Scott Smith on “The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge”

In November, Biola’s Scott Smith released a paper on Dallas Willard’s Disappearance of Moral Knowledge (DMK) which seeks to contribute to ongoing discussion on Dallas’ posthumously published work.

Scott’s paper is titled, “A Spiritual Issue with the ‘Disappearance of Moral Knowledge.”

Dallas argues that due to various philosophical and institutional factors, we have lost a body of moral knowledge in the West. Scott’s paper considers one institution, the church, and a related, spiritual aspect to the loss of moral knowledge. The paper then explores what Christians can do about that particular aspect.

The full-text of Scott’s paper is available for FREE by clicking here. For more of Scott Smith’s reflection on Dallas Willard, see his remarks at the EPS blog.

Discount Expires: 12/31/19

Scott’s paper raises important issues about how we not only think about the “disappearance” of moral knowledge but the role of the church under the authority of  the Holy Spirit to help ‘recover’ moral and spiritual knowledge in our society today. While Dallas’ DMK, as a single monograph, does not address the role of the church or the Spirit, such factors were close to Dallas’ heart and mind as he wrote extensively about the “disappearance” problem beyond his posthumously published book. Thus, Scott’s paper encourage us to read the DMK in light of Dallas’ other relevant texts (e.g., Knowing Christ Today, The Divine Conspiracy Continued).

Your comments on Scott’s paper are welcome here at the EPS blog. If you are a reader of Dallas’ Disappearance of Moral Knowledge, we welcome your additional papers about the book and its importance (please contact here with your interests).

To learn more about The Disappearance of Moral Knowledge, please visit DWillard.org and also learn more about the Moral Knowledge Initiative being led by Dallas Willard Ministries. The EPS website provides additional contributions on Dallas’ work, along with contributions to his DMK.