3 - What is the imagination, anyway? with Ted Turnau

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In this episode, I grill Ted Turnau, author of Popologetics and the forthcoming duology of Oasis of Imagination and Imagination Manifesto (the latter of which is co-authored with Ruth Naomi Floyd, and both of which I’m editing for IVP!) What exactly is the imagination, and why is it important for Christians to understand and appreciate it?

Ted Turnau teaches culture, media, and religious studies at Anglo-American University in Prague, Czech Republic. He’s lived there with his wife and family since 1999. He graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary with both an M.Div. and a Ph.D. in apologetics. His writing and research interests circle around the territory where faith, imagination, and culture (especially popular culture) intersect.

Ted’s books:

• Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective (P&R, 2012)

• The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ (with E. Stephen Burnett and Jared Moore, New Growth Press, 2020)

• Oasis of Imagination (forthcoming, summer 2023, IVP)

• Imagination Manifesto (with Ruth Naomi Floyd, forthcoming, summer 2023, IVP)

Books mentioned:

• You Are What You Love - James K A Smith

• Jim Davies - Imagination: The Science of Your Brain’s Greatest Power

• Why Art Matters - Alastair Gordon

Movies discussed:

A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004, dir Shainee Gabel)

A Short Film About Love (1988, dir Krzysztof Kieslowski)

Music discussed:

• Pink Floyd

• 21 Pilots

• Andrew Peterson

• The Gray Havens

• Ruth Naomi Floyd

Watch this episode on YouTube: