form an Intention to seek transformation, and finally by coaching the reader toward the Means of transformation. He urges the reader to assume personal responsibility for spiritual formation while cautioning that the quest is impossible without God's power. “The human soul utterly depends on its unique spiritual relationship with God for its very life—whether it is aware of this dependence or not.…God is the only restorer of souls.” He encourages silence, solitude, and spiritual retreat.

Simpson instructs that: “Life must be organized by the heart, if it is to be organized at all. It can be pulled together only from the inside.…A great part of the disaster of contemporary life lies in the fact that it is organized around our human feelings, not around God.”

If you think this sounds too cerebral, think again, because Simpson imparts a devotional quality to Revolution of Character that is introspective and convicting. Revolution of Character is more than brain food; it's soul food.

The entire presentation is well supported by Scripture. Each short chapter concludes with provocative questions, making this book ideal for personal study, mentoring, and small group discussion. Endnotes are helpful, but not abundant.

This is an exceptional book for those seeking a deeper, fuller life in God.

The bottom line is this: I read Revolution of Character twice; I plan to read it again.

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