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Renewing the Imagination (eBook)

by Steve Hays

in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats

Steve Hays' Renewing the Imagination is a compelling exploration of the intersection between Christian faith and creative expression. This book considers how the Christian imagination is both influenced by and influences various forms of art, literature, and media, including nature, poetry, novels, movies, and even video games. Hays masterfully examines this cross-pollination, presenting a rich tapestry of references from Milton’s Paradise Lost to C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, and beyond.

The book is structured into numerous essays, each exploring different aspects of this interplay. Highlights include "Echoes of Eden," which looks at the representation of paradise in literature and art, and "The Christian Frame Tale," where Hays discusses the theological implications of narrative structures that mirror the Christian worldview. Other notable essays analyze the works of Lewis, Tolkien, and other authors, emphasizing their roles as mythmakers and their contributions to the Christian literary tradition.

What makes Renewing the Imagination particularly engaging is Hays' ability to weave together scholarly analysis with a deep appreciation for the arts. His insights are both profound and accessible, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how faith and creativity can enrich each other. Whether you are a theologian, a lover of literature, or simply someone seeking to deepen your understanding of the Christian imagination, this book offers valuable perspectives that will inspire and challenge you to see the world through a renewed lens.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Eden

From Ash Wednesday to the Four Quartets

The Christian frame tale

Lewis: Christian mythmaker

The wood between the worlds

Myth and magic in The Chronicles of Narnia

Dawn Treader

The Magician's Nephew

Touring Perelandra

Merlin in That Hideous Strength

Out of the wardrobe

Flight from normality

Theophany

Milton's flawed masterpiece

Paradise Lost

Racine

The Tempest

The Divine comedy

The Song of Roland

Bunyan

Lord of the Rings

Cordwainer Smith

Types of fiction

Scripture and commentary

God in the coma

Ship in a bottle

Dust motes from heaven

In retrospect

Music, dreams, and architecture

Ersatz heaven

A lifetime at the movies

All our yesterdays

"Marvel movies aren't cinema"

The Western

Recovering lost opportunities

Harsh Realm

Oh the horror!

A good movie in a bad movie

Film noir hell

Interpretive levels

Heroes and villains

A flawed masterpiece

The aesthetics of evil

Source Code

The Ninth Gate

Tron 2

Tombstone

Was blind but now I see

Merlin

Inception

Rubicon

Into the Wild

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God

Pandora

Where the Wild Things Are

Knowing

The zombie apocalypse

Let Me In

The Hunger

Wolves, werewolves, and demons

Vampirism, original sin, and redemption

Evolution of the vampire mythos

Monsters

I Am Legend

Pumpkinhead

Tragicomedy

What makes some women glorious?

Beowulf

Interplanetary politics

The Wonderful Visit

What makes the LOTR movies better than the Narnia movies?

Why Lewis wrote fiction

Films for boys

Kitschy flicks

By Topic

Joy

By Scripture

Old Testament

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

New Testament

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation

By Author

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