Harnessing the Disciplined Imagination

The pursuit of education is often filled with noble goals learning truth, sharpening reason, and growing in understanding. Yet, as many discover, knowing more does not automatically lead to becoming more. It is possible to collect countless facts about God and yet feel your heart growing colder toward Him. Without careful attention, theological or higher education can risk producing minds that are informed but imaginations that are withered and that imbalance places our spiritual health in danger.

Sanity, in its truest form, means living in balance and harmony with the purpose for which we were created. As Paul urges, it means having a sober mind (2 Timothy 4:5). To be sane is to live clear-headed and anchored in God’s truth, not distracted by the periphery or consumed by pride. But how do we remain spiritually “sane” not only in seminary or higher education, but in our daily pursuit of wisdom?

Here are five practices that cultivate what we might call a “holy sanity.”

1. Feed Your Imagination

Modern education often emphasizes information facts, systems, and analysis. But while reason is vital, imagination is equally essential for a vibrant faith. C.S. Lewis famously called imagination “the organ of meaning,” the lens through which facts find their true place in the bigger picture.

Reason alone can dissect, but it cannot unite. G.K. Chesterton once said, “Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason… it is reason that breaks a thing to find out what it is, and leaves the path of wisdom behind” (Orthodoxy, 17). The imagination, however, helps us see the forest and the trees, allowing truths to live and breathe rather than becoming lifeless propositions.

A disciplined imagination keeps our knowledge of God from becoming dry or mechanical. Read Scripture not only for doctrine but for story, poetry, and beauty. Surround yourself with stories the parables of Jesus, the Psalms, or even great works of literature — that remind you of the glory of God at work in all creation.

2. Embrace Mystery

Our age often equates intelligence with having all the answers, but in God’s kingdom, humility before mystery is a sign of wisdom. Education should clarify mystery without eliminating it. Chesterton wisely noted, “Mysticism keeps men sane. As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity” (Orthodoxy, 31).

Some truths of God are meant to be worshiped, not fully explained. Paul describes the relationship between Christ and the Church as a “great mystery” (Ephesians 5:32). Even when unveiled, such truths deepen rather than diminish in wonder.

To stay spiritually healthy, we must accept that we will never fully grasp the Trinity, the incarnation, or God’s providence and that’s precisely the point. Mystery humbles us and draws us to worship the One whose ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8–9).

3. Be Prone to Wonder

Facts may fill the mind, but wonder fills the soul. Without awe, knowledge can become sterile and even prideful. As Proverbs 30 reminds us, true wisdom often begins in amazement: “There are three things that are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand…” (Proverbs 30:18).

Take time to notice the everyday marvels of God’s creation a night sky glittering with stars, a child’s laughter, the complexity of a flower in bloom. Chesterton observed, “The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder.” Let study and reflection stir your worship, not merely your intellect.

4. Awake to God’s “Magic”

We live in a world that often dismisses anything unseen or immeasurable. Yet the world is drenched with what can only be described as divine enchantment. Psalm 33:6–9 tells us that the universe itself came into being through God’s spoken word creation is His en-chant-ment.

As C.S. Lewis once said, we need strong “spells” to awaken us from the enchantment of worldliness and materialism (The Weight of Glory, 31). God’s creation from snowflakes to sunrise is alive with His presence and power. Recognizing this “magic” does not mean abandoning reason but seeing beyond it to the greater reality that surrounds us.

5. Love What God Loves

At the heart of all true learning is what Augustine called ordo amoris the ordering of our loves. Education is not simply about knowing more but about loving rightly. As Jesus said, the greatest commandment is not “know the Lord your God” but “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Mark 12:30).

True sanity comes when our affections are aligned with God’s. This means we love justice because He loves justice. We value beauty because He is the source of all beauty. We show mercy because He is merciful. A heart that loves as God loves will not be led astray by pride or mere intellectualism.

The Goal of Holy Sanity

Education especially theological education should lead us closer to the living God, not just closer to correct ideas. If we lose imagination, wonder, or love along the way, we risk gaining knowledge but forfeiting the joy of knowing God Himself.

Jesus asked, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). The same can be asked of our studies: what does it profit us to gain degrees, facts, or theological precision but lose the awe and delight of knowing Him?

May we pursue a kind of learning that keeps our hearts awake to mystery, alive to wonder, and aligned with God’s loves that we may love Him with all our mind, and with a holy, joyful imagination.

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