Unseen Horrors: Produced by Val Lewton
Thur-Sat, 4:00 PM
Schooled under David O. Selznick, Val Lewton produced a string of low-budget horror classics in the 1940s at "Poverty Row" studio RKO that defied convention and took an unusually poetic approach to a genre not known for subtlety. This series includes a "Film Study" session on Cat People (Thursday night at 7:30 PM, and screenings of select Lewton films.
Paul Leggett wrote Terrence Fisher: Horror, Myth and Religion (McFarland & Company, 2001).

Island of LOST Souls: Finding Ourselves in Lost
Thur-Sat, 3:00 PM
TV viewers worldwide desperately want to "get" Lost. The show intrigues us with its plot twists and range of characters, and has much to say about our own Lost generation, with its similar anxieties, quirks, and joys. This seminar explores the deepest, darkest heart of Lost, searching for connections between the predicament of the castaways - with their monsters and baggage - and our own.
Lynnette R. Porter teaches literature, research, and communication courses at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL. She is the author of Unlocking the Meaning of Lost: An Unauthorized Guide (Sourcebooks, 2006).

We Are the Centuries: Hope and Despair in A Canticle for Leibowitz
Thur-Sat, 1:00 PM
One of the greatest science fiction novels of all-time, Canticle depicts the Dark Age following a nuclear holocaust at a monastery founded by the Blessed St. Leibowitz. This seminar explores the novel's unforgettable contrast between the presumably civilized powers of this world and the pro-human witness of the coming kingdom of God.
David Dark is author of Everyday Apocalypse: The Sacred Revealed in Radiohead, The Simpsons and Other Pop Culture Icons (Brazos Press) and The Gospel According to America: A Meditation on a God-blessed, Christ-haunted Idea (Westminster John Knox Press)

Love & Power in the Ruins: The Uses & Abuses of Archaeology
Thur-Sat, 2:00 PM
The popular notion of archaeology stresses the glamour- not to mention the power - of acquiring certain artifacts. Bert de Vries reflects on how and why archaelogy is really done, both right and wrong. Digging in the Holy Land raises the stakes for the story the artifacts tell - not least for archaeologists, whose work can be affected by matters other than science. Then there's treasure hunters, less interested in the human context of artifacts than their resale value. Is archaeology simply a means to power? Or should we let the materials speak for themselves? What do they have to say?
Bert de Vries is Professor of History and Archaeology at Calvin College, working in Jordan since 1968. He often speaks on peace and reconciliation, Islam, Iraq and Palestine-Israel.

Holy Fools & Knights of Faith: St. Francis and the Romance of Sainthood
Thur 10 AM & 12 PM, Fri 10 AM
The Imaginarium has long claimed G. K. Chesterton as our "patron Saint". St. Gilbert may have claimed Francis of Assisi, that "jester of God." What is it about Francis and the saints that attracts and intrigues us - even with the odd accoutrements that can come with sainthood? With emphasis on Francis, this seminar examines what it has meant - and means today - to be a saint.
Jon M. Sweeney edited The Road to Assisi: The Essential Biography of St. Francis and authored The Lure of Saints: A Protestant Experience of Catholic Tradition.

Kierkegaard and the "Knight of Faith"
Sat, 12:00 PM
The popular sentimentalization of Francis of Assisi can obscure the true challenge of St. Francis. A more honest response to the saint is "fear and trembling" - the response Kierkegaard insisted was proper to another story too-easily domesticated, that of Abraham and Isaac. This seminar reviews Kierkegaard's telling of that story, and reminds us who love to identify ourselves with the faithful what the true cost of faith is.
C. Stephen Evans teaches philosophy at Baylor University and has written extensively on Kierkegaard.

Incarnation Means Becoming Human: Body, Soul & Imagination
Thur-Sat, 11:00 AM
Image, myth, symbol and ceremony are the bread and butter of the Imaginarium, a fare people respond to as if they'd been starved. Often, they have been - by a Modern culture that prizes abstraction over incarnation. Missionaries worry about syncretism - mixing with non-Christian cultural forms - but have rarely scrutinized Modernity's conquest of the faith. Yet recent developments in missiology parallel the Imaginarium's journey in seeking a more sophisticated approach to culture. This seminar surveys those overlapping trails, and serves as the theoretical counterpart to our evening series: "Death Takes a Holiday: Celebrations of All Saints, Souls, & Bodies".
John Morehead studies new religious movements and seeks to apply a holistic approach to engagement with non-Christian cultures.

Memento Mori: Mortality and Memory
Sat, 10:00 AM
The seminar Memento Mori: Mortality and Memory, an essay aimed at tying together the diverse threads of Imaginarium 2006 has somehow evolved (or was re-designed) into a seminar now bearing the dubious title Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Bacchanals?, touching on pagan gods and revels, Medieval Carnival, and leading us back (as always) to Narnia.
Mike Hertenstein oversees program planning for the Imaginarium and Flickerings.

Who Put the Hallow in Halloween?
Fri, 12:00 PM
Boo! Some Christians are afraid of Halloween! An odd response to a holy-day, especially for a religion that does not shirk from death and a church that traditionally assimilates even pagan traditions. This seminar explores these mysteries.
Gretchen Passantino-Coburn has spoken and written extensively on apologetics and alternative religions.

Gods and Monsters in the Dr. Whoverse
Thur-Sat, 4:00 PM
Dr. Who is back! How's the new Who differ from previous incarnations? For one, this BBC Doc is spry indeed for a 900-year-old Time Lord who's seen (and done) it all. For another, his spunky cohort is his equal in the world-saving game. But the most impressive update is that the problems they face are so painfully familiar: How do we deal with threats from outsiders? How do we identify good vs. evil aliens/outsiders? When we have power, how should we use it? What is life against eternity?
Lynnette R. Porter is the author of Unsung Heroes of The Lord of the Rings: From the Page to the Screen (Greenwood/Praeger, 2005).

Jabbers Cafe
Thur-Sat, 5:00 PM
Jabbers Cafe got its start as a BYO coffee clache in the mornings, where Imaginarium attendees could start the day discussing the program, their latest favorite books and films, and anything else that came to mind that early in the morning. This year, our program is so stuffed the discussion time is at the end of the day, and maybe that makes more sense anyway. Come connect the dots with others doing the same and learn what everybody is taking away from this year's Imaginarium experience. (PS You might want to BYO supper and make this a dinner conversation!)