In this episode of Strange Church History, we share a conference talk from S. D. Smith on the renewal of the Christian imagination. Drawing from story, Scripture, and the deep patterns woven into creation, Smith challenges us to consider what truly forms the inner life of God’s people. Imagination, he argues, is never empty. It is always being shaped, always being filled, always bending toward worship or toward something far darker. If our imaginations are not shaped by what is doxological, they will inevitably be shaped by what is diabolical.

This talk calls the Church to recover a vision large enough for the world God actually made: a world that is storied, symbolic, and charged with meaning. Smith invites listeners to see again with childlike clarity, to recognize the quiet wonders we have forgotten, and to cultivate imaginations sturdy enough to live faithfully in an age of confusion.

Enter Strange Church History as we revisit this timely and hopeful message delivered at the Re-enchanting the Church conference in Logan, West Virginia.