God’s very created order lays the ground for the answer to the question we all ask: what am I here for? God creates. God invites us to subcreate with what He has made. And God meets us in the work.

We realized a huge number of the challenges we face as people would be so much easier if we could internalize this dynamic. So we approached a dozen of our favorite theology teachers and asked them to contribute one chapter to our year, explaining to us one big idea; one piece of the puzzle. Then we planned a whole year of stories and conversations (face to face and on our podcasts) to help us dwell on those big ideas together.

The result is what you see here. It’s a tour, guided by world-class teachers and storytellers, through the relationship between the Creator and His subcreators. In the journey, we hope you can seek a clearer answer to His call on your life.

Media

• Request a review copy

• Media inquiries (interviews, guest op-eds/excerpts, etc.)

• Listen to sample podcast interview (see below)

GET the Book

Buy the full book Why We Create, edited by Jane Scharl and Brian Brown.

The Chapters

We realized there were about 20 books we wish everyone would read related to creation theology—and we were friends with most of the authors. So we asked them to provide a chapter introducing our community to a specific key idea. You can reach each chapter and get a sweeping introduction to creation theology…manageably!

Introduction

Prologue: Whose Story Are We Telling?
Jessica Hooten Wilson

Introduction: Seeking Our Place in the Created Order
Brian Brown

Part 1: God Creates

The Relationship of Earth to Heaven
Hans Boersma

Matter and Its Creator
Paul Buckly

Time and Its Creator
Jane Clark Scharl

Adorning Space and Time as God’s Image
Peter J. Leithart

Part 2: We Create

Gratitude: The Foundation of Human Creativity
Leslie Bustard

The Art of Memory
Heidi White

The Art of Cultivation
Grace Olmstead

The Art of Naming
Marilyn McEntyre

The Art of Subcreation
Matthew Clark

Why We Create: The Eucharistic Life
Jeromie Rand

Part 3: God Meets Us in Creation

Epilogue: The Call of Creation As Worship
Anthony Esolen

Companion Podcast Episodes

Listen to our Imagination Redeemed podcast episodes dialoguing with the book (start at the bottom to work your way through chronologically). Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app.

Imagine a person who understands the Great Story so deeply that they can see its meaning in every aspect of their lives. It plays out in the stories they tell their children. The way they feast, and grieve, and garden. The way they create and cultivate. How they respond to twists and turns in the larger culture.

Imagine they understand how to share this rich tapestry of meaning with others.

Now imagine a community, a microculture filled with such people. Such communities have withstood and redeemed difficult circumstances for two thousand years. Because through everything, they can remember who they are—and pass that memory on to their children.

The mission of the Anselm Society is a renaissance of the Christian imagination—we exist to cultivate just such a culture within the church in our time.

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Learn more about membership benefits and other details.

Join the Project

Do you or your organization want to partner on this? Email us at anselmsociety@gmail.com.

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