Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
Week 5: Chapter 4 — The Mind and Its Transformation
Read Chapter 4 of Renovation of the Heart. Key passages: Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:5.
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What we think about shapes who we are — Willard's chapter on the mind is a call to stop letting our thought life be formed by accident and start governing it with intention.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Willard defines the mind as including not just conscious thoughts but also our images, patterns of thinking, information, and what he calls our 'orientation' — the deep framework through which we interpret everything. Before this chapter, how did you think of the mind in relation to spiritual formation?
2.He argues that the 'renewal of the mind' in Romans 12:2 is not a one-time event but an ongoing, active process. What does it look like in practice to have your mind continually renewed? What things most powerfully shape your mental world right now?
3.Willard is quite specific that images — the mental pictures and scenarios we entertain — are a crucial battleground for spiritual formation. He draws on the biblical category of 'imagination.' How do you think images (from media, memory, fantasy) shape your spiritual condition more than you typically acknowledge?
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