Colourful hues from a single white

: the primacy of imagination and the affections for the Christian apologetic endeavour

Abstract

Historical precedence and contemporary practice seem to indicate that the majority of apologetic methodologies emphasise the role of reason in order to make an argument for the existence of God. However, interdisciplinary research and human experience reveal that imagination inhabits a primary position for this theological discipline in two significant ways: its fundamental role within human cognition and its function as a medium for the transmission of ideas and concepts. Set within the contextual framework of Iain McGilchrist’s research in psychology and Charles Taylor’s notion of the ‘immanent frame,’ this study argues for the primacy of imagination and the affections for the apologetic endeavour, in both the order and emphasis of engagement. This proper understanding of the presence and function of imagination yields three specific methodologies that will be analysed and situated within a more broad and robust apologetic strategy. By adopting a cumulative case method, this project will apply these distinct methodologies to the universal and foundational human experiences of longing and wonder in the belief that the increase of probabilities yields a more effective form of apologetic engagement. In this context, research in theology, psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, sociology, history, and the arts is brought into conversation with the life and writings of C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) and G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) to reveal the apologetic significance of imagination and aesthetic media in their experiences of longing (Lewis) and wonder (Chesterton). In the end, the inclusion of imagination and the affections in Christian apologetics will produce a more enriched and versatile form of engagement that should prove most effective for both intellectual and volitional persuasion within any cultural context.

Date of Award	25 Jun 2019
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Trevor Hart (Supervisor) & Judith Wolfe (Supervisor)