Re-Evangelizing the imagination -  This spring I had my first novel, The Spiral Bridge, published by Publish America. A sequel is scheduled to be published later this year. Many have asked how I got into novel writing. There’s probably no simple answer to that, but one of the things that intrigued me was a review on the back cover of Father Andrew M. Greely’s novel, The Bishop in the West Wing (Forge. July 2002), written by Archbishop Francis George of Chicago. Here’s what Cardinal George wrote:

 

“Father Greeley has given great attention to the role of imagination in the life of faith. What he is doing is re-evangelizing the imagination, using fiction to address the faith and the mysteries of the faith. That’s an extraordinarily significant project.”

 

That phrase, “re-evangelizing the imagination,” got my juices going. Immediately I began to think of the wildly popular Left Behind series by Tim LeHaye. Jerry Jenkins is actually writing the series, based upon LeHaye’s theology and book outlines. Please understand that I disagree radically with Dr. LeHaye’s pre-tribulationist end-times theology. However, what I refer to is his use of fiction to address his version of the Christian faith. His novels are influencing millions around the world.

 

All that leads me to make a proposal to Christian writers, novelists and artists of all kinds. I propose that we establish a network in which we encourage one another to do our part in carrying out the Great Commission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. I am particularly interested in developing a network of Lutheran Christian artists, although I am by no means confining myself to them. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact me. We need to be in contact with one another, perhaps over the internet to begin with, but maybe face to face at some future time. CrossTies would certainly be ready to facilitate these discussions on our forum pages to start with.

 

There are, of course, many prominent Christian authors of the past century and into the current. Here’s a partial list of some with whom I am familiar. My list is undoubtedly quite out of date. You may be able to help me update it.

 

Hoff, B.J. - Cloth of Heaven, Ashes and Lace
Holmes, Marjorie - Three From Galilee, The Messiah
Hunt, Angela E. - The Emerald Isle, Keepers of the Ring                                                                                                                                         Lewis, C.S. Out of the Silent Planet, Parelandra, That Hideous Strength, Narnia series                                                                                    MacDonald, George - The Princess and the Goblin, Salted with Fire
Marshall, Catherine - Christy, Julie
Maier, Paul – A Skeleton in God’s Closet, More Than a Skeleton
Miller, Elizabeth - Saul of Tarsus: A Tale of the Early Christians
Mitchell, Sara - In the Midst of Lions, A Deadly Snare
Morris, Gilbert - Through a Glass Darkly, Riches Untold
Moser, Nancy - The Invitation, The Quest
Myers, Bill - Eli, Fire of Heaven
Peretti, Frank - This Present Darkness, The Visitation
Rivers, Francine - The Atonement Child, The Scarlet Thread
Sienkiewicz, Henryk - Quo Vadis
Snelling, Lauraine - Class Act, Tender Mercies
Traylor, Ellen G. - Melchizedek, Samson, Song of Abraham
Wallace, Lew - Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Wangerin, Walter - The Book of the Dun Cow, Paul  

 

In seeking to understand what it means to “re-evangelize the imagination” in our day, I came across a book that I recently ordered. I cannot yet comment upon it one way or another, but it sounds quite interesting. Here’s what Eerdmanns says about it on their website:

 

The Strange New Word of the Gospel: Re-Evangelizing in the Postmodern World. Carl E. Braaten (editor), Robert W. Jenson (editor) 184 pages; Eerdmanns, 2002

 In today's postmodern culture many people are turning to religion, but they are not necessarily finding their way back to the church. Most unbelievers in America and other Western countries are “post-Christians.” Though baptized and brought up in a church, they no longer believe and practice the Christian faith. In such a time, the great challenge facing the church is re-evangelization.

This volume provides serious theological reflection on Christian missions within postmodern, post-Christian culture. Written by respected scholars representing the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions, these chapters point out elements of the gospel that will help the church speak effectively to contemporary society, particularly in the United States.

John Milbank examines the origins of postmodernity and suggests that belief in the incarnation will be accepted only when the church fully embraces (hetero)sexuality. Robert W. Jenson insists that the church must boldly uphold its distinctive beliefs in an otherwise pluralistic and relativistic age. David L. Schindler argues that our reductionist view of nature must be replaced with one that again sees God's presence in the world. R. R. Reno compares postmodernism's negation of truth claims to the weightless humanism of the Roman writer Petronius. Philip Turner maintains that Christians can effectively persuade others today only through their actions. Anthony Ugolnik believes that the gospel must now be “de-familiarized” in order to make it fresh once more. Todd E. Johnson traces the history of evangelism in America and locates a valid model for our time. Frank C. Senn questions the rise of the “seeker service,” defending instead a traditional liturgy that emphasizes the Trinity. Carl E. Braaten works to recover the full power of the church's missionary calling.

Suggesting startling approaches to Christian proclamation, this volume shows how “the strange new word” of the gospel can reawaken faith in the postmodern world news of God’s love in Christ to those who know nothing about the forgiveness and hope we have in him.

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My prayer is that as you read this newsletter you will join me in prayer for discovering new ways by which the arts may be used in creative ways to “re-evangelize the imagination” in our postmodern world