Renovation of the Heart, Ch. 1

This chapter lays an excellent albeit obscure foundation for the chapters to come. The central premise is this: Everyone is in a process of spiritual formation – “Spiritual formation, without regard to any specifically religious context or tradition, is the process by which the human spirit or will is given definite “form” or character. It is a process that happens to everyone. The most despicable as well as the most admirable of persons have had a spiritual formation. Terrorists as well as saints are the outcome of spiritual formation. Their spirits have been formed. Period.” Renovation of the Heart, p. 19. Because that is true, we can tap into God’s ways of living that will produce joy and peace (Gal. 5) no matter our circumstances (Philippians 4:4-13). The telos (to borrow from Virtue Ethics as Willard most certainly does) is to be centered on God Himself. So, from this point Willard promises to offer a methodological path of recovery; a spiritual formation that humans can and must undertake as individuals and in fellowship with other believers.