Desire, Imagination, Story, and Imago Dei: A Multi-Method Exploration of Selected Elements of Spiritual Formation
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Issue Date
2025-03
Authors
Thompson, Lyndsay Cleo
Advisor
Bramer, Paul (Advisor)
Artist
Creator
Editor
Photographer
Type
Thesis
Keywords
Spiritual formation
Leadership
Christian life
Spiritual life--Christianity
Desire
Imagination
Imago Dei
Story
Leadership
Christian life
Spiritual life--Christianity
Desire
Imagination
Imago Dei
Story
Citation
Thompson, Lyndsay Cleo. “Desire, Imagination, Story, and Imago Dei: A Multi-Method Exploration of Selected Elements of Spiritual Formation.” D. Min., Tyndale University, 2025.
Abstract
Desire, imagination, story and the imago Dei are critical elements of Christian Spiritual formation. Throughout recent years, scholarship on spiritual formation has acknowledged these elements; however, a more extensive reflection on the potential of each, as well as their interconnection has been needed. Through the methods of composing a spiritual autobiography, interacting with biographies, engaging in autoethnographic research and building theoretical model, this portfolio highlights each element and its dynamic interconnection in the process of spiritual formation. Awareness of the critical nature of each element arose from reflection on the author’s life bolstered by a review of relevant literature. As each factor came to light, the profound interconnection of all four became apparent and became the impetus for intentional choice of research methods and the design of this document. Key findings include the importance of desire as motivation, imagination as means, story as context and the imago Dei as the goal or telos in both human and spiritual development, as well as the potential for the use and study of autobiographical writing, biographical reflection and autoethnography as transformational exercise.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Themes, Methods, and Context – Narrative: the Container, the Contained, a Spiritual Autobiography – Imagination: Dorothy Sayers, C. S. Lewis and Me: a Biographical Approach – Desire: Discovering Deeper Patterns in a Life: an Autoethnography – The Role of Desire, Imagination, Imago Dei, and Story in Christian Spiritual Formation: a Model – Conclusion: Studying and Experiencing Spiritual Formation.
Publisher
Tyndale University
Copyright Notice
Copyright, Lyndsay Cleo Thompson, managed by Tyndale University. All rights reserved.
Rights License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Rights License Link
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/