Spiritual Formation Through our Imaginations

In this Trinity Forum Conversation, author Lanta Davis, along with special guest host and Trinity Forum Senior Fellow Jessica Hooten Wilson, delve into the power of imagination and its role in our spiritual formation. The discussion centers on Davis's book Becoming by Beholding, which explores Christian imagination through art, literature, and historical practices.These friends and scholars discuss the transformative potential of engaging with sacred art, the virtues, and traditional practices like Lectio Divina:"In Jesus's parables ... He's constantly showing us that there's more hidden behind the surface than we think. The mustard seed is not just a mustard seed. Yeast is not just yeast ... Jesus shows us heavenly meanings ... This is what the incarnation helps us understand, that the divine is not just up above. It's all around us. It's here and now. That when God became matter, all the material world changed because of it."We hope this conversation will resonate with you as you explore the good, the true, and the beautiful in your own corner of creation. This podcast is an edited version of our Online Conversation recorded in March 2025. You can access the full conversation with transcript here.Learn more about Lanta Davis and Jessica Hooten Wilson.Episode Outline00:00 Welcome and Introduction04:47 Exploring the Power of Imagination05:37 The Concept of Becoming by Beholding07:46 Living in an Enchanted World10:53 Tradition and the Logic of Eternity13:49 Orthodoxy, Orthopraxy, and Orthopathy17:22 The Role of Icons and Medieval Bestiaries23:25 Lectio Divina and Imaginative Prayer27:20 Virtues and Vices: A Deeper Look30:38 Understanding Virtue and Its Historical Context31:37 The Practicality of Virtue Personifications32:32 Teaching Virtues in Everyday Life33:50 Exploring Courage Through Art36:30 Incorporating Virtue in Contemporary Art38:15 Imagination and Its Role in Understanding Reality45:28 Scripture, Culture, and the Fruits of the Spirit49:49 Global Christian Art and Imagination51:34 Resources for Teaching and Engaging with Art54:46 Travel and Exploration of Christian Art56:33 Desire, Trust, and Identity in Modern Culture59:39 The Last Word with Lanta DavisAuthors and books mentioned in the conversation:Becoming by Beholding, by Lanta DavisJessica Hooten WilsonRalph C. WoodIn the Beauty of Holiness, by David Lyle JeffreyLuke Ferriter“Hurrahing in Harvest”, by ​​Gerard Manley HopkinsFour Quartets, by T. S. EliotOrthodoxy, by G. K. ChestertonFlannery O’ConnorGrace HammondOn Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books, by Karen Swallow PriorAlan NobleA Secular Age, by Charles TaylorDorothy SayersThe Divine Comedy, by Dante AlighieriJames K.A. SmithKristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid UndsetJohn DonneSamuel Taylor ColeridgeJohann Wolfgang von GoetheRelated Trinity Forum Readings:Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid UndsetSpirit and Imagination: Reflections from Samuel Taylor ColeridgeThe Strangest Story in the World, by G.K. Chesterton