A Theology of the Imagination

The imagination, often neglected at various times in the Christian tradition, is enjoying a new renaissance in Christian thought, thanks to the work of thinkers like C.S. Lewis and the Inklings, musicians like Jeremy Begbie and Andrew Peterson, and artists like Makoto Fujimura and Bruce Herman. And yet, a proper theology of the imagination has remained elusive. We cherish it and are devoted to its use, but we do not really understand it.

Beyond this lack of conceptual clarity, there is also a practical difficulty: too often truths about the imagination remain disconnected from our encounter with the daily realities of family, worship, and work. Our hearts connect to the realms of the imagination, but we do not see how to use it to develop principles that can guide daily action and ground godly wisdom.

In this 12 week course, we will examine the imagination as a way of thinking, restoring it to its rightful place alongside reason as a way of processing the world. This deep dive into the structure, purpose, and functioning of the imagination builds on some of the best Christian thinking about the imagination while expanding it into new directions. This is the first step; from there, we will go on to consider how this way of thinking opens new possibilities for discernment (properly viewing the world and ourselves), worship, witness, and navigating the mundane.

Meetings will be conducted weekly over Zoom. Brief reading assignments will be drawn from C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald,  Bonaventure, John Paul II, G. K. Chesterton, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and others.

Class Structure:

Reading for Class: 30 pages / session (approximate)
Zoom Class Meetings: 12 sessions (2 hours each)

September 2 - November 25
Zoom class meetings: Saturdays, 9:00 - 11:00 am (CDT)

Note, the price  for this course is listed in Canadian Dollars. $549CAD = $409.13 USD. Scholarships are available. Email academics@juniusjohnson.com to apply.