The Martin Institute & the Dallas Willard Research Center (MIDWRC) at Westmont College honored two IVP titles as finalists for the 2026 Dallas Willard Book Award. The recognized books include From Aristotle to Christ by Louis Markos and Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus by David Scott Ripper.
The annual Dallas Willard Book Award was created in 2015 to help place an enduring emphasis on the intellectual legacy of Willard by recognizing original work that furthers Dallas’s views of reality, knowledge, and Christian spiritual formation.
“We are grateful for the continuing legacy of Dallas Willard and the work of the Martin Institute & the Dallas Willard Research Center in keeping his influence at the forefront of research and publishing,” said Cindy Bunch, senior editor-at-large and IVP Formatio editor. “It’s gratifying to see these awards honoring both new books that delve into Willard’s teaching explicitly as well as recognition of scholars who publish more broadly in the related fields of philosophy and Christian formation.”
From Aristotle to Christ: How Aristotelian Thought Clarified the Christian Faith, also honored as a Credo Book Award winner, offers a journey through the work of Plato’s greatest student. Louis, a renowned scholar, demonstrates Aristotle’s often unacknowledged influence on the Christian faith. In Markos’s hands, Aristotle is far from an irrelevant ancient philosopher but is instead an important conversation partner for some of history’s greatest Christian thinkers and a thoughtful guide to today’s most challenging questions.
“The beauty of Louis Markos’s book is the way he introduces the novice to the wisdom of Aristotle to better equip Christianity with a defense of its foundational commitments,” said Matthew Barrett, research professor of theology at Trinity Anglican Seminary and author of The Reformation as Renewal. “In a secular age prone to skepticism, what student can afford not to read Markos and consider the myriad ways Aristotle can clarify what we believe and why?”
Markos is professor of English and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University, where he holds the Robert H. Ray Chair in Humanities. His many books include From Achilles to Christ, From Plato to Christ, Passing the Torch, and his most recent, My Apologetics Dinner Party.
Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus: Reading the Bible like Dallas Willard offers a unique pathway to deeper spiritual engagement, using Willard’s revolutionary approach to reading the Bible. Using primary source material and insights from Willard, Dave Ripper takes you on an immersive exploration of Scripture that mirrors the intellect of a philosopher and the heart of a mystic.
John Ortberg, founder of BecomeNew.com, said, “Dallas Willard has had a remarkable impact on an inordinate portion of the church. In this book, Dave Ripper helps guide us through how to not only read but also be shaped by the Scriptures that contain unique power to illumine the human condition.”
Jane Willard and Rebecca Willard Heatley, wife and daughter of Dallas Willard, said, “What a joy to see Dallas’s contagious love of Scripture spread to Dave Ripper and lead to his helpful method of seeking the living God ‘upon the sacred page.’ Thank you, Dave!”
Ripper is the lead pastor of Crossway Christian Church, a multi-congregational church in southern New Hampshire, focused on spiritual formation. He earned a doctor of ministry in spiritual direction from Fuller Theological Seminary and the Martin Institute & the Dallas Willard Research Center at Westmont College. He is coauthor of The Fellowship of the Suffering and serves as the chaplain for the Boston Bruins.
The Martin Institute and Dallas Willard Research Center, established at Westmont in 2011, assist Christian individuals and organizations in pursuing spiritual and moral transformation modeled after Christ.
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Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church, and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. For more information, visit ivpress.com.
