How should one proclaim of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a secular age? For many Christians, the traditional approach of apologetics has grown stale. In light of the current secular climate, as described by Charles Taylor and others, rhetorical strategies that previously served the church and apologists well are no longer effective. Justin Bailey seeks to address this dilemma by infusing apologetics with an appeal to the imagination, the aesthetic, and the affective. Demonstrating that this is possible, he engages with two examples of those who have done apologetics through the imagination: George MacDonald and Marilynne Robinson. By beginning with the imaginative and the aesthetic dimensions of faith before expounding proofs, Bailey argues, hearers of the good news will find both their hearts and their minds engaged.
"In Reimagining Apologetics, Justin Bailey makes a valuable contribution to the development of apologetics as an endeavor that does justice to the complexity of the human experience. Both his theoretical exploration of the functioning of imagination in the work of apologetics and his consideration of the work of George MacDonald and Marilynne Robinson show that there is much of value to be gained from an approach that takes seriously the role of literary and imaginative engagement in the presentation of the Christian faith."
Holly Ordway, the Fellow of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute
"One of the brightest scholars I know, Justin Bailey, applies sanctified imagination to theology and culture in Reimaging Apologetics. It is a journey of hope into the new creation, an invaluable map for our church communities to live out the gospel, and a call to care for our culture."
Makoto Fujimura, artist and author of Culture Care and Art+Faith: A Theology of Making
