{"product_id":"discipling-the-diseased-imagination-spiritual-formation-and-the-healing-of-our-hearts-paperback","title":"Discipling the Diseased Imagination: Spiritual Formation and the Healing of Our Hearts - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJustin Ariel Bailey\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow does the imagination affect our spiritual growth and discipleship? Is it possible for our imaginations to cause harm in the world?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn his search to understand how the imagination works and how theology can nurture it for cultural discipleship, Justin Ariel Bailey realized the limitations of common discipleship models: The pursuit of spiritual growth often devolves into information transfer and behavior modification. Bailey argues that imagination is at the heart of discipleship, influencing our choices, behaviors, and beliefs about God, ourselves, and the world. But it needs both healing and training--a diseased imagination can result in harm to self and others.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBailey examines the imagination's role in spiritual life, from perception and attention to hope and emotion, while diagnosing its diseases, including hypocrisy, distraction, control, and self-deception. Each chapter ends with an orienting prayer, culminating in a longer prayer that captures the book's themes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith theological depth and pastoral wisdom, Bailey invites readers to reclaim their imaginations as a vital part of discipleship, shaping a life of deeper love and justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Artfully and convincingly makes a case that the imagination is the center of our discipleship\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat does it mean to disciple the imagination? This book explores how the imagination works and how Christian theology can nurture the imagination as a vital part of discipleship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eDiscipling the Diseased Imagination\u003c\/i\u003e will help readers understand just how powerful and formative the imagination is to mind, heart, and spirit. This book will inspire readers to refill and reform the imagination in everyday ways that will restore it to its glorious, God-given purpose.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eKaren Swallow Prior\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The modern sickness of the soul runs deeper than most diagnoses are able to reach. \u003ci\u003eDiscipling the Diseased Imagination\u003c\/i\u003e is the treatment plan the church sorely needs. With a rare blend of intellectual depth, pastoral care, and elegant prose, Bailey prescribes a vision for the Christian life that is honest, humane, and hopeful.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eJoshua Chatraw\u003c\/b\u003e, Beeson Divinity School and Samford University\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Bailey powerfully shows us that diseased imaginations can transform into dragons. \u003ci\u003eDiscipling the Diseased Imagination\u003c\/i\u003e teaches us how to prayerfully train our imaginations so that we can combat our dragons and live into our \u003ci\u003eimago Dei\u003c\/i\u003e.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eLanta Davis\u003c\/b\u003e, John Wesley Honors College, Indiana Wesleyan University; author of \u003ci\u003eBecoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What a lovely book! I hope many individuals and small groups will read, discuss, and engage with Bailey's wise counsel.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eKelly M. Kapic\u003c\/b\u003e, Covenant College; author of \u003ci\u003eYou're Only Human\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Bailey artfully and convincingly makes a case that the imagination is the center of our discipleship. To reimagine is not a childish thing but a moral imperative of possibility.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003cb\u003eAlex Sosler\u003c\/b\u003e, Montreat College\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJustin Ariel Bailey\u003c\/b\u003e (PhD, Fuller Seminary) is dean of chapel and professor of theology at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. He is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and has served as a pastor in diverse settings. Bailey is the author of \u003ci\u003eReimagining Apologetics \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eInterpreting Your World\u003c\/i\u003e, and he is a sought-after speaker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 200\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.64 x 8.44 x 5.44 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 10, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47652856594653,"sku":"9781540969866","price":32.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/euXcqIB8v59781540969866.webp?v=1773891557","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/discipling-the-diseased-imagination-spiritual-formation-and-the-healing-of-our-hearts-paperback","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}