Mind Games

TBC: Our thanks to the individual who drew our attention to this:

In his book, "Hearing God," Dallas Willard has an entire chapter entitled "The Word of God and the Rule of God." Some of the sub-headings: "Creation by Words: Gods and Ours," "Words in the Kingdom of God," "This Power Given to Human Beings."

Dallas states in this chapter "What is amiss with a universe in which reality responds to a word? What is wrong with a universe in which reality responds to thoughts and intentions? Surely we live in precisely such a universe. But our faith does not normally rise to believing it - at least not to the extent to which it is true. In part, no doubt, our skepticism comes from the fact that we often speak words unaccompanied by faith and authority. Such words do not have the effect on reality that words laden with faith, spoken in the fulfillment of an authoritative role, do have" (p 130).

He goes on to state a few pages later "Today with the return of the charismata, the gifts of the Spirit, to prominence across all denominational boundaries, multitudes of disciples once again dare to speak in the name of Jesus to the needs and dangers that confront them . . . . This is to be expected as we grow in our confidence that reality -- including the material world -- is ultimately a kingdom in which authority, personal relationship and communication are basic to the way things run. We have, of course, much still to learn" (p 135).

It is interesting to note that one of Dr. Willard's research interests is metaphysics.

[TBC: It seems that Dr. Willard shares some common beliefs with the word faith movement, and, by extension metaphysical teachings. Theosophy, Religious Science, Christian Science, and word faith teachings overlap. Consider this comment by Kenneth Copeland: "Faith is a spiritual force....It is substance. Faith has the ability to effect natural substance" Kenneth Copeland, "Forces of the Recreated Human Spirit," 1982, 8.]