Imagination makes possible empathy, the ability to assume the perspective of someone else. This allows us to “rejoice with those who rejoice,” ... SignIn Bibles Books Tracts Articles Donate Thisarticleispartofthe10ThingsYouShouldKnowseries. 1.Everyonehasanimagination. Theimaginationisnotsimplytheprovinceofartistsandchildren,sci-fibuffsandgamers.Itissimplytheabilityofthemindtothinkinpictures.Weuseourimaginationsallthetime,whetherwearedaydreaming,planning,remembering,ormeditating. 2.Imaginationisanimportantpowerofthehumanmind. Imaginationisafacetofthemindalongwithreason,emotions,andthewill.Memoryemploystheimaginationsothatwecanrecalleventsofthepast.Imaginationalsoallowsustocontemplateourlivesinthepresent.Italsoempowersustovisualizethefuture,whichisnecessaryforplanninganddecision-making. Thecreativeimagination—theabilitytoconceiveofsomethingthatdoesnotalreadyexist—isthesourceofartandinvention.Imaginationmakesreadingpossible,aswhattheauthorimagines,whetherastoryoranargument,isreplayedinthereader’smind. 3.ImaginationisafacetoftheimageofGod. ThehumanimaginationisnotonlyagreatgiftofGod;itisalsoanaspectoftheimageofGod.Hiscreativeimaginationissuchthathecreatedtheuniversefromnothing.Hismindperceivesthepast,thepresent,andthefuture.AndhisWord—initsconcreteness,initsfigurativeanddescriptivelanguage,andinthewayitaddressesthereader’simagination—showsthatGodhimselfimagines. ThehumanimaginationisnotonlyagreatgiftofGod;itisalsoanaspectoftheimageofGod. 4.Imaginationisimportantinlivingmorally. Imaginationmakespossibleempathy,theabilitytoassumetheperspectiveofsomeoneelse.Thisallowsusto“rejoicewiththosewhorejoice,”andto“weepwiththosewhoweep”(Romans12:15).Jesusisalsocallingforanimaginativeactwhenhetellsus“youshallloveyourneighborasyourself”(Matthew22:39). 5.Ourimaginationsarefallen. Liketheotherfacultiesofourminds—reason,emotions,thewill—thehumanimaginationisfallen.Beforetheflood,Godsawofmanthat“everyimaginationofthethoughtsofhisheartwasonlyevilcontinually”(Genesis6:5KJV). 6.Wesinwithourimaginations. SincetheFall,ourinnersinfulnessisexpressedinourimaginations.Sexualfantasies,forexample,constituteadulteryintheheart(Matthew5:28).Wealsosinwithourfantasiesofviolence,revenge,andotherillicittemptations.Thesinfulimaginationthusconstitutesamajorspiritualproblemtoday. 7.Imaginationisthesourceofidolatry. Oneofthecreationsofthefallenimaginationisnew“gods”throughwhomhumanbeingsshieldthemselvesfromthetrueGod(Acts27:9).Theserangefromthe“gravenimages”ofovertpaganismtotheabstractfalsehoodsofhumanly-devisedreligions. 8.Ourimaginationscanberedeemed. Ourimaginationsneedtobecultivatedanddisciplined.Butultimately,theyneedtoberedeemed.Christ’sdeathandresurrectiongivesusforgivenessandthepowertodietotheoldandlivetothenew.ImmersioninGod’sWord,whichdirectlyaddressesourimaginations,canbeanoccasionfortheHolySpirittobringthisredemption. ImaginationRedeemed GeneEdwardVeithJr., MatthewP.Ristuccia Exploringanoften-forgottenpartofthemind,theauthorsexaminebiblicalandhistoricalprecedentstohighlighttheimportanceoftheimaginationforknowingGod,understandingHisWord,andlivingintheworld. 9.Theimaginationisimportantforapologetics. Itisn’tjustthatmanypeopletodaydonotbelieveinGod,asiftheproblemweremerelywiththeirreason.TheyalsocannotimagineGod.Norcantheyimaginesuchvitalspiritualrealitiesasrighteousness,holiness,judgment,oreternallife. Worldviews,whetherfalseortrue,arealsoproductsoftheimagination,whichsynthesizesandappliesbeliefsandassumptions.Thematerialistworldview,forexample,haslittleroomformystery,wonder,ormeaning.Anapologeticwhichaddressestheimagination,aswellasreason,canopenthemindsofunbelieverstotruthsfarbeyondtheirlimitedconceptions. 10.TheChristianchurchhasarichimaginativelegacy. ThoughtheimaginationseemsneglectedincontemporaryChristianity,theologiansofthepast—suchasAugustine,Aquinas,andtheReformers—hadmuchtosayonthesubject.MeditationontheBible,aspracticedbythePuritansamongothers,includedvividlyimaginingwhattheScripturepassagewasdescribing. Inaddition,Christianartists,writers,andpreachershavegiventhechurch—aswellascivilizationasawhole—arichlegacyofimaginativeworksthatconveytheChristianworldviewinacompellingway.Christianstodaywoulddowelltodrawonthoseimaginativeresources,aspartofdisciplingtheirownimaginationsandtoequipthemselvestoaddtothatheritage.Boththechurchandtheworldwouldbenefitgreatly! MatthewP.Ristuccia(DMin,DallasTheologicalSeminary)hasservedastheseniorpastorofStoneHillChurchofPrincetonsince1985.Mattandhiswife,Karen,liveinPrinceton,NewJersey,andtheyhavetwosonsandthreegrandchildren. GeneEdwardVeith(PhD,UniversityofKansas)isprovostandprofessorofliteratureemeritusatPatrickHenryCollege.HepreviouslyworkedasthecultureeditorofWorldmagazine.Veithandhiswife,Jackquelyn,havethreegrownchildrenandsevengrandchildren. 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