What does the imagination have to do with being human? What does it mean to be made in the image of the Creator? Is the imagination an ‘idol making faculty’ designed for us to live in false realities of our own making? Or might the imagination have a more substantive role in figuring out ‘the good life’, or what it means to be human?
On Thursday, 15 June 2023 at 1400 UTC, Dr Ted Turnau, Chair of Journalism and Media Studies at the Anglo-American University in Prague, Czech Republic, will take a deep dive into what the imagination is, what it is for, and what it has to do with living a full human life.
Dr Turnau will argue that a life of faith depends on the imagination, or the ‘eyes of the heart’ (Eph. 1:18), being able to see and feel differently. Furthermore, we will explore the role of art and entertainment in the life of Christians as they seek to engage a post-Christian world. Dr Turnau maintains that if we wish to build bridges rather than reinforce the ‘Christian bubble’, we will learn how to plant ‘oases of imagination’, creative works that invite both Christians and non-Christians to have their imaginations refreshed, challenged, and renewed. Imagination is not a luxury, he argues, but an essential part of who we are and how we relate to the culture that surrounds us.
Set aside some time to engage in this important and often overlooked conversation on the importance and value of the human imagination by registering below.
In preparation for the webinar, consider the following resources:
- A review of Mako Fujimura’s Culture Care found in the Society’s Library
- A review of Calvin Seerveld’s Bearing Fresh Olive Leaves
- Chapter 1 of James K. A. Smith’s Imagining the Kingdom
