Inner Life, Talks and Thoughts Rouze Up Souls of the New Age! A conversation with Malcolm Guite on William Blake
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Sep 27, 2025 
Malcolm Guite, a poet and Anglican priest known for his insights on theology and imagination, joins the discussion around William Blake's radical ideas. They explore how Blake challenges the modern split between the subjective and the objective, advocating for the imagination as a crucial tool for grasping truth. Guite highlights the necessity of reviving the imagination within theology, asserting it brings meaning to our experiences. Together, they articulate how imagination can transform our perception of the divine and the everyday moments of life.
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Imagination Is A Truth‑Bearing Faculty
- Blake and Coleridge challenge the Enlightenment split that confines imagination to private subjectivity and reason to public objectivity.
- Malcolm Guite argues imagination is a primary, truth-bearing faculty integral to perceiving the world, not mere fantasy.
Chemistry Class Taught Objectivity By Erasing 'I'
- Malcolm describes a school chemistry teacher who insisted on passive voice to make experiments 'objective'.
- The experience convinced him the scientific style falsely erased the knowing subject from observation.
Primary Imagination Shapes Perception
- Coleridge's 'primary imagination' is the active synthesizing power that shapes perception itself, not just artistic fancy.
- Guite links this primary imagination to perception of meaning in everyday experience like seeing a face or hearing words.
