1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910825928503321

Autore

Avis Paul <1947->

Titolo

God and the creative imagination [[electronic resource] ] : metaphor, symbol and myth in religion and theology / / Paul Avis

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London, England : , : Routledge, , 1999

©1999

ISBN

9780203165034

9780203279373

9780415215039

9780415215022

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

ix, 197 pages

Disciplina

230/.01/9

Soggetti

Imagination - Religious aspects - Christianity

Metaphor - Religious aspects - Christianity

Christian art and symbolism

Myth

Apologetics

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. [175]-185) and indexes.

Nota di contenuto

1. Speaking of God in the language of the imagination -- 2. The fate of the imagination in modernity -- 3. The fate of the imagination in postmodernity -- 4. Affirming the truth of imagination : the alternative tradition -- 5. The world of biblical imagination -- 6. Creative theology and the making of doctrine -- 7. Imagination and the adventure of faith -- 8. Liturgy as literature -- 9. Metaphor -- 10. Symbol -- 11. Myth -- 12. Critical realism -- 13. Symbolic realism -- 14. Mythic realism.

Sommario/riassunto

'A mere metaphor', 'only symbolic', 'just a myth' - these tell tale phrases reveal how figurative language has been cheapened and devalued in our modern and postmodern culture. In God and the Creative Imagination, Paul Avis argues the contrary: we see that actually, metaphor, symbol and myth, are the key to a real knowledge of God and the sacred. Avis examines what he calls an alternative tradition, stemming from the Romantic poets Blake, Wordsworth and



Keats and drawing on the thought of Cleridge and Newman, and experience in both modern philosophy and science. God and the Creative Imagination intriguingly draws on a number of non-theological disciplines, from literature to philosophy of science, to show us that God is appropriately likened to an artist or poet and that the greatest truths are expressed in an imaginative form. Anyone wishing to further their understanding of God, belief and the imagination will find this an inspiring work.