I am reading James K. A. Smith’s book Imagining the Kingdom as a background source for my Covenantal Shakespeare course. Smith argues that our actions reflect the attunement of bodies and hearts more than our rational minds. This means that we should consider the kinesthetic (bodily) and aesthetic (imaginative) practices we take part in every day. Stories matter, and they affect us and shape us in ways we’re not always aware of.
A biblical view of the human imagination is at the heart of a biblical view of literature, so I’ve been taking copious notes. Smith argues that for the Christian, the place where stories and bodily practices meet is in worship, specifically Christian liturgy. It made me think that every time we recite the Apostles Creed, we are telling a story.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
We can see the covenant in this story’s details.
Transcendence: The creed testifies to Christ’s divinity…he was the son of God and was “conceived by the holy spirit.”
Hierarchy: The creed testifies to Christ’s humanity…he was “born of the virgin Mary and suffered under Pontius Pilate.”
Ethics: Christ’s sacrifice offered the necessary atonement required for our salvation…he was crucified, buried, and rose again, testifying to his obedience to the law.
Sanctions: Christ’s reward was a heavenly seat at the right hand of his father.
Succession: The promise of his second coming concludes this passage…”From there he will come to judge the quick and the dead.”
Immersion in the covenant is a way to get the story of God’s interaction with the world deeper into our bones. Every time we tell this true story, we are training our bodies and imaginations to live out its truth: God’s redemption of the world.
Literature, then, is a gym for the heart. When we see it as continuous with the affective and imaginative thrust of God’s word, we will be better able to experience its power.
Experiments in Criticism 