I was on the Ancient Way Podcast.
It was a thoughtful discussion, especially for those interested in faith, God and creativity and imagination.
Listen in as we dive into film, the truth of imagination, stewarding story with responsibility and more!
imagination
How God Subverts Pagan Imagination. A Call to Creative War.
This is an article I wrote on Stage and Story.
First part of a series on Of Myth and the Bible.
Christians do not need to be afraid of myth or see it as liberal. It is not. CS Lewis agreed.
It’s an introduction to understanding the way God redeems pagan imagination, even within the text of Scripture!
Fantastical Truth Podcast: Godawa on How God Defines and Redeems Imagination
This is a fresh and unique interview with some very smart and creative guys, Stephen Burnett and Zackary Russell.
We talk about how imagination comes into play with theology, the arts, creativity, the Bible.
We go deep.
Frankly Faraci Podcast: Are Godawa’s Biblical Novels Rated R Like the Bible?
The novel series Chronicles of the Nephilim is sometimes edgy and shocking, but no more than the Bible is.
I explained to Matt Faraci how I integrated imagination and fiction with theology in my Biblical novels while seeking to maintain an honorable fidelity to the holy Scriptures.
Find out why many of my fans say that these novels have brought to life the Scriptural narrative in a way that has not been done before for them.
Hear why this series has dominated the Top 20 in Biblical Fiction for years on Amazon.com.
Listen to the podcast here in all its glory!
The Imagination of God:
Art, Creativity & Truth in the Bible
NEW RELEASE! NOW AVAILABLE
Want to Know God More? Use Your Imagination
I used to revel in his ability to argue the truth of the gospel, often crushing my opponents in the process. In time, however, I began to realize that winning an argument about the logic of Christianity did not equal persuading people to follow Jesus. What was missing?
Through prayer and searching the Scriptures, I realized that while God cares deeply for rationality, propositional statements were not the only tools he used to reach people with his truth. In fact, I discovered that story, visual images, and other kinds of art were central to God’s communication style because they could go places reason could never go: into the imagination and the heart.
The Bible is a Work of Art
In my new book I help you break free from the spiritual suffocation of heady faith. Without negating the importance of reason and doctrine, I challenge you to move from understanding the Bible “literally” to “literarily” by exploring the poetry, parables and visual images found in God’s Word. Weaving historical insight, pop culture and personal narrative throughout, I reveal the importance God places on imagination and creativity in the Scriptures, and I provide a biblical foundation for Christians to pursue imagination, beauty, wonder and mystery in their faith.
For any Christian who wants to learn how to communicate and defend the Gospel in a postmodern context, this book will help you find a path between the two extremes of intellectualized faith and anti-intellectual faith by recovering a biblical balance between intellect and imagination.
BUY The Imagination of God, exclusively here at Amazon.
kindle, paperback or audio
Endorsement
“Brian Godawa is that rare breed—a philosopher/artist—who opens our eyes to the aesthetic dimension of spirituality. Cogently argued and fun to read, Godawa shows convincingly that God interacts with us as whole persons, not only through didactic teaching but also through metaphor, symbol, and sacrament.”
– Nancy R. Pearcey, Author, Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity, and Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning
BUY The Imagination of God, exclusively here at Amazon.
kindle, paperback or audio
NOTE: This book was previously released with the title, Word Pictures: Knowing God Through Story and Imagination.
Godawa on Stand To Reason: Storytelling, Imagination, Apologetics in the Bible
The brilliant and very friendly Brett Kunkle interviewed me on the Stand To Reason Podcast here.
We talked about some heavy stuff. Guaranteed to fascinate you. The need for Christian artists to be theologically informed and the need for theological Christians to be artistically informed from the Bible. Art, aesthetics, beauty are not merely acceptable, they are necessary to knowing God properly. But also, did you know God used artistic imagination to defend the faith? Did you know God used subversion to redeem pagan imagination and pagan art?
This is the book we talked a lot about: God Against the gods.
Here is the video presentation of God Against the gods.
God Against the gods: Storytelling, Imagination & Apologetics in the Bible
JUST RELEASED!
How God Captures the Imagination
Brian Godawa, Hollywood screenwriter and best-selling novelist, explores the nature of imagination in the Bible. He explains how God subverts pagan religions by appropriating their imagery and creativity, and redeeming them within a Biblical worldview. The sea dragon Leviathan, the Storm God and others are examined within their Biblical context to draw out the spiritual meaning. Improve your imagination in glorifying God and defending the faith.
Here are the Chapters Titles:
Demonizing the Pagan Gods
Old Testament Storytelling Apologetics
Biblical Creation and Storytelling
The Universe in Ancient Imagination
New Testament Storytelling Apologetics
Imagination in Prophecy and Apocalypse
An Apologetic of Biblical Horror
For more information…
CLICK HERE to buy it at Amazon.
CLICK HERE to see the website.
Hollywood Worldviews: Horror, A Biblical Genre
Check out this YouTube video on Horror: A Biblical Genre.
Some people think the Bible is a Veggie Tales cartoon, or Little House on the Prairie – safe, and family friendly “Christian” genre. But they’re wrong. Bloody gore, bone chilling fear, serial killers, Vampires, zombies, werewolves and other mutant monsters are in the Bible. No, this is not an exaggeration for a headline. See for yourself. I prove it in this presentation.
In this condensed version of my talk, I explore the genre of horror and explain the 4 ways that horror is used redemptively in the Bible and in movies. Horror reveals man’s sinful nature, exposes the consequences of sin, uncovers man’s spiritual pride, and expresses social commentary. Powerpoint visuals.
This is a shortened version without film clips. Get the full version here, complete with film clips.
You can find out more about the series here, including buying the downloads.
Hollywood Worldviews: Redemption in the Movies
Check out this YouTube video on Redemption in the Movies.
This is like a condensed class on how to watch a movie. I explain the 9 basic elements of story structure used in movies and the Bible to communicate redemption. Examples from the movie Braveheart illustrate these 9 elements of story and how they lead the audience toward the worldview of the storyteller. Powerpoint visuals and film clips.
This is a shortened version. Get the full version here, complete with lots of film clips.
You can find out more about the series here, including buying the downloads.
Hollywood Worldviews: Jesus Told R-Rated Parables
Check out this short YouTube video on Jesus Told R-Rated Parables.
Some people think that the Bible only describes sex and violence with an historical “reporting” kind of purpose.
Boy, do they have a problem with Jesus, the master storyteller, who used extreme violence in fictional parables to communicate the Kingdom of God. And learn how Revelation’s and Daniel’s visions are virtual feasts of cinematic gore and depravity. There is a holy purpose to depicting disgusting evil in storytelling. Learn how it can be redemptive without being exploitative.
You can find out more about the series here, including buying the downloads.