Fractal imagination and Christian formation

Abstract

We make two interventions in two evolving scholarly literatures. First, we show how fractal metaphors escape a recurring dichotomy in Christian pedagogical scholarship, the either/or of alienation from one’s object of study versus union with it in “an act of love.” Second, we try to replace recent interdisciplinary work’s emphasis on “complexity” with “irreducibility.” Fractals allow us to define these concepts and develop alternative “ways of knowing” with greater rigor. Both interventions bear directly on Christian formation, and so we derive five ways the Christian classroom can combat spiritual alienation and instead cultivate the “fractal imagination” of our students.

Magical Realism in Contemporary Indonesian Literature: An Exploration of the Value of Education in a Fantasy World

“…Irreducible Element is a part that cannot be reduced / described in reality [47], [63], [64]. Magical elements in the Irreducible Element aspect are classified into four categories, namely those derived from magical objects, magical sounds, places where magical events occur, and character characteristics that have special abilities that cannot be understood by logic [65], [66].…”