Imagination Redeemed A Christmas Oratorio (Not the Messiah)
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Dec 29, 2025 The hosts delve into W.H. Auden's captivating poem, exploring its vivid imagery and the contrasting energy that mirrors the holiday rush. They discuss the post-Christmas blues, revealing how Auden captures that familiar letdown. A fascinating take on the interwoven themes of the Lord's Prayer showcases the beauty in simple petitions. Listeners can also look forward to recommended readings on theology, along with details about an upcoming online course. The episode wraps up with a heartfelt final reading of Auden's work.
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Post-Christmas Tension As Lived Experience
- W.H. Auden's poem captures the post-Christmas mixture of frenetic cleanup and spiritual letdown as a single lived experience.
- The poem forces readers into reflective questions they otherwise avoid by collapsing ordinary chores and deep theological thought together.
Incarnation Meets Mundane Reality
- The poem frames ordinary reality (Euclidean geometry, kitchen tables) as 'the time being' that tests faith after encounter with the child.
- This creates a theological problem: how to live the incarnation amid mundane duties and looming suffering.
How The Poem Enacts Post-Holiday Feeling
- Brian describes how the poem enacts the after-Christmas headspace: frenetic energy followed by letdown and looming normalcy.
- He notes the poem forces readers to pause and confront difficult thoughts they might otherwise avoid.
