Becoming by Beholding

“In a world enamored of the literal and the quantifiable as royal avenues to truth, we need reminders that the way we feed and direct our imagination is crucial to who we become. This valuable volume invites us to pause from stuffing mental fast food into the hungry spaces in our souls and feast instead on gourmet fare from the Christian past. Whether you are drawn more by the dragons, the cathedrals, or the lady virtues, there is food for the Christian imagination here to linger over and savor.”—David I. Smith, director, Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning, Calvin University

“The church—Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox—should thank Lanta Davis for this book. It quickens the spirit and delights the heart. Each page reminds you of the astonishing breadth and beauty and magic of the kingdom of God. Through Dr. Davis’s exploration of Scripture, medieval bestiaries, poems, cathedrals, icons, and paintings, our imaginations are reignited! Becoming by Beholding reminds readers of our transcendent God and the absurd faith demanded of his people.”—Jessica Hooten Wilson, Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books, Pepperdine University

“Becoming by Beholding is a work to behold. Not only is this book a study in beauty, imagination, and spiritual formation; it also models the very practices it preaches. To read it is to witness beauty and imagination at work and thus to leave its pages better formed and more ready to be formed by all the goodness the world has to offer.”—Karen Swallow Prior, author of The Evangelical Imagination

“A contemplative imagination catalyzes Christian transformation. If you don’t believe that, read this book. Becoming by Beholding ushers us into a rich, strange, and beautiful art gallery that unveils our own hearts and minds. Davis’s engaging tour draws deeply from the Christian tradition of spiritual masters to show how the architecture of Chartres Cathedral, iconic imagery of Jesus, Station Island’s stations of the cross, and the literary genius of Dante teem with spiritual insights that reveal Christ and his life in us.”—Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, professor of philosophy, Calvin University; author of Glittering Vices

“Do you think nonfiction is more serious, grown-up, and useful than moving stories, beautiful buildings, and pretty pictures? Let Lanta Davis guide you through the Christian artists and makers who testify across the centuries that the stories and images we behold indelibly shape our souls. This book provides a needed antidote to the kitsch that clutters the hearts and minds of far too many Christians.”—Jeffrey Bilbro, associate professor of English, Grove City College; editor-in-chief, Front Porch Republic

“The ‘attention economy’ is exhausting. Overstimulated, we fall captive to fear, cynicism, and despair. In this book, Lanta Davis offers a way of escape—not from reality, but to it. With the wisdom of a master guide, she takes us on a pilgrimage, excavating the riches of the Christian imaginative tradition. The journey is illuminating and surprising, marked by encounters with holiness, the only thing that can heal the eyes of the heart.”—Justin Ariel Bailey, associate professor of theology, Dordt University