This is a well-written collection of thoughts on why words, language and stories are so central to our own narrative.
I believe that creativity is a reflection of God. It is His very nature to be creative, infinitely creative. His imagination is unlimited, displayed in the endless creativity we see around us, as well as the way He has created each of us to be unique. Billions of souls, all made in His image but all unique. What depth of imagination that takes. So to me it makes sense that our imaginations are a gift from Him, which, if well directed, can be used as an act of worship to bring the glory back to Him.
After all, storytelling was a tool that Jesus often used to communicate His message, each time bringing the focus back to the Kingdom of God. For millennia, people have used storytelling to communicate important truths … stories grab our attention, spark our imaginations, engage us in the narrative and help us to associate with the message.
Hence why I resonate with the subtitle of this book, “The power of story to shape our faith”.
Professor Jennifer Holberg draws on her extensive knowledge of literature, writing and teaching, taking content from the likes of Dante, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Flannery O’Connor and Marilynne Robinson, drawing out many truths of how important story-telling is to our lives and our faith.
Nourishing Narratives, by Jennifer L. Holberg, is available here.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, but was under no pressure to provide a favourable review.
