Date

4-7-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Apologetics (PhD)

Chair

Dawn Lewis Sutherland

Keywords

Imaginative apologetics, Christian imagination, Apologetics and imagination, Theological aesthetics, Narrative apologetics, Cultural apologetics, Perceptive imagination, Integrative imagination, Formative imagination, Imagination as epistemology, Imagination in Christian witness, Imagination and theological method, Faith and meaning, Christianity and culture, Spiritual formation and identity, Postmodern Christianity, Truth, beauty, and goodness, Faith and storytelling

Disciplines

Christianity | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

This dissertation argues that imagination is a theological and epistemological necessity for contemporary Christian apologetics. Traditional apologetic methods, shaped largely by Enlightenment rationalism, have emphasized logical argumentation and evidential demonstration. While these approaches remain valuable, they often fail to address the imaginative and affective dimensions through which many people in postmodern cultural contexts encounter questions of meaning, identity, and belief. In response, this study proposes an integrative apologetic framework that recovers imagination as a central dimension of Christian witness. Drawing upon interdisciplinary research in theology, philosophy, literary studies, and cultural analysis, the dissertation develops a model in which imagination, grounded in the imago Dei, functions as perceptive, integrative, and formative. As perceptive, imagination enables individuals to recognize meaning and coherence within reality. As integrative, it connects doctrine, narrative, and lived experience within the broader framework of the Christian story. As formative, it shapes the habits, practices, and communal life through which belief becomes embodied within the church. The argument unfolds through biblical, theological, historical, and practical analysis, demonstrating that Scripture and the Christian tradition have long engaged the imagination through narrative, symbol, worship, and theological aesthetics. Building on these foundations, the study articulates a constructive model of imaginative apologetics expressed through narrative, beauty, communal practices, and embodied witness. By situating apologetics within a broader theological account of human knowing and formation, this dissertation contributes to the field of applied apologetics by offering a framework that integrates theological reflection, cultural engagement, and ecclesial practice.

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