Theologian Encourages Sanctified Imagination of Jesus' Resurrection

David Rensberger reflects on how the Resurrection invites us to envision a new world and join Jesus in song.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Christian theologian David Rensberger encourages readers to use their "sanctified imagination" to envision the moments after Jesus' resurrection, when he emerged from the tomb and joined the birds in song. Rensberger argues that the Resurrection calls us to see our beliefs not as rigid dogma, but as "wide-open landscapes of breathtaking beauty to discover and explore."

Why it matters

Rensberger's reflections challenge the common tendency to treat Christian beliefs as fixed and defended, rather than as invitations to imaginative exploration. By envisioning the Resurrection in vivid detail, he suggests, we can be drawn into a deeper trust and wonder at God's transformative power.

The details

Rensberger draws on the story of the apostle Thomas, who insisted on touching Jesus' wounds before believing in the Resurrection. Rather than seeing this as mere doubt, Rensberger interprets it as a desire for a personal encounter to move past grief and fear. He encourages readers to use their "sanctified imagination" - imagination touched by the Holy Spirit - to envision the Resurrection in new ways, such as picturing Jesus emerging from the tomb, filling his lungs with morning air, and joining the birds in song.

  • On the morning of the Resurrection, as the day was just beginning to dawn over the Mount of Olives.

The players

David Rensberger

A Christian theologian and retired professor who taught New Testament at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta for 30 years.

Thomas the Apostle

One of the twelve disciples of Jesus, known for insisting on touching Jesus' wounds before believing in the Resurrection.

Thomas Merton

A Christian theologian and writer who lived in a cabin in the Kentucky woodlands and wrote about the sacredness of the natural world.

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What they’re saying

“In my sanctified imagination, I see the moment Jesus emerged from the tomb. What did he do when he first stepped out that morning?”

— David Rensberger, Theologian (anabaptistworld.org)

“Theologian Thomas Merton, in his cabin in the Kentucky woodlands, wrote about 'the dawn under a sky as yet without real light, a moment of awe and inexpressible innocence,' when the waking birds 'begin to speak to [God], not with fluent song, but with an awakening question that . . . asks if it is time for them to 'be.''”

— Thomas Merton, Theologian (anabaptistworld.org)

What’s next

Rensberger's reflections encourage readers to use their own sanctified imaginations to envision the Resurrection in new and inspiring ways, drawing them into deeper trust and wonder at God's transformative power.

The takeaway

By seeing our Christian beliefs not as rigid dogma, but as invitations to imaginative exploration, we can be drawn into a deeper appreciation of the Resurrection's power to transform our understanding of liberation, justice, and the new creation that Jesus ushered in.