Ted Turnau introduces readers to the major themes of his in-depth Oasis of Imagination in collaboration with Ruth Naomi Floyd. Floyd brings her distinctive experience as a Christian artist to make this a practical guide that distils the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of embracing Christian creative cultural engagement.
Why does the church need to pay more attention to the imagination? How can we, in this day and age, best enter our cultural conversations for the common good? How can the local church better support its creatives, enriching its own imaginative life and building bridges to their neighbours and the wider culture?
Whether you consider yourself a creative or are simply searching for a path beyond the culture wars and Christian bubble, Imagination Manifesto offers biblical foundations, practical pointers, discussion starters, and inspiration for cultural engagement.
Mục lục
Foreword by Alastair Gordon xi
Acknowledgments xv
Introduction: why a manifesto for the imagination? 1
Imagination manifesto 8
1 Why engage culture? 9
2 How not to engage culture: culture warring 25
3 How not to engage culture: Christian bubbles 42
4 The path of creative cultural engagement: planting oases 58
5 What is the imagination? 74
6 What makes an imagination Christian? 87
7 Art bears witness: stories about the purpose and
power of creative works 98
8 Bearing witness: how to support your local creatives 116
9 Words of encouragement to artists . . . and the rest of us 133
Further reading 141
Giới thiệu về tác giả
Ruth Naomi Floyd is a vocalist-composer who has been at the forefront of creating vocal jazz settings that express theology and justice for over 25 years. She leads her own multi-faceted ensemble and her recordings consist primarily of original compositions. Ruth lectures on the intersection of beauty, theology, justice, culture, and the arts, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. She is a photographer, specializing in black and white portraiture and a committed justice worker.