• In a trilogy of books, Thomas Moore maps out how the soul is manifested through the imagination. Care of the Soul is a primer on spirituality in everyday life; Soul Mates explores the different cycles and transitions in relationships; and The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life pinpoints magic, play, mystery, and imagination as wands that can renew both our public and private lives.
  • Walking a Literary Labyrinth: Nancy M. Malone recommends that we make imaginative use of books as meditative tools in our search for wholeness.
  • When Jesus Came to Harvard: Harvey Cox relates stories by and about Jesus to some of the most nettlesome ethical and moral conundrums of our times.
  • The Ladder: Edward Hays' religious stories are brimming over with imaginative insights into faith, grace, sanctification, and transformation.
  • The Genesis Meditations: Neil Douglas-Klotz describes the creation story as an imaginative meeting place for three religions and offers practices for personal meditations.
  • Leap: Terry Tempest Williams falls under the spell of Hieronymus Bosch's painting "Garden of Delights" and probes its metaphoric riches.
  • Life of Pi: Yann Martel's enthralling novel is a tale of a boy's coming-of-age, a fascinating portrait of human-animal interactions, a mystical journey of multifaith exploration, and a celebration of storytelling and the versatility of the imagination.
  • Meetings with the Archangel: Stephen Mitchell tells a spiritual adventure story that takes us into imaginative realms of earthly and heavenly truth.
  • The Illuminated Rumi: Coleman Barks' sampler of his translations of Rumi wedded to the phantasmagorical illustrations of Michael Green is a masterwork of imagination.
  • Imagine: Marianne Williamson brings together essays by 40 contemporary thinkers who imagine a better America in the next 50 years.
  • Reimagining Christianity: Alan Jones reimagines Christianity as open, inclusive, justice-seeking, and practice-oriented.
  • Making the Gods Work for You: Caroline W. Casey presents imaginative readings of the meaning and applications of the 12 signs of the zodiac.
  • Invisible Heroes: Belleruth Naparstek suggests imagery exercises for trauma survivors.

The Path of Creativity

  • Creativity: Matthew Fox reveals how creativity is the alchemy that can transform us and our world.
  • The Wave in the Mind: Ursula K. Le Guin pays tribute to the power of creativity and the imagination.
  • Trust the Process: Shaun McNiff captures the spiritual dimensions of creativity and conveys hundreds of ways to nurture imagination in daily life.
  • The Vein of Gold: Julia Cameron, a pioneer in the creativity movement, suggests exercises for explorers who relish inner prospecting.
  • Marry Your Muse: Jan Phillips outlines an innovative, soulful, and practical course for those who want to creatively express themselves.

Fiction

The Famished Road won the prestigious 1991 Booker Prize for Nigerian poet and short story writer Ben Okri. This novel is a spellbinding trip into the alternate reality of the imaginal realm. The main character, Azaro, is a "spirit child" living in an African village. He is subject to visions and hallucinations: angels and demons buzz around him wherever he goes. He dreams and takes dangerous journeys on behalf of the suffering people in his village.

More Books about Imagination